Detailed recipe for Uzbek pilaf. How to cook pilaf at home - general principles and important points of making this oriental dish

Everyone loves pilaf, but few know how to cook it correctly. Often, pilaf looks like porridge, which is why both the appearance and the taste of this wonderful dish suffer / According to this recipe, even the most inexperienced chefs can cook real Uzbek pilaf.

Real Uzbek pilaf is a rich, very high-calorie and fatty product, very difficult for the stomach, which must be taken into account by people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Ingredients for pilaf

Main ingredients

1.5 kg fat tail lamb; can also be cooked from poultry, game, pork, fatty beef

1 kg of rice, best of all round, which is preferred by real connoisseurs of pilaf, for example, red rice of the "Dev-zira" variety, it is also called wedding rice for its ability to significantly increase in volume. This recipe uses Bukhara rice

600 g carrots, cut into long cubes, 1/2 to 1 cm wide; carrots should be visible and felt in the pilaf

500 g onions, cut into half rings (not too thick)

vegetable oil

Spices and herbs

zira (necessarily, gives the pilaf a characteristic taste and smell)

barberry (preferably, if it is not there, you can replace it with raisins)

raisins (optional)

turmeric (required) - gives the pilaf a characteristic color

paprika (optional)

2 tablespoons of chickpeas (optional) it is better to use canned, but not pickled, but a semi-finished product, since raw chickpeas need to be soaked for a long time

Pilaf utensils

It is best to cook pilaf in a cauldron. For the preparation of this pilaf, a heavy, thick-walled, hand-made ancient cauldron, made by masters of Central Asia, was used.

Recipe for cooking Uzbek pilaf

1. Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron, bring to a boil and put the meat - either in large pieces, which we grind in the finished pilaf, or immediately cut into small pieces. Fry over high heat; Stir the meat several times so that it is well fried on all sides.

2. Add the onion, cut into half rings, to the meat and fry it until golden brown, stirring the ingredients with a slotted spoon.

3. Add the carrots, cut into strips, mix with the rest of the ingredients.

4. When the carrots become soft and darken, add hot water so that it completely covers all the ingredients, since they will be cooked over high heat for 35-40 minutes. As soon as “zirvak” (this is the name in Uzbek for the base of pilaf with gravy), immediately add all the spices and pieces of fat tail (optional).

5. While the zirvak is being prepared, thoroughly rinse the rice under running water, rubbing it with your palms and changing the water several times. It is very important to rinse off the glutinous pollen of the rice so that the finished pilaf is crumbly.

6. Put the prepared rice into the cauldron without stirring it with the meat. Align and fill with water 2 fingers on top (add salt if it seems necessary). If the rice variety used is quickly cooked, then less water is needed, if for a long time, then, accordingly, more water is required.

7. When water boils off the surface of the rice, make 5-6 holes with a stick to evaporate the remaining liquid.

Hi everyone!

Do you like pilaf from Uzbek cuisine? I think so, since you are reading and looking for delicious variations of this delicious dish. And I want to please today with a variety of recipes for its preparation.

I already wrote earlier that I know about Uzbek cuisine firsthand - after all, I come from Tashkent. Tashkent is the capital of sunny Uzbekistan. And in this picturesque city in hospitable cafes - teahouses - you can taste delicious national dishes:, and, of course, pilaf.

This dish has so many recipes that even in one cookbook by an Uzbek author, I counted about 50 different versions of it. I may someday describe all 50 methods, but today, dear chefs, I offer you 5 of the most popular recipes.

Today in the article:

How to cook real Uzbek pilaf

Without knowing the general rules for cooking crumbly and tasty pilaf, you will not be able to cook a high-quality and appetizing dish. Therefore, I definitely recommend reading these important recommendations.

Rice. The secret of friable food, where the rice leaves the rice, lies in the correct choice of the rice variety. Ideal are devzira, oshpar, kenja and paella varieties.

Parboiled rice, which is sometimes found in stores, is by no means suitable for making good pilaf.

These varieties are quite hard and dense and do not boil soft. But rice that grew in Southeast Asia, for example, India or Vietnam, is not suitable for a crumbly dish. The most common varieties of jasmine and basmati grow there. They are very soft even with a little cooking and can ruin everything, turning our dish into porridge.

