Real Uzbek pilaf (Fergana) is a very tasty dish that will leave few people indifferent. However, the skill of its preparation borders on high art. This article tells you how to cook Uzbek pilaf correctly.

Ingredients

The most ideal proportion at which excellent Uzbek pilaf is obtained: meat, rice and carrots - one to one. For cooking you will need the following products:

• Meat (preferably lamb) - 1 kg. Most of the meat and some ribs.
• Rice (preferably dev-jeera or basmati) - 1 kg.
• Carrots - 1 kg.
• Bulbs (medium) - 3-4 pcs.
• Hot pepper - 1-2 pcs. (if unavailable, you can replace it with red pepper).
• Vegetable oil 250-300 g (refined). You can use fat tail fat.
• Seasonings: barberry (you can do without) and cumin (preferably black Uzbek).
• Garlic - 2-3 heads.

IMPORTANT!

Under no circumstances use prefabricated (factory) seasonings for pilaf from the store! They are not suitable for this dish. The main spice here is cumin.

Preparation

Before you properly prepare Uzbek pilaf, you need to pay attention to the cauldron. It must be perfectly clean and without traces of soot. The meat is cut into cubes with a side of about 3 cm (except for ribs). It cannot be washed. It's better to wipe with a dry towel if you get something. Carrots are cut into strips about 1 cm wide (without any processors or graters). The onion is cut into half rings or rings. The rice is washed several times until the water is clear, salted and soaked again. To prepare Uzbek pilaf, you will need a slotted spoon with a hard handle.

Zirvak

The cauldron needs to be heated as hot as possible, and then refined oil must be poured into it. When it is well heated, you should throw a small onion into the container, fry it until dark brown, and then remove it. It will draw out everything negative from the oil and remove unnecessary odors. Then you can render the tail fat (the fat is removed from the cauldron). Then, at maximum heat (it is like this at almost all stages of cooking), the ribs are fried for 5-7 minutes and also removed. Next, the onion is fried until golden brown (the color of the pilaf depends on it) - it should give up most of the moisture. Then the meat is fried. The main thing is that it is fried at maximum heat, and not stewed. When the meat turns brown, add the carrots and fry for about 15 minutes (you need to stir constantly). When the smell of pilaf comes, it is ready. Next, you need to throw barberries and cumin into the cauldron (grind in your palms), pour boiling water over everything (to cover), throw in pepper, whole heads of garlic (with peel), ribs and salt (it should taste slightly too salty). This mixture is called zirvak. The fire is reduced and the cauldron is left for 40 minutes.

Final stage

After the period has expired, the heat is turned up to maximum, and then the rice is carefully laid out and leveled (drain the water). This is the most important point. Next, you need to carefully pour boiling water over everything so that the liquid covers the rice by about one and a half fingers (the main thing is not to overdo it). The water will boil quickly and the oil will be at the top. Very soon the moment will come when the liquid will boil away. Then the rice should no longer crunch on your teeth. If necessary, you can add a few tablespoons of water. Before covering with a lid, you can sprinkle the Uzbek pilaf with raisins (not for everyone). Next, the cauldron closes tightly. You can put another large dish inside under the lid to seal it. The fire is reduced to the “absolute minimum.” After 20 minutes, Uzbek pilaf can be served.

From this article we will learn how to cook Uzbek pilaf. There are many recipes for this dish. “Pilaf” is prepared in both the Near and Middle East. And in Uzbekistan itself, every city and even a small region has its own version of this tasty and satisfying dish. First, let's look at how pilaf differs from other rice porridge. Firstly, it should turn out crumbly. This is how it differs from Spanish paella. But it, like real Uzbek pilaf, is cooked in a cauldron. But Italian risotto is baked in the oven. And pilaf is not at all like sticky Russian rice porridge. The original recipe for this dish involves using only lamb, as well as fat tail fat. But over time, pilaf began to be prepared not only with other types of meat (and even fish), but also with various grains: wheat, sorghum (jugar), peas, mung bean, and corn. The cauldron and open fire also ceased to be constant conditions, giving way to a large frying pan with high walls.

Basics of cooking

Pilav is a very ancient dish. The original recipe is believed to have originated in India or the Middle East in the third century BC. And the classic recipe for Uzbek pilaf has become known since the sixteenth century. The principle of preparing this dish is quite simple. Pilaf consists of two parts. The first is called “zirvak”. And the second is cereal. It seems that it could be simpler? However, the success of the entire dish depends on the type of rice. You should not take round cereals, especially those intended for sushi. It contains a lot of gluten, and the pilaf will not come out crumbly. Also, a lot of attention is paid to the components of zirvak. In the Uzbek version of pilaf, the meat must be calcined. Further, unlike other types of this dish, zirvak and rice are combined in a cauldron for further cooking together. In general, in order to prepare real Uzbek pilaf, you need to have knowledge and experience. It’s not for nothing that this particular version of the dish was included in the UNESCO list in 2016 as an intangible heritage of humanity.

Products for pilaf

As for rice, it would be ideal to use the Uzgen variety with red grains. It is also called Dev-zira. Basmati would also be a good option. White Chinese long-grained Jasmine, as well as a mixture of wild Parbloid and steamed Jasmine, are considered acceptable. Now let's look at the products for zirvak - the main part of Uzbek pilaf. This is lamb, fat tail fat, in which meat, onions, special yellow carrots, garlic and cumin will be fried. This set of products is mandatory (basic). The Turks say: “There are as many pilaf recipes as there are cities in the Muslim world.” And as for Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Fergana and many other settlements of the country have their own set of additional products for the dish. They add barberry, saffron, dried fruits and even pumpkin to the pilaf.

