Description
Margilan plov is a classic Uzbek rice dish layered with lamb, onions, carrots, garlic, and spices, then gently steamed to rich, fragrant perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup oil
- 700 g mutton or lamb
- 0.2 kg onion
- 1 kg yellow carrots
- 1 tbsp salt, divided
- 1.5 liters water, divided
- Bunch of garlic
- Dried red or green pepper
- Rice
- Zira (cumin)
Instructions
- Place the oil in a large dutch oven with a lid. Heat over medium flame.
- Cut the meat into pieces about 2 inches by 2 inches in size.
- Peel and slice the onion. Peel yellow carrots and cut into strips.
- As soon as the oil is hot, add the meat. Sautee for 5-10 minutes.
- Add onion, sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and stir until translucent.
- Add carrots and sprinkle another 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Cook for 5 minutes and stir.
- Add 1 liter of water along with garlic and dried red pepper. Wait for the mixture to boil again.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice with warm tap water. Let drain. Set aside.
- Once mixture boils, remove meat and vegetables from the pot. Set aside.
- Add rice to pot. Follow cooking instructions on the container.
- About halfway through the cooking time, turn off the heat. Cover the surface of the rice with meat and vegetables. Sprinkle with cumin. Place a plate over the mixture, leaving about an inch of space between the edge of the plate and the wall of the pot.
- Cover the pot and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Make a fresh salad while you wait. The most suitable salad for pilaf is shakarob, which means “sweet water” in Persian. It is a simple mélange of sliced onions and tomatoes sprinkled with salt.
- Serve the pilaf in an artisanal ceramic lyagan (serving plate) and set your table with a handmade Uzbek dastarkhān (tablecloth).