Plov recipe

Rice steamed in a layer over a zirvak of lamb, onion and yellow carrot sticks, never stirred until it is served, cooked in a deg cauldron.

2 hours and 55 minutesmedium9 ingredients

Ingredients

• 500 g long-grain rice
• 600 g lamb
• 500 g carrots
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 150 ml vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1000 ml water

How to make Plov

1. Rinse 500 g of long-grain rice until the water runs clear, then soak it in warm salted water for at least 1 hour.
2. Cut 600 g of lamb into 3 cm cubes, slice 2 onions into thin half-rings and cut 500 g of carrots into matchsticks the thickness of a pencil; do not grate them.
3. Heat 150 ml of vegetable oil in a deg or heavy cast-iron pot until it smokes, brown the lamb for 8 minutes, then add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until golden.
4. Add the carrot sticks and fry for 10 minutes without breaking them, then add 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds and 2 teaspoons of salt: this is the zirvak.
5. Pour in 1000 ml of hot water, push 2 whole garlic heads into the zirvak and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
6. Drain the rice and spread it in an even layer over the zirvak with a skimmer; do not stir. Add hot water until it stands 1 cm above the rice.
7. Cook on high heat until the water has dropped below the rice, about 10 minutes, then gather the rice into a mound, poke a few holes to the bottom with a stick, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat for 25 minutes.
8. Lift out the garlic, turn the pot onto a large platter so the carrots and meat end up on top, and serve shared from the plate with the garlic cloves alongside.

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