What to remember when cooking

In Uzbekistan there is a dish similar to pilaf - shavli. It consists of the same products - rice, meat, carrots, fats. But their proportions are slightly different. And the sequence of adding products is different. As a result, shavli has very different taste qualities from pilaf. This is a fattier and less crumbly dish. Shawlya is jokingly called a poorly prepared or unsuccessful Uzbek pilaf. To prevent you from getting exactly this dish instead of the desired one, you need to strictly adhere to the sequence of adding products and, most importantly, the proportions. It is important not to overdo it with fat. But if there is not enough of it, the dish may burn. A kilogram of lamb requires the same amount of carrots and 200 grams of rice. And exactly 350 grams of fat are rendered.

Uzbek pilaf: recipe in a cauldron

If you definitely want to cook an authentic dish, and not one adapted to the conditions of a city apartment, you must be the owner of two things. The first is a thick-walled large cauldron, preferably cast iron. It goes without saying that it should be accompanied by an open fire or barbecue. Therefore, the most delicious pilaf is prepared outside the home. You should also have fat tail fat on hand. At this point, the Uzbeks themselves often deviate from the rule. Fat tail fat is too heavy for the stomach, it interrupts the aroma of spices and adds unnecessary fat to the dish. Therefore, authentic Uzbek pilaf is often prepared with cottonseed oil. But when heated, it also begins to taste bitter. Therefore, it is best to make pilaf with olive or unrefined sunflower oil. You should start preparing the dish with rice. We rinse it several times until the liquid becomes completely clear. If you do not have Dev-jeera or Basmati variety, leave the rice in the last water. This will remove a little more starch from the grains.

Preparing zirvak

The Uzbek classic pilaf recipe recommends starting the process by heating the cauldron and calcining the oil. But this is provided that all the products for the zirvak have already been prepared. But washing the lamb, removing the fat and cutting the flesh into cubes doesn’t take five minutes. In addition, you need to peel three onions and chop them into half rings. A whole kilogram of carrots - not young, juicy, but old, dry - cut into thick strips. You also need to remove the top, dirty husk from two heads of garlic, but do not peel them completely and do not separate them into cloves. When all the ingredients for the zirvak are prepared, you can put the cauldron on a large flame. When it warms up, put the fat tail fat cut into pieces there. When it is completely melted, remove the cracklings with a slotted spoon. If we use vegetable oil, just wait for the appearance of a bluish haze. Place the onion in its husk. When it gives up all the juice and turns black, we catch it and throw it away. Now add the chopped onion. Fry until golden brown. Carefully, so as not to get burned, place the meat in the cauldron.

"Soul of pilaf"

With this poetic phrase, the Uzbeks do not call lamb, but carrots. It is this that determines the taste of the dish. If you don’t have special yellow carrots, take regular orange ones, but they should be autumn, that is, dry. Place the strips on top of the browned meat and fry without touching for three minutes. Then stir and cook for another 10 minutes. Now it's time for the spices. The recipe for Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron requires the mandatory use of a tablespoon of cumin, known in our country as cumin. All other spices are at your discretion. You can add a pinch of saffron and coriander seeds to the cumin or add a tablespoon of dry barberry. If you want to cook delicious Uzbek pilaf with dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots, raisins), then they also need to be added to the cauldron at this stage. But they should first be steamed with boiling water, dried and fried in a frying pan. Pour boiling water so that the liquid is a centimeter and a half higher than the zirvak. Place the heads of garlic and pepper in the center of the cauldron. If the latter is not dry, but fresh, it needs to be added later. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about forty minutes. Add more salt than usual. Why? The rice will absorb the excess. We take the garlic. At this stage, add fresh red pepper.

Combine zirvak and cereal

We increase the fire to maximum. Carefully strain the rice and place it in the cauldron. Fill with a liter (preferably a little less, you can add water later) of boiling water. We are waiting for it to boil. Reduce heat to medium. When the water is absorbed, return the garlic to its place, in the middle of the cauldron. When the rice is ready, we make punctures with a stick along the entire depth of the Uzbek pilaf. This will allow liquid from the lower layers to come to the surface and evaporate. After this, cover the cauldron with a plate and a lid on top of it. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another half hour.

What to do if you want to cook a delicious dish in a city apartment, but you don’t have a cauldron? Will we really have to abandon this idea? Not at all. A cauldron can successfully replace a duck pot. It also stores heat well and distributes it over the entire surface. And it is more convenient to make the fire either larger or smaller with a gas stove than with an open fire. True, the smell of smoke will no longer be there. But if you know how to cook Uzbek pilaf correctly, then the aroma of the dish will be unsurpassed. The only thing that needs to be taken into account when cooking a dish in a duck pot is that the contents need to be stirred after the last addition of boiling water. Otherwise, the rice will burn on the bottom and remain damp on top.

in Uzbekistan they prepare many different types of pilaf, for example in Samarkand it is prepared with peas and is not very fatty, in Tashkent you can find pilaf with barberry and quince and very coarsely chopped pieces of meat, etc. in general there are many recipes for cooking and they are all CORRECT in their own way *

I was taught how to cook pilaf by an old Bukharian Jew, I don’t know what type of pilaf I’m preparing for - that’s why I just call it Uzbek pilaf

so let's get started...

we will need

1.carrot -1 kg

2.bow-3 heads

3.2 heads of garlic

4.2 hot green (or red) peppers

5 salt cumin (Cumin)

6. and of course meat - keep in mind that Uzbek pilaf is prepared only from lamb!

we need about 1.5 kg of lamb, preferably with bones

7.and lamb fat (preferably fat tail) -150g,

Fat, of course, can be replaced with sunflower oil (olive oil is not suitable), which is heated until a bluish haze forms.

8.1 kg rice

at the beginning we peel the carrots and onions, as you have already noticed from my previous posts, I am lazy in small things, and where I can make the work easier, I always use all sorts of kitchen gadgets.