Meat. In Uzbekistan, it is common to cook from mutton and fat tail fat. But recipes from beef, poultry or pork are just as common. At the same time, the quality of pilaf does not suffer at all. You just need to choose good meat with fat streaks and try to cut it into a size no less than, say, lime. It is better to use chilled meat that has not been frozen. And then you will receive a fragrant tasty dish.

Oil and spices. In the original, Uzbek chefs used unrefined cottonseed oil. But this is in order to reduce the cost of the dish, since cottonseed oil is cheaper than carrots, which are also included in the composition. Now it is most correct to fry in refined vegetable oils so that they do not interrupt the aroma of the food being prepared. Therefore, do not bother looking for cottonseed oil, but cook in any vegetable oil: sunflower, corn, or even olive.

You can put any spices, but still there is a basic set of seasonings and spices, without which you cannot get the aroma of unsurpassed pilaf. This set includes cumin (cumin), barberry, black pepper and coriander seeds.

Sometimes saffron or its cheaper counterpart, turmeric, is added to give the dish a beautiful golden yellow color.

You can dream up and add your favorite seasonings to the basic set of spices.

Cauldron and cauldron. It is important to choose a good cauldron or cauldron with a thick bottom. Then your dish will cook evenly and will not burn. Thin saucepans, enamel dishes should never be used. Here it is better to fork out and buy a normal cast iron boiler. Having cooked in the right dishes, you will get a wonderful dish that will be praised even by the most sophisticated Uzbek cooks.

Another important element when cooking delicious food is a slotted spoon. It looks like a large spoon with holes. It is very convenient for her to stir the zirvak and fold the rice up the hill. If you find one in the store, then you must buy it. Such a convenient stirrer is useful not only for cooking Uzbek food. And how it looks - look at the photo below.

Frying vegetables - zirvak. Zirvak is frying onions and carrots with meat and spices before laying rice. In the East, the preparation of zirvak is treated with great reverence and reverence. Indeed, the whole dish depends on a high-quality fried zirvak. Therefore, if you make a good frying for pilaf, then the dish itself will come out not only tasty, but also beautiful.

In Uzbekistan, pilaf is served on a large dish - lyagan. In this case, they often do not mix, but simply overturn on a plate. At the same time, the rice remains at the bottom, and the zirvak on top. If you wish, of course, you can mix everything in advance in the cauldron.

Well, in addition, you can put a salad of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes on the table - personally, I really like to pour the dish in my plate with the magnificent juice from this salad. Or chop the onion with herbs and season with vinegar, as is done in the homeland of pilaf.

These are, in principle, simple tips that help you prepare a fragrant meal and please your family and guests!

Cooking Uzbek pork pilaf

Although among Muslims a pig is considered a dirty animal and is not used in cooking, we have a different attitude to this animal and highly value delicious and nutritious pork meat.

The pork in the dish comes out soft, tender. At the same time, it cooks much faster in time, in contrast to the option with lamb. Well, the very stage-by-stage cooking of food deserves the name - Uzbek pilaf!

In this variant, we take basic products 1 to 1. And we take pork pulp with fat.

Required Ingredients:

Pork - 1 kg.;
Rice - 1 kg.;
Carrots - 1 kg.;
Oil - 400 ml.;
Garlic - 2 heads;
Salt, cumin, turmeric, barberry - to taste.

Preparation:

Separate the fat from the pork and fry it in a cauldron with butter. I forgot to say that we need a large cauldron for such a quantity of products - 7-10 liters.

Cut the pulp itself into pieces the size of a small lemon or lime.

Here, if you wish, you can take pork without fat. But then you need fat tail fat instead.

Fry like this for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, you can chop and peel onions and carrots.

Cut the onion into half rings. It is not necessary to grind it up - it will still be lost in the pilaf. But at the same time it will give back its piquancy and aroma.

The fat has acquired a golden color - it's time to throw the onions.

Fry the onion until a beautiful golden color.

Throw in the pork pulp, continue to fry. Stir the whole mass with a slotted spoon, which I wrote about above, or with any other spatula convenient for you.

Now you can add some of the seasonings - cumin and salt.

Cut the carrots into large strips. And we add to fried onions, meat and spices.

We cook everything with the lid open so that the zirvak is well fried. Do not forget to stir it from time to time, so that it does not burn.

