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Cooking time: Under an hour
Plov varies by region and is also found in other central Asian countries. The most popular versions, aside from that made with mutton or lamb, are those made with chicken and dried fruit, shuyud plov (dill), kishmish plov (grapes), sudlu ash (milk), giyma plov (finely ground meat, potatoes and chick peas), sabzi plov (green vegetables) and fisinjan (grenadine, walnuts and chicken).
Some Uzbeks will tell you that a good plov should contain as much onion as meat! So in this spirit, plov is often served with a salad of thinly sliced onion.
In season, replace the carrots with sticks of pumpkin or squash.
No matter whether you're making the meat or dried fruit version, plov is served in a deep terra cotta dish.
The cooking utensil is called a kazanchik; the skimmer a shumovka. By the way, here's a little hint: some cooks place a lipioshka, a big unleavened flatbread in the bottom of the pot to keep the rice from sticking. Others stick a clove of garlic into the middle.
There are probably as many versions in Uzbekistan as there are cooks - the variations are endless, both as regards ingredients and technique.
- Sauté the onions in a heavy covered pan over low heat. This is where you'll find many differences in technique: some cooks like to brown the onion to give more flavor to the rice and cooking oil.
- Cut the lamb into small cubes; sear it with the onions and cook gently until done. Watch that it doesn't stick to the bottom. If necessary, add a little water, but no more than 60-100 ml (1/4-1/3 cup) at a time until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Drain and keep hot.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice in several changes of water: this is the secret to obtaining fluffy distinct grains of rice and a plov with a nice texture; otherwise it will be heavy and sticky.
- Add the carrots to the zirvak - the name given to the oil-onion-meat mixture - and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Sprinkle the rice into the zirvak. Shake the pot to mix and allow the grains to be moistened with the liquid. Add the spices. Pour in the boiling water. The water should cover the rice by about 3 cm (1 1/2"). Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Place all the ingredients in the kazanchik without mixing. Let rest for about 10 minutes with the heat off. Serve hot.
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