In short, I cut the carrots and onions using a special grater

For conservatives, I’m giving you a specially enlarged picture. Look for yourself - everything is perfect

cut the meat and fat into small pieces up to 2 cm

Now comes the stage which, if you have the opportunity, is best done on the street, or with the windows wide open.. (.my wife kicked me out onto the roof)

We must render the lamb fat, or if you don’t have it, calcinate the sunflower oil.

heat the cauldron, pour about 100-150 grams of sunflower oil into it, wait until a bluish smoke appears above the oil and add pieces of lamb fat there

fry it until golden brown

remove the resulting greaves onto a plate (they are quite edible, but this is not for everybody - I, for one, don’t like it...) and fry the bones in the resulting fat until they have a stable golden color. Already at this stage you can add a pinch of salt and cumin when frying the bones stir periodically

we extract the bones from the fat, they have already done their job - they gave their juices to the fat.

Now add the onion cut into rings

a few words about onions - at the beginning it may seem that there is too much of it..., but this is not the case. Strangely enough, in pilaf the onion is not felt at all, it seems to dissolve and is not visible visually

When frying, all the water should evaporate from the onion; the readiness of the onion is determined by its appearance - it should turn golden

at this stage I went down into the house and continued cooking on a regular gas stove. We set the fire to maximum - the fat should boil

pour meat into the cauldron

fry it for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

add carrots

stirring vigorously, fry it for about 10 minutes. The finished carrots should be soft, if they are hard and have no smell, then you haven’t cooked them through

the moment has come when we add water. This is a very important moment, the fact is that if you pour more water than necessary, you will get rice porridge with meat, if less the rice will not cook and will be hard.

One of the basic laws of cooking rice says that for one serving of rice you need to take at least one and a half servings of water. But there are many other small important nuances - for example, the variety of rice. Each variety takes on its own amount of water during cooking.

In general, I took 1.2 liters of cold water for 1 kg of rice using this device

pour water into the cauldron and let it boil, the water level above the meat should not exceed 1-2cm

Well, we got what the Uzbeks call ZIRVAK

When the zirvak boils, we add garlic and pepper.

Before adding, we check the pepper, it must be perfectly whole, otherwise the pilaf will be very spicy, and we peel the garlic a little and remove the rhizome.

reduce the heat and cook the zirvak for 25-30 minutes, the zirvak begins to cook slowly, gaining taste and color.

we have half an hour to prepare the rice

Regarding rice, I can say that in my experience it is better to take pilaf round rice

it absorbs fat better.

the rice must be washed

until the water becomes clear,

pour warm water over the rice and set it aside

Meanwhile, our zirvak has reached condition

we taste it for salt and add salt so that it tastes too salty. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and pepper onto a separate plate so that they do not interfere with us.

Increase the heat under the pot to maximum and carefully transfer the rice into it with a slotted spoon, from which the water has previously been drained,

Level the rice, ensuring uniform boiling around the entire circumference of the cauldron.

Attention- Under no circumstances should you mix rice with zirvak!!!

Using a slotted spoon we stroke the rice, making circular movements from the edges to the middle, and we build, as it were, a small hill

Zirvak is gradually absorbed, and there is another important nuance here

As the zirvak is absorbed into the rice, you need to gradually reduce the heat so that the meat and carrots do not burn on the bottom.

when the zirvak is completely absorbed, it’s a good idea to do one more control check - rake the rice a little and take a couple of grains of rice for testing - the rice should not crunch on your teeth. If you detect the slightest hardness, pour half a glass of hot water onto the surface of the rice, level the mound and collect the rice again from the edge to the middle, giving the water the opportunity to fall inside. After this, we dig a “hole” in the middle of the rice layer, carefully place the garlic and capsicum that had been cooked in the zirvak there... and carefully bury them, again building a mound of rice. Sprinkle the rice with cumin crushed in the palm of your hand and close the cauldron with a lid, turn the heat to low. cook for another 5-8 minutes, turn off the heat, wrap the lid with a towel and leave the pilaf to cook for another 25 minutes

When the pilaf has arrived, carefully remove the pepper and garlic, mix everything thoroughly and put it on a dish (lyagan), put the garlic and pepper on top.

If you did everything right, then the rice should look like this

Pilaf is a very fatty food, so you need to wash it down with green tea, and I don’t recommend any cold drinks other than vodka.

Bon appetit everyone!

When we lived in Uzbekistan, I was given a book that contained more than 100 recipes for this dish. Then we moved several times from place to place, and the book got lost. It's a shame, of course, but what can you do...

One of the most important skills that I brought with me from this sunny and hospitable region is the ability to cook pilaf. I must say that it did not come immediately. Many similar dishes with sticky rice were cooked. Such a dish is called with a grin “shavlya”, that is, “porridge”. This is also rice with meat, onions and carrots, but you definitely can’t call this dish pilaf!

In a real Uzbek dish, the grain of rice lags behind the grain of rice, they are not stuck together, and each of them is imbued with the taste of aromatic “zirvak,” or figuratively speaking, a sauce obtained by frying and stewing meat, onions and carrots. The taste of “zirvak” must be achieved through skillful actions.

Rice is also cooked in a special way, which allows it to be saturated with fat and juices from vegetables and meat. Therefore, it turns out incredibly tasty, and most importantly crumbly.

Now, looking back, I can say with confidence why it was not possible to prepare such a dish as the Uzbeks cook it. There was no understanding of the process itself; everything was done mechanistically. There was a recipe - and there was a preparation, which, alas, was not pleasing every time.

But when understanding suddenly came, and it became clear what, why, and why, the skill immediately came. And the pilaf turned out every time the way it should be. And then you didn’t feel sorry for the lost book with recipes, because you could already cook your favorite dish yourself using any of them.

I have already written several recipes for this dish on my blog. And I tried to explain in as much detail as possible what and how to cook.