When the carrots have softened, add turmeric, barberry and pepper. Pour in 1 glass of water and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

While stewing - wash the rice under running water. The most important thing here is to rinse it well so that the water is clean and not cloudy. Such well-washed rice in pilaf turns out to be crumbly, without sticking.

Stir our zirvak one more time. Make sure that nothing burns and stick 2 heads of garlic in the middle.

Gently pour the rice into a cauldron for frying vegetables.

We level it with a slotted spoon or spoon. You can also add seasoning on top. As the saying goes, you can't spoil porridge with butter. So is pilaf with spices.

Fill the top with clean drinking water 1.5 cm from the surface of the rice and boil over high heat.

Once all the water has evaporated, reduce the fire.

We collect rice in a hill, carefully separating it from the walls of the cauldron.

If your water has evaporated well, then the slide will not be difficult to make. She will not disperse to the sides.

In the center of the slide, we make indentations to the very bottom. We need this for good steaming of the rice.

Cover tightly with a lid and leave for 20-25 minutes until tender.

Bon Appetit!

Delicious Uzbek pilaf with chicken

This option is one of the most affordable. Because, firstly, chicken meat is available and one of the cheapest; secondly, it is easy and quick to prepare, taking a minimum of time and effort.

Therefore, my men often see this dish on our table. And they are happy, and I am a well-fed husband and son, which means that they are in a good mood. And their great mood is transmitted to me. Especially when they praise me for a wonderful dinner.

So, we need:

Chicken - 700 gr.;
Rice - 1 kg.;
Onions - 3 pieces;
Carrots - 6-7 medium pieces;
Vegetable oil - 250 ml.;
Spices: black and red pepper, coriander, cumin, barberry, salt;
Garlic, quince, dried apricots - optional.

Cooking zirvak. This is how the Uzbeks call the base: fried meat with onions and carrots and spices and sometimes dried fruits.

I took the chicken on the bones: thighs, drumsticks and wings.

The pulp can get lost in the pilaf. Or, even worse, break up into fibers, since chicken meat cooks very quickly.

We wash the chicken for pilaf and dry it on paper towels.

Pour vegetable oil into the boiler and heat it. Throw the chicken parts into the butter and fry for 5-7 minutes.

Peel the onion. Then cut into half rings and add to the chicken.

We mix the whole mass. We give to fry until light golden beautiful color.

Peel the carrots and cut them into strips.

And we try not to grind, but you can cut it very large.

Throw the carrot straws into the cauldron to the onions and chicken, fry until the carrots soften. It is believed that the more carrots, the more juicy and beautiful the pilaf is.

Now it's the turn of our spices. Add seasoning and salt. I advise you to grind the coriander and cumin with a pestle in a mortar just before the bookmark. Thus, the dish will be more flavorful.

Zirvak can be salted well. Because some of the salt will be taken over by rice. And if the zirvak is not salted enough, then the pilaf will turn out to be bland.

Fry the zirvak with spices for another 5 minutes.

While the zirvak is fried, cook the rice.

Rice should be rinsed well 5-6 times in a large bowl. We wash it like this: while the water is pouring, we grind the rice between the palms. The bowl is filled with water - we drain the water through a sieve so that the rice does not escape. You need to repeat this operation several times so that the water becomes much clearer than when we washed the rice for the first time.

Also at this time we boil water in a kettle. We need 1-1.5 liters of boiling water.

We make sure that the zirvak does not burn. We put rice in a cauldron on a zirvak and level it.

In no case should we mix rice with zirvak!

Fill the rice with boiling water 2 cm from the surface of the rice and evaporate the water from the cauldron over high heat. We do not cover the cauldron with a lid.

Water can be evaporated for 10-15 minutes. How can you tell if the water has completely evaporated? Take a flat spatula or slotted spoon and separate the rice from the walls. With completely evaporated water at the bottom, we will see boiling oil in a zirvak. And the rice itself will fold up like a wall and not crumble. To make the pilaf crumbly, it is important to evaporate the water well.

When the water has evaporated, carefully separate the rice from the walls of the cauldron and fold it in a slide. We make a hole in the middle until the very day.

At this time, you can, if you wish, put a couple of heads of garlic, quince slices or dried apricots in the rice.

