The Uzbek dish is popular among the Jews of the city of Bukhara – one of the oldest communities in the Jewish diaspora, settled over 1000 years ago in the important trading city.
After Uzbekistan came under Russian – and then Soviet – rule, the dish, like many other dishes from the cuisines of the Caucasus and Central Asia – became a flagship dish in the Russian pantheon. Today you can find plov not only in Jewish homes from Uzbekistan but also in Georgia, Russia and even Ukraine.
The recipe is prepared with round rice that absorbs the flavors of the meat and vegetables.
Ingredients for Plov
- 2.2 lbs (1 kilo) beef shoulder cut into small 1-inch (3 cm) optional
- 5.3 oz (150 grams) lamb fat cut into small cubes or 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1.1 lbs (500 grams) rice short or medium grain (preferably Baldo or Calrose)
- 3 large onion finely chopped
- 6 carrots peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks (julienne)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 10 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
- 1/8 cup oil
- 1/2 cup beef stock
Instructions
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1. Pour oil into a large cast iron pot. Add onions and fry until transparent. Add lamb fat cubes and meat cubes and fry until the meat change color, about 5-8 minutes.
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2. Add carrots and spices and mix well. Fry for another 5 minutes.
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3. Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for an hour.
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4. Add rice and a liter of boiling water (or beef stock) and arrange the garlic cloves on top. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
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5. Allow the stew to rest in the covered pot another 15-30 minutes before serving. Mix the stew gently and serve hot.