Real Uzbek lamb pilaf in a cauldron

In Uzbekistan, lamb pilaf was always prepared for the most significant life events - weddings, other important events and holidays, the arrival and meeting of a dear guest, etc.

It was not easy to buy good lamb during the USSR, so we went across the city to the bazaar in the Old City (this is in Samarkand). And only there, having gone around all the shops, could one find the desired piece of meat.

On weekdays they also cooked. And it was always delicious too!

And no matter what meat this dish was prepared from, the process itself was always very significant and responsible. What was needed was an attitude and a good mood. It also required time that needed to be fully devoted to the cooking process. When preparing this dish, there is no need to rush or rush, just as there is no need to be distracted by other things.

Pilaf must be felt, and therefore the time intervals for adding products can only be approximate.

If you have stocked up on all these properties, then you can start cooking. The whole process can be divided into three parts:

• preparation of ingredients
• cooking
• innings

We will need:

• lamb on the bones - 1 kg
• fat tail fat - 100 g
• onions - 1 kg
• carrots - 1 kg
• garlic - 2 - 3 heads
• rice - 1 kg
• vegetable oil - 250 ml
• cumin spices - 2 teaspoons
• ground coriander - 0.5 tsp
• salt - to taste (about 0.5 tablespoons)
• ground black pepper - to taste (about 0.5 teaspoon)

Preparing Ingredients

Usually, preparation always begins with a trip to the store or market and purchasing the necessary products.

It is better to buy lamb on the bones. It is with them that the most delicious dish is obtained. The meat will first be fried, then stewed, and it is the bones that will provide the very necessary fat that will make the “zirvak” filling, nutritious and incredibly tasty.

When you buy meat, ask if fat tail fat is on sale. If there is, then ask you to weigh the required amount. A piece of fat tail fat is simply irreplaceable when cooking this oriental dish.

But if you don’t find it, you can only get by with vegetable oil.

Buy larger carrots; they will be easier to cut. In Uzbekistan it is prepared from yellow carrots. If you manage to buy one, it will be very cool. Pilaf with such carrots is not as sweet as with orange ones. But, unfortunately, in the Urals you won’t find such carrots during the day with fire, so we take ours - ordinary ones.

When purchasing rice you need to pay special attention. At the end of the article, I will talk about the main recommendations when choosing it. As a rule, I use parboiled rice. It can be bought in any store; it is currently presented in a wide range, and even from different manufacturers.

An excellent variety for cooking is “Devzira”, where the rice grains are covered with pinkish-brown powder, which makes the dish incredibly tasty. This variety is grown only in one place in the world, in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan. It is almost impossible to buy it in a store, but at the market you can buy it from fruit and vegetable traders, immigrants from Central Asia. But you need to order it from them. By the way, today they brought me two kilograms of this rice upon order. So my next holiday pilaf will be made from it.

If you cook from this variety, you should know that it is very dense and requires a long preliminary soaking and longer cooking. But when cooked, it increases in size up to 5 - 7 times, and never gets soft. And thanks to this feature, it perfectly absorbs all the juices from meat and vegetables, fat from oil, as well as the aroma and taste of spices.

Be sure to purchase the spices that are indicated. Jeera, or cumin, is the main spice for rice. It is this that gives that very specific taste to pilaf, which allows you to determine by the smell that it is the same, real, Uzbek one. And if you can still do without ground coriander, then you can’t do without cumin!

For a slightly sour taste, barberry is also added. If you have it, you can include it in the recipe. And I’ll tell you at what stage it needs to be added.

Well, now that we’ve bought everything, I’ll tell you how to cook and cut the ingredients.

1. Cut the meat into fairly large pieces. When it is cut in this way, when fried, the top crust is baked, and all the juice remains inside. And in this case, the meat is not overdried, but very juicy and tasty.

Today I’m expecting guests, and that’s why I’m not taking a kilogram of lamb, but a little more. I do this because my lamb is quite bony. After the meat is completely cooked, I will remove the bones and leave only the pulp. And in this case, I will have enough meat.

If your lamb will be used not fresh, but frozen, then you need to take care in advance and defrost it in the correct way.

The best way to do this is to defrost in the refrigerator. That is, you just need to move the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator and leave it there, maybe overnight if you cook in the morning. Or in the morning, if you’ll be cooking in the evening.

With this method of defrosting, the fibers of the meat will best retain their texture. And lamb does not lose its beneficial qualities.

Or you can defrost the lamb at room temperature. But under no circumstances should you defrost it in the microwave or in hot water. There is hardly anything left of the taste of such meat.

2. Peel the onion and cut into two halves. The tails do not need to be cut off. It will be convenient to hold on to them when we cut the onion into half rings.

Onions can be placed in a bowl filled with water. This will protect your eyes when cutting it. But do not leave it there for a long time so that all the juice does not leak into the water.

3. Now the onion should be chopped. To do this you need a sharp knife; the sharper it is, the thinner you can cut the onion. My grandfather, who lived in Uzbekistan all his life, cooked this dish perfectly. And each time he began its preparation by sharpening the knife.

We cut the onion into half rings, trying to cut it thinner. I get half rings 2 mm thick, that’s how it should be. The thinner the onion is sliced, the juicier the dish will be.

By the way, there are recipes where only 500 - 600 grams of onion are used per kilogram of meat. But I only take a kilogram, this is exactly how my grandfather taught me to cook.

4. The carrots also need to be chopped. They cut it into long thin strips. Not in cubes, not in sticks, but in straws. And carrots are not grated even if there is a special grater for Korean carrots. All of it must be cut to approximately the same size and by hand. Many people ignore this point and cut the carrots any way they want, just not the right way. And this is important for getting a properly prepared dish.

Therefore, arm yourself with a sharp knife and let’s cut the carrots. If you have never cut it like this before, it will be difficult at first, but then you will get used to it, and you will cut it even faster than grating it.