Cover the cauldron with a lid and leave a very small fire under the cauldron. Cook for 20 minutes. During this time, the lid must not be opened.

If the lid does not fit snugly to the cauldron, then you can cover it with a towel and cover the cauldron.

After 20 minutes taste the rice. If the rice is soft, then the meal is ready. Before serving, pilaf can be stirred in a cauldron, stirring rice and zirvak. Or you can dump the whole cauldron on one huge dish - lyagan, without stirring. Thus, rice will turn out, and on top of it there will be meat and vegetables - zirvak.

We eat with pleasure!

Loose pilaf recipe with chicken in a slow cooker

A wonderful dish can be prepared in a slow cooker. Probably the easiest way to cook. Everything is cooked in one bowl and you don't need to fry or stew anything separately.

And I also call this option hastily. After all, a wonderful multicooker assistant will do everything herself, just set up the program.

And if you have not tried this method yet, be sure to watch it!

Appetizing turkey dish in a cauldron on the stove

Pilaf with turkey turns out to be dietary and not as fatty as with other meat. Therefore, this food is less high-calorie and deserves to be on the table, who keeps a diet and maintains a slender figure.

And enjoy your meal!

An interesting way to cook pilaf with duck according to the recipe of Stalik Khankishiev

Stalik Khankishiev is a culinary specialist and restaurateur who has published several excellent books on oriental cooking. He is Azerbaijani, but was born and raised in Fergana in the Uzbek SSR.

Choosing lunch recipes from the video, I liked the video where an Azerbaijani chef prepares a wonderful duck dish.

I really liked the recipe. And since my husband's father sent us several Indo-girls in a parcel, she became completely stronger in her decision.

I cooked it, gave it to my relatives for testing. Seeing satisfied and smiling faces, I thought that I could share the recipe with you, my dear readers.

We need:

Duck - 1 kilogram;
Round and not steamed rice - 1 kilogram;
Yellow or red carrots - 1 kilogram;
Vegetable oil - 250 ml.;
Spices: barberry, coriander, cumin, turmeric - 0.5 teaspoon each;
Salt and pepper to taste.

The only thing is that I simplified Stalik Khuseinovich's recipe. In the process, he separates the fat and skin from the duck carcass in advance and cooks it for a couple of hours. Then it turns into lard.

Then zirvak is fried on it.

I suggest you a simpler way - immediately cook on duck with vegetable oil. At the same time, the fat will already be melted, which will help us save vegetable oil. Which is even for the best. The duck is quite fatty - this is the kind of meat you need for a good juicy pilaf.

We cut the duck carcass into parts: shanks, wings, neck and other parts. I only ask: do not throw out the tail; there is a lot of fat on it and will give a lot of fat when frying.

We take a roomy cauldron, pour oil and throw in our duck. Fry over high heat for 30-40 minutes.

Do not cover during this process and stir occasionally with a slotted spoon.

While the duck is roasting, it's time to prepare the vegetables.

We clean carrots and onions. We cut the onion in half rings, and the carrots - in long strips.

Combine the whole onion with the duck. Fry the onions until golden brown.

It was the turn of carrots and spices. Throw the carrots into the cauldron. We fall asleep aromatic spices.

We mix everything with a large spoon and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour the rice into a deep bowl and rinse it under running water from the tap.

We try to rinse the rice very thoroughly. We rub it between our hands, get rid of plaque.

Drain excess water through a strainer. This will prevent our rice from escaping into the drain.

To make the rice clean, repeat the procedure 6-7 times.

We lay the groats on top of the zirvak evenly and smoothly. Align with a spatula or slotted spoon.

Pour boiling water over the top. Water should be poured 1-1.5 cm from the surface. Better to be guided by the phalanx of your finger.

Leave the rice to steam with the lid open over high heat.

The water will disappear completely and the rice can be piled up. If the grains are easily collected in a hill and do not crumble to the sides, it means that the water has evaporated well and you are doing everything right.

In the middle we make a hole to the very bottom. This hole will help the rice cook well.

We reduce the heat on the stove under the cauldron to the very minimum.

We wrap the lid from the cauldron with a kitchen towel. The towel will help to firmly press the lid and keep all the steam in the cauldron.

We close the cauldron and leave for 25 minutes until tender.