And you have to cut it like this. Take a large peeled carrot and first start cutting it diagonally into long thin slices, each of them should be approximately 5 mm thick.

Why stack several plates one on top of the other and cut them into strips of the same thickness.

If at some point the end by which you hold the carrot becomes inconvenient to cut the carrots into plates, and most importantly unsafe for your fingers, then simply place it cut side down on the board.

And cut it in a more convenient way, but into strips of the same size.

5. Rinse the rice under running water to remove the starch. If the rice variety is not steamed, then it will need to be washed in several waters until it becomes transparent. The starch needs to be washed off because during cooking it will stick the grains together and you will end up with porridge. And we remember that in real Uzbek pilaf the grain of rice should easily come away from the grain of rice.

Steamed rice requires much less time to rinse. And it doesn't need to be pre-soaked.

Varieties of ordinary oblong rice need not only to be thoroughly washed, but also soaked in water for about 20 minutes. For this, water will need to be at room temperature.

6. Peel the heads of garlic from the top jacket. Carefully cut off the area where the root system was located. And rinse the heads thoroughly. At the same time, they should remain intact; there is no need to disassemble them into cloves. Just like peeling garlic from clothes.

7. We almost forgot about fat tail fat. Cut it into pieces of about three centimeters.

In Uzbekistan, it happens that they cook it purely with fat tail fat. It is evaporated until the cracklings are formed, which are subsequently removed, and the entire dish is prepared using the resulting melted fat. In this case, cut it into smaller cubes.

We will add lard for taste and therefore this size will be just right. When it is ready, not even a trace will remain of this fat, it will melt all over and imbue every piece and every grain with its taste!

Sometimes they ask, if there is no fat tail fat, can they add pork? I categorically answer - it’s impossible! And not even because real Uzbek pilaf is not made from pork. But simply because lard has a completely different taste, and it is not suitable for the dish.

8. Of course, we’ll prepare the spices, salt and ground black pepper. Have everything at hand so you don’t forget anything during the process.

Preparation

For cooking, we will use a cauldron, since it is this dish that makes it possible to prepare real Uzbek pilaf. The secret of the cauldron is that it is a dish with thick walls that does not have clearly defined bottom boundaries. The bottom smoothly flows into the walls. In such dishes, the heat is distributed evenly, which allows all the ingredients to warm up well at the same time. Also, despite the fact that most of the time the ingredients are fried over high heat, they are much less likely to burn.

Also, such utensils allow you to cook rice perfectly without stirring it. What is very important is that such rice does not stick together or break.

Now other thick-walled dishes have appeared, so if you don’t have a cauldron, then try cooking in it.

Pilaf is prepared in different ways, and we have already talked about this. Today I will show you a method when rice is not mixed in a cauldron with other ingredients. This is how it is prepared in Samarkand.

Maybe I lived in Samarkand for too long, or maybe because I spent all my childhood and youth in this city, or maybe I love this city too much, but I think it’s the most delicious.

And although you can cook any options with lamb - both (considered a classic in cooking), and Bukhara style, and all the other numerous options, today I choose my favorite recipe.

1. Place the cauldron on the fire and warm it up thoroughly. The cauldron is used in the preparation of various dishes quite often, and often it is literally soaked in oil - this is the so-called oil soot. This carbon deposit works better than any other non-stick coating and accumulates on it over many years of cooking various dishes in it.

Therefore, often a cauldron is bought only once in a lifetime. The older and more experienced it is, the better. And since oil deposits are not washed off, the surface must be calcined so that no microbes remain on it.

My cauldron has also served me for many years. And therefore it has also already accumulated a significant amount of carbon deposits. Although it doesn’t look very nice, you can cook everything in it with a bang!

2. Pour in oil. The recipe specifies 250 grams of butter and there will be another 100 grams of fat tail fat. But if you like richer dishes, then you can use 300 grams for this amount of ingredients.

Heat the oil thoroughly until a bluish haze appears.

3. Carefully place pieces of lamb one at a time along the edge of the cauldron wall. To avoid getting burned, lower it with a slotted spoon. Or if you have experience, you can lower the meat with your hands.

The pieces fall along the edge of the wall due to the fact that the oil does not cool quickly. Our task at this stage is to fry the meat as quickly as possible until a beautiful golden brown crust appears. And if the oil cools quickly, then quick frying will not work. And the meat will begin to release its juices into the oil. As a result, it will turn out dry.

4. Add pieces of fat tail. Mix and fry everything together.

The roasting time will depend on the size of the lamb pieces and their condition. The flesh will fry faster, meat with bones will take longer. But approximately, the meat will be fried for 10 - 20 minutes.

At this time, the meat needs to be stirred periodically with a slotted spoon. But not so often. You should let the sides sear thoroughly.

During this entire time the fire should be high. It is important!

5. We have already cooked and chopped onions.

And as soon as the meat is fried to the desired state, put it in a cauldron. The contents should be mixed and now you also need to fry the onion. Do not reduce the heat, stirring the contents periodically.

The onion should not be fried, it will rather be stewed, gradually changing its color from white to transparent yellow, with shades of brown. The whole process will also take 15 - 20 minutes.

6. While the onions are fried, put the kettle on the fire; we will need about 1.5 liters of water. As soon as the onion changes its consistency and becomes soft and translucent, pour boiling water into the cauldron. It should practically cover the meat and onions.

When the contents boil again, you can see that we have a yellowish-brown broth. It is the seeds that provide the very fat that will later give us the main taste.

7. Cover the contents with a lid and leave the meat to cook until fully cooked. This condition can be determined by the fact that the meat can be easily removed from the bone.

If you use ribs, this will happen quite quickly. And if the seeds are quite complex, the cooking process will take a little longer. The total cooking time can be from an hour to an hour and a half.