After the specified time, we check our dish. If you did everything according to the recipe, you will get a ready-made fragrant tasty dish, where a grain from a grain leaves and does not stick.

And that's how it worked out for me. I think Stalik Khankishiev himself would certainly have praised me.

I mixed the finished meal right in the cauldron with zirvak and served it on plates.

With sauerkraut, we diminished the dish in a matter of seconds and ran for more.

And I wish you ease of preparation and bon appetit!

Did you like the recipes? Write your feedback and suggestions below. Any of your attention and support inspire me to write even more delicious recipes!

And I will describe how to cook real Uzbek pilaf from lamb and beef in subsequent articles.

Plov belongs to the dishes of oriental cuisine; according to its taste characteristics, it is quite satisfying and colorful. The original recipe for this dish has several variations, as a result of which the dish is prepared differently in each country. Consider the most common cooking recipes.

Classics of the genre

An important feature of making pilaf according to this recipe is the correct choice of rice. Semi-soft varieties are not suitable for this technology; give preference to hard grain rice (Devzira, Laser, Alanga).

As for meat, Tashkent-style pilaf is made from lamb or beef. According to the original recipe, cottonseed oil should be used, but in some cases it is replaced with regular refined sunflower oil.

rice - 650 gr.
beef (lamb) - 650 gr.
natural oil (cottonseed, vegetable) - 100 ml.
capsicum - 2 pcs.
yellow onions - 4 pcs.
garlic - 1 head
carrots - 500 gr.
adjika ground (dry) - 5 gr.
zira - 10 gr.
seasoning for pilaf

Wash and peel the carrots, chop them into cubes, cut the capsicum into thin strips, the onion into half rings, lamb or beef into small 4 * 4 cm cubes.
Take a cauldron or a thick-bottomed frying pan, put it on high heat, pour in cottonseed (sunflower) oil and heat to the maximum possible threshold. When this happens, add the onion half rings, fry them until golden brown in boiling oil.
After the onion is browned, add the meat cubes to it, reduce heat to medium and cook well. It is necessary to bring the meat to such a state that it grabs with a crust, while leaving the juice inside. Do not bring it to readiness, it will go by itself during the cooking process. After the expiration of the period for roasting the meat, send the carrot cubes to the cauldron, simmer it, stirring constantly.
Peel the garlic, cut 3 garlic cloves into small pieces, mix with cumin, pilaf spices and salt. Send the contents to the rest of the ingredients, add a little water so that the liquid covers the composition. Simmer over low heat for about half an hour, then open the lid and wait until the water has partially boiled away.
While the base is simmering on the fire, proceed to processing the rice. Rinse it under running water 7-8 times so that the drained liquid becomes completely transparent. Next, pour boiling water over the grains so that the liquid level rises by 1 cm, cover with a lid and leave for a quarter of an hour.
After infusing the rice, put finely chopped garlic over the contents of the cauldron, press it with a spatula, place a dense layer of rice. Then again garlic and rice. When all the grains are laid out, cover the lid, cover with water, simmer for about 10 minutes.
At the end of the period, collect the rice from the walls to the middle of the container, open the cauldron and allow the liquid to boil. After all the water has evaporated, cover the pan, reduce the heat, let the mixture soak for another 20 minutes.

You should end up with crumbly parboiled rice with no damaged grains. Serve with a salad of vegetables and cheese, and complement it with green tea with jasmine or lemon balm.

rice (parboiled) - 750 gr.
white onions - 3 pcs.
carrots - 2 pcs.
tomatoes - 4-5 pcs. (at the discretion of)
garlic - 1 head
pork or lamb (pulp) - 650 gr.
olive oil - 175 ml.
spices

Cut the onion into half rings, chop the carrots into strips or thin slices. Heat the cauldron well, fry the vegetables until half cooked. After that, chop the meat into cubes, fry it over medium heat so that the juice comes out.
Rinse the rice grains under running water several times, then place them in a thick layer on top of the fried onions, carrots and meat. Peel and chop the garlic, stick it in rice, pour the contents with purified water mixed with spices.
Cover with a lid, simmer for about half an hour so that the water partially boils away. When this happens, place the tomato cubes on the surface, do not stir, refill with liquid.
Wait 20 minutes, during which time the water should evaporate. Collect the rice from the walls towards the center of the container to make a kind of a hill. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to the minimum mark, simmer for another quarter of an hour.

People who, for some reason, do not eat meat, have to look for alternative ways to cook pilaf. Since tender fish fillets are heat-treated in a short time, it is better to use a multicooker or double boiler.

boneless sea fish (sirloin) - 400 gr.
rice "Alanga" or "Laser" - 450 gr.
sour cream with a fat content of 20% - 300 gr.
onions - 2 pcs.
vegetable oil - 50 ml.
carrots - 1 pc.
dill, parsley
seasoning for pilaf

Rinse the fish, dry with a waffle or paper towel, chop into small cubes or slices
Slice the onions into rings. Fry it in a slow cooker until golden brown, after adding vegetable oil. Select the appropriate "Express" or "Fry" mode.
When the onion rings are ready, grate the carrots with a coarse section. Send it and fish fillet to the rest of the ingredients, cook until golden brown (10-15 minutes). During the entire period, pause the appliance and stir the contents so that all ingredients are cooked evenly.
Rinse the rice through a colander 8-10 times, soak it in boiling water for 15 minutes. Mix sour cream with spices, add chopped parsley and dill.
When the onions, meat and carrots are ready, put rice on top of them and season with sour cream mixture, stir, set the "Stew", "Groats" or "Porridge" mode (depending on the multicooker / steamer manufacturer).
Wait until the timer turns off, then do not open the lid, leave the dish to ripen for another half hour. Sprinkle the pilaf with lemon juice mixed with soy sauce before serving.

Many people prefer chicken fillet to lamb (beef, pork) tenderloin, and this is not surprising. A quick recipe for cooking does not require much effort, the chicken easily soaks the rice grains, as a result of which the dish turns out to be tender.

chicken fillet or breast - 550 gr.
parboiled rice - 600 gr.
onions - 3 pcs.
carrots - 2 pcs.
seasoning
olive oil
fresh herbs

Grate the carrots on a medium grater or chop them into thin rings / straws. Chop the onion into small pieces, mix with the carrots, add seasoning, black pepper and salt.
Pour olive oil into the cauldron, heat the dishes to the maximum mark, then immediately send the vegetables there for frying. Wait for the moment when they acquire a golden hue.
Cut the chicken breast (fillet) into small cubes, send to fry along with onions and carrots. When the chicken is crusty, pour in 100 ml of the mixture. purified water and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Pass the rice through a colander and process it under running water to remove excess husk and starch. Pour the grains into the cauldron with meat and vegetables, do not stir. Cover with water, cover, simmer for about 10 minutes.
Chop the parsley, dill and basil, sprinkle the rice with herbs, leave for a quarter of an hour. All this time, the water will boil away, it must be added.
After the expiration date, stir the pilaf, set the burner to the minimum power, simmer the dish for about 15-20 minutes. When the time is up, do not rush to serve pilaf to the table, leave it to rise for another half hour.

The recipe is designed for people who prefer mushrooms to meat and fish. The downside of such pilaf is considered to be its long digestibility, since mushrooms are digested for about 5-6 hours. The dish has gained particular popularity among vegetarians, who use it along with vegetable salad and tartar sauce.

mushrooms (champignons or chanterelles) - 400 gr.
tomatoes - 4 pcs.
rice (long-grain, steamed) - 400 gr.
bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
carrots - 1 pc.
white onion - 1 pc.
garlic - 5 cloves
butter
spices for pilaf
dill - 1 bunch
turmeric (optional)

Rinse the rice through a colander 6-8 times, pour filtered water into a container, add ice cubes, salt the grains and soak them for 1 hour.
Cut the carrots into thin slices, chop the onions. Chop the bell peppers into strips and the tomatoes in half rings. Wash the mushrooms, peel them, cut into slices along the stem.
Heat a thick-walled saucepan or cauldron, add a lot of butter, fry the mushrooms on it until half cooked. Then add carrots, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes, cover with water. Add salt, pepper, minced garlic and pilaf spices, mix. Simmer the mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Strain the rice, then spread it evenly over the surface of the vegetables, add water to cover the grains by 5 cm. Cover, simmer for 20 minutes. At the end of the time, turn off the stove, stir and let the dish stand for another 1 hour.