If you don’t plan to remove the bones, and this is allowed (when serving, the meat is laid out directly with the bones), then you don’t have to simmer it until fully cooked. As soon as it starts to chew, you can immediately proceed to the next stage.

My seeds are quite complex, and I want to remove them before I start planting the carrots.

8. The meat is cooked, now you need to take it out and remove the bones. At the same time, try to leave it in large pieces, without cutting it into smaller pieces.

9. Place all the pieces back into the cauldron.

And we already have chopped carrots ready.

Add it to the cauldron. Mix.

10. Immediately add the spices, while lightly rubbing the cumin in your palms. Pepper to taste, for starters you can add half a teaspoon of ground black pepper. And also add salt, also adding about half a tablespoon of salt to begin with, maybe even a little less so as not to inadvertently oversalt. Subsequently, the amount of salt can be adjusted.

If you add barberry, this is also the best time for it. You can add two or three teaspoons. As a rule, it is sold in dried form. And when cooked it will increase slightly in size.

11. Stir again and simmer over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes. This is exactly the mixture that we got at this stage, which is called the beautiful word “zirvak”.

12. Prepare the heads of garlic and insert them into the carrot layer. Insert deeply so that they do not float when adding water.

13. If you soaked rice, drain the water and place it on top of the carrots in an even layer. Smooth out with a slotted spoon so that there are no bumps or depressions.

14. We should have boiling water ready again. Pour it into the cauldron through the holes in the slotted spoon so as not to stir up the rice. If you pour directly from the kettle, the rice will rise to the top and the carrots will float to the top. But we need it to stay down.

Pour water so that it covers the rice by about 2 cm. In Uzbekistan, this distance is measured along the first phalanx of the index finger.

At high heat, wait until the water boils. The fat and broth will rise to the top and the broth will become a beautiful golden yellow color. When the boil becomes more active, taste the broth to determine if it has enough salt.

If you feel like you want to add more salt, add as much salt to the broth directly on top as you see fit. Then you can add the missing pepper.

15. Cook the rice with the lid open over high heat until all the water has boiled away. This will take approximately 15 minutes.

16. Then assemble a mound of rice, collecting it from the edge of the cauldron to the center. It turns out that we are, as it were, covering the middle of the not yet fully cooked rice with the edges that are almost ready. You can still see around the edges that there is liquid left. We will now evaporate its remains.

17. Using a Chinese stick or some other suitable device, make several holes in the middle of the mound, sticking the stick to the very bottom and gently rotating it from side to side. The holes will fill with liquid.

This manipulation will allow the rice, which is in the middle and may still be raw, to also reach a state of readiness. The steam will flow through the holes made directly to where it is needed.

18. Reduce heat to low and close the cauldron with a lid. If the casserole is small, but there is a lot of rice and meat, and it is difficult to cover it with a lid, especially when a mound has already been formed, then you can use an ordinary bowl as a lid, placing it upside down.

At this stage it is important to evaporate the remaining liquid and not allow the contents to burn. That's why you need a very small fire.

19. Simmer the rice in this position for 10 minutes, then open the lid. But it should be opened in such a way that the condensation that has accumulated on its reverse side does not fall back into the cauldron.

Try the rice; it should be almost ready. There should be no liquid left in the holes made with a stick and along the edges. This can be checked this way. Slightly move the rice away from the wall with a slotted spoon, and turn it again with a stick in the holes.

Rice comes in different varieties and absorbs water differently. Therefore, it is advisable to use proven varieties, then you can know approximately how much water is needed for a particular type.

If it happens that there is no water left in the cauldron, and the rice is still raw, then this situation can be corrected. You can pour a little boiling water into the holes made, but only a little. And close the cauldron with the lid again. Cook again until the liquid evaporates.

20. When there is no water left in the cauldron and the rice is already ready, you need to cover the cauldron with the lid again and turn off the gas. Place a thick towel over the lid. This is necessary so that the rice steeps and absorbs all the remaining liquid remaining in the cauldron.

Innings

Pilaf prepared in Samarkand also has its own form of serving. It is laid out in a dish in exactly the same sequence in which it was placed. I'll write how to do it.

1. In a large dish, in Uzbekistan it is called “lyagan”, place rice as the first layer. It's okay if some of the carrots get in with it. It is better to choose rice from one of the edges of the cauldron.

2. Place a layer of carrots on top of the rice. Try to pick it up with a slotted spoon carefully so that it does not break and retains its shape.

3. Place the next layer of meat. If the pieces are quite large, then they can be cut into smaller portions.

If the meat was on the bones, for example on ribs, then they can be laid out together with the bone, or the bone can be removed. If the bones were large, then of course it is better to remove them, especially if you are preparing a dish for guests.

If you are cooking for yourself, you can serve it with bones. As a rule, there are always people who like to chew them.

4. Place the garlic on top of everything, just like that, whole. It will be a pleasant decoration for our dish.

5. Chop the greens and sprinkle them on top. The green color really brightens up the dish. This paint was just what we needed to set the mood.

6. Serve lyagan with pilaf to the table and eat with pleasure!

You can look after the guests and give them a portion with the host’s hand; this is a special gesture towards the guest.

Be sure to invite your guests to try the garlic. To do this, peel it yourself. Garlic has a very unusual and interesting taste, incomparable to any other. It gave its main taste to the broth and absorbed all other tastes and smells.

However, it has both fans and, on the contrary, those who categorically do not like its taste. Therefore, do not impose garlic, offer to try it, and that’s all. Anyone who likes it will ask for more, or take it himself.

Serve the dish with cucumber and tomato salad. Or just with chopped vegetables. By the way, this oriental dish cannot be eaten with ketchup! I often saw such a picture (not in Uzbekistan, of course!).

In Uzbekistan, pilaf is the last thing served on the table. There may be a large string of other dishes and endless green tea on the table throughout the evening. And the more honorable the guest, the later the main course will be brought out for him. You can eat it for a long time and a lot, while talking and smacking your lips with pleasure. But when it’s eaten, it means that you can slowly get ready to go home. Of course, after it they will serve more tea and offer to play backgammon or chess, but pilaf is always the end point.

In general, in the East there is always a special attitude towards him. Not a single, even remotely significant life event is complete without it. And it is no coincidence that UNESCO included it in the list of cultural heritage. This once again further emphasizes its significance, and most importantly, its incomparable taste.

And now you can join this action and prepare it yourself. I hope that I wrote everything in an accessible and understandable way. If, after reading the article, you have questions, then ask them in the comments. I will be happy to answer them

What kind of rice is needed for cooking

Very often people fail to cook real pilaf because they do not choose the right rice for it. Here are some recommendations to help you make the right choice.

• For cooking you need long grain rice, which has an elongated oblong shape. Rice with round grains is softer and more chewy. It is not suitable for this dish. It is used to cook porridge.
• the grain must be strong. At bazaars in Uzbekistan, rice is bitten, that is, it is checked “by the tooth.” And if you manage to bite through it, then this variety is left aside; it is not suitable for cooking this dish. Only hard varieties are chosen.
• the surface of the grain should be ribbed. If the grain is smooth, then it is better to refuse it. Ribbed varieties absorb juice from meat and vegetables better, and this makes the pilaf more tasty.
• With the advent of steamed varieties of rice, I began to buy them. The results with them are always excellent. It does not need to be pre-soaked and practically does not need to be rinsed. This rice is not overcooked at all. And this is exactly what we need.
• When buying rice, make sure that all the grains are one to one, and that there are no broken or halves among them. This is exactly the kind of rice we need. By the way, if you choose packaged rice, also pay attention to this.
• Sometimes the label says “rice for pilaf.” Never believe this, they can write anything.
• It is best to use proven varieties that have already been brewed from. In this case, you will already adapt to how much water a particular variety requires.

If you managed to buy pink rice called “Devzira”, then consider yourself incredibly lucky. This variety is grown specifically for making pilaf. And you simply cannot find a better variety. It is not cheap; here in the Urals you can buy it with prices ranging from 250 to 400 rubles per kilogram.

But, when buying, check it so as not to run into a fake. Be sure to check it thoroughly. You won't be able to bite through real varietal rice. The grain of real varietal rice is heavy and dense, much heavier than that of ordinary varieties. The grain has a longitudinal groove of red-brown color. If you shake off the brownish powder from the grain, the groove should be visible. And it is important to know that it cannot be washed off with water. It remains even after cooking.

Uzbeks check the authenticity of rice by picking it up in their hand. If you rub it in your hand, the real “devzira” will crunch slightly. This is due to the fact that the grain is very dense and strong.

This rice perfectly absorbs water and all the delicious juices from the “zirvak”, does not boil over and turns out very tasty. And as mentioned above, during cooking it increases 5-7 times. Therefore, it needs to be added significantly less than usual.

Don't despair if you don't have this variety of rice. A delicious Uzbek dish can be cooked from long white rice, I repeat, “steamed”. Therefore, learn to cook with it. And only later, when you achieve mastery, you can hone it with expensive, rare grain varieties.

Bon appetit!

• Yes, this is not just a recipe, but a textbook on cooking pilaf, it can probably be taught in educational institutions, I really like pilaf made from lamb, but I probably didn’t prepare it correctly, so I’ll try it according to your recommendations

• I love pilaf very much and also cook it well. An Uzbek friend taught me and now I can compete with oriental chefs)

• Well done, Margarita! All cooking technology from A to Z.
  Now, for sure, you will get a real Uzbek pilaf.

• I liked how you described the rules for purchasing rice. Now I will always buy steamed rice for pilaf. Thanks for the tip. Excellent article about pilaf.

• Thank you, Margarita. Having such detailed instructions, now I will cook too. Because I really ended up with a mess.

• Margarita, thanks for the recipe! I had to eat pilaf similar in composition and preparation in Turkmenistan. The only thing that confused me was that I had to eat it with my fingers. But the taste is excellent!!!

• Thanks a lot! I downloaded the recipe into my book - just in time. It’s my birthday in September - I’ll cook and treat my friends at the dacha to pilaf cooked in a cauldron over a fire.
  Following these cooking instructions, I’m sure the pilaf will turn out great!
  Bravo Margarita - Well done!

• Very interesting article. Not only the recipe itself is written in detail, but also the accompanying description. Well, I really like pilaf with lamb. I generally love lamb. And especially pilaf and shish kebab. Thanks to the author.

• Nice detailed pilaf recipe. I can imagine how delicious it will be. It’s a shame there’s no cauldron, but I’ll try it in a saucepan. And I can’t imagine where to get fat tail fat. But still, I think everything will work out.

• I really like lamb pilaf. This pilaf really turns out real, as it should be - aromatic, crumbly and incredibly tasty. Thanks for the recipe!

• Margarita, with your recipe, even someone who has never cooked it will be able to cook pilaf. They described every moment in detail, leaving nothing out. Regarding red rice, I also want to say that it is often counterfeited by dyeing. That is, they mix it with red brick dust and the rice turns red. As you said, you need to “shake off the brownish powder from the grain, then the groove should be visible.” If not, then this is a fake.
  You need to be careful when choosing rice - this is almost the main key to successful preparation of pilaf.

• Thank you so much for your detailed recipe. I myself have been to Uzbekistan, including Samarkand, and have eaten wonderful Uzbek pilaf many times. I know how to cook a lot, but I dreamed of finding just such a recipe for making pilaf.
  I wish you health, good luck and happiness.
  Vasily 09/16/2017

• I'm a little confused about carrots. It should be placed on the meat, mixed with onions, add all the spices, etc. and MIX everything. Further, according to the recipe, everything is clear, but when serving it off the table, it’s confusing for me. Carefully lay out the rice, a layer of carrots (???), a layer of meat, etc. Where did the carrot layer come from if I had already mixed it with the meat? I misunderstood something. Don't take it for granted - explain. Overall, the recipe is wonderful. Best regards, Nina

• The cooking process is described so carefully and vividly that it is immediately obvious that you are not only a connoisseur, but also a great admirer of pilaf. I ate my first real pilaf back in 1983. It was actually prepared by a Dagestani, but he kept repeating that the recipe was Uzbek. The rest is a mess. I still remember a beautiful embossed dish with crumbly pilaf. He placed more tomato quarters around the edge. By the way, I tried pilaf based on brown rice. A very tasty option. But the rice turns out without any “gold”, which in my opinion somewhat spoils its aesthetic appearance.

• Yes, Alexander, it is so. I have a special relationship with pilaf. Probably it was brought up by long residence in Central Asia. There, from childhood, such an attitude towards food in general, and pilaf in particular, is brought up. It also took me a very long time to learn this science, since this dish did not always turn out as it should.
  Pilaf is the greatest asset of Uzbek cuisine. And it is no coincidence that it is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. And I am very glad that I can touch this treasure when I once again prepare pilaf for my dear guests!

• Looks very tasty. Need to try. Thank you.

• Wonderful (professional!) recipe. But, I don’t have a KAZAN......it won’t turn out so beautiful in a saucepan?!? Please, write! I decided to cook it tomorrow!

• Wonderful (professional!) recipe! Thank you! but I don’t have a KAZAN…. and without it it won’t turn out so beautiful and tasty?!? will the pan work? write please. I decided to cook it tomorrow!

Real Uzbek pilaf is fatty, aromatic, with a pronounced taste of lamb and cumin. It is cooked over an open fire in a thick-walled cauldron and eaten with your hands or, in extreme cases, with a spoon. It takes at least 2.5 hours to prepare, but if everything is done correctly, then you get one of the most delicious dishes of Asian cuisine.

the site tells you how to cook real Uzbek pilaf at home. But first, a few recommendations.

Secrets of preparing delicious pilaf

1. To prepare Uzbek pilaf you will need a special cauldron. It is believed that only in it the pilaf does not burn and turns out truly crumbly. However, if your kitchen does not have such “luxury”, then you can cook in a thick-walled pan with a non-stick coating. The main thing is that the lid is heavy and fits tightly to the pan.
2. Instead of the cottonseed oil stated in the recipe, you can use regular refined sunflower oil. If you come across unrefined cottonseed oil, then before putting food in it, heat it for several minutes, then put a medium-sized peeled onion in it, wait until it darkens, and take it out. This way you will get rid of a specific and unusual smell for many Europeans.
3. If you don’t like overly spicy food, then you don’t need to add hot pepper. However, leave the garlic - it adds a special aroma, but does not make the dish “fiery”.
4. Do not be alarmed by the amount of salt indicated in the recipe - during the cooking process it will be harmoniously distributed throughout all products.
5. It is better to buy rice, meat and spices at the market.

Ingredients (for 5 servings):

How to cook real Uzbek pilaf

• Lamb with fat – 1 kg,
• Lamb bone with a small amount of meat – 1 pc.,
• Fat tail fat – 200-250 g,
• Rice of the “Devzira” variety (as a last resort, “Basmati” or “Indica”) – 1 kg,
• Carrots – 1 kg,
• Onions (large) – 4 pcs.,
• Garlic – 3 heads,
• Cottonseed oil (refined) – 300 ml,
• Zira (cumin) – 2 teaspoons,
• Salt – 1.5-2 tbsp. spoons without a slide,
• Dried barberry berries – 12-15 pcs.,
• Red hot pepper – 1-2 pcs.,
• Water – 1.5 liters.

Product preparation:

Rinse the rice in running water so that the starch is removed. It is better to grind the grains by hand, this will speed up the process, you can do this in portions in a sieve. An indicator that the rice is ready for further use is clear water. Place it in a bowl, pour warm water so that it covers it completely. Cover with a lid and set aside.

The food should be cut like this:

• Onion - in half rings,
• Meat - in pieces approximately 3x3 cm,
• Carrots - thick, long strips,
• Fat tail fat - in small cubes.

Remove the topmost husk from the garlic and cut off the “bottom”; there is no need to peel it completely and disassemble it into cloves. Wash hot peppers.

Preparation:

First, the so-called “zirvak” is prepared - frying. Pour oil into the cauldron and heat it almost to a boil. Put half of the fat tail fat into it and, stirring, bring it to the state of cracklings. Fish them out on a plate. If you are not afraid of a “blow to the liver,” then you can either eat them or use them as a dressing for mashed potatoes or for buckwheat porridge.

Then put the lamb bone in the oil and wait until it turns dark golden brown. Place it on top of the cracklings. Place the onion in a cauldron and fry it until semi-crispy, that is, until brown. Add the meat to the onion and fry for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat, place carrots and the other half of the tail fat on the meat. There is no need to stir at this stage. Cook for approximately 4 minutes. Then mix everything, trying not to break the carrot sticks. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and barberry. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour 1.5 liters of water into the cauldron, add salt, hot pepper and 2 heads of garlic. Simmer the zirvak under the lid for about an hour on the lowest heat.

Drain the rice from the water that it has not absorbed, put it in a cauldron and smooth it out. The sauce from the zirvak should cover the rice by 2 fingers (1.5-2 cm), if it is not enough, then add a little boiling water. Add the remaining cumin. Let the pilaf boil and reduce the heat to low. As soon as the rice has absorbed most of the moisture, make several holes in it all the way to the bottom and stick the remaining head of garlic into the middle. Do not stir! Cook the pilaf until the liquid disappears completely.