It is generally accepted that the Tashkent technology with adjika and beef (lamb) is called a classic. However, pilaf can also be prepared using tomatoes, chicken, fish and even mushrooms. Choose the recipe you like, then feel free to start cooking.

Video: how to cook real Uzbek pilaf

Once on one of the culinary sites I read that "only an Uzbek can cook a real Uzbek pilaf." In my opinion, this is a very dubious statement. We cook pizza, lasagna, goulash, chakhokhbili, rolls ... and at the same time we are neither Italians, nor Hungarians, nor Georgians, and certainly not Japanese. Why can't you cook Uzbek pilaf?

It's just that when preparing any dish, you need to have certain knowledge and some experience. And as you know, experience can be gained only by trying to cook this or that dish repeatedly.

So with this dish, you need to know certain cooking rules and some subtleties, thanks to which you can get a real Uzbek dish. And then it doesn't matter what nationality you are. In any case, the dish will turn out the way it should be - tasty, aromatic, crumbly and, most importantly, healthy.

You will say - "what's the difference, Samarkand, Fergana ...". And you may be right. But if you ate real Uzbek pilaf somewhere, and not only ate it, but cook it yourself, then the difference in cooking will be useful for you.

You can cook first one, then another, then compare, and draw a conclusion. Although only one conclusion can be drawn - to cook them in turn, since it will be impossible to choose which one tastes better!

Uzbek Fergana beef pilaf

We need:

beef - 700-800 gr
fat tail fat or vegetable oil - 200-250 ml
onions - 400-500 gr
carrots - 600 gr
rice - 500-600 gr
cumin - 1 teaspoon
spices -
garlic - 2 heads (optional)
salt - 1 tbsp. a spoon
pepper - to taste
greens - for sprinkling

Training

1. It is necessary to take care of the choice of meat in advance. Of course, ideally, it is better to buy mutton for the occasion. But for some reason, not everyone loves this type of meat, and therefore they ask how to cook a dish of beef or pork. It must be said right away that it is not cooked from pork in Uzbekistan. Therefore, we will not cook from it either. And let's cook it from young veal.

For Fergana pilaf, they usually take pulp and meat on the bone in approximately the same proportions. I used the brisket and shoulder blade. It should be said that meat on the bone for cooking a dish must be present without fail. A delicious dish will not work out of the pulp alone.

2. Cut the brisket into large pieces along the cartilage line. Cut the pulp into pieces of about 2x2 cm.If there is fat tail fat, also cut it into 1.5x1.5 cm cubes.

I still have a small piece of fat tail fat, about gr. 100-150, which I will use for the flavor that lamb gives.

3. Peel the onion, leaving the "tails", cut into two halves and place briefly in cold water.

For the preparation of Fergana pilaf, a little less onion is taken than indicated in the recipe. But onions give juiciness and flavor to the dish, so I add a little more than I should.

My grandfather, who lived all his life in Uzbekistan, always talked about this rule .. "Take onions, carrots, rice - in the same proportions, meat - the same amount, or more" I follow his advice, and he never let him down.

4. Cut the onion into half rings no more than 0.5 cm thick. We left the tails so that holding on to them, the cutting process was easier. Of course, after cutting the onion, we throw out the tail.

You need to use a sharp knife. Although we held the onion in water for a bit, and now it will be possible to cut it without tears, but if the knife turns out to be dull, then tears cannot be dispensed with. In addition, slicing the onion thinly will not work either.

5. Cut the carrots into long thin strips.

It cannot be grated, this is a mistake made by many who cook pilaf. Only by hand, and not in cubes, not in cubes, but in straws.

Do not skimp on carrots, they give not only taste, but also color to the finished dish.

6. Soak the rice for half an hour in warm water, then rinse until the water is transparent. And if you use parboiled rice, then it will only be enough to rinse it.

Krasnodar round rice is not suitable for its preparation, it has a high degree of stickiness, and our dish runs the risk of being like porridge. Or as "shavlya" - as it is called in Uzbekistan.

The Uzbeks attach great importance to the choice of rice for the preparation of their famous dish. In the huge Samarkand market, large stalls are covered with heaps of rice. What is there just not. And white, and red, and brown, and brown ... What experience and knowledge you need to have experience to choose the right one.

We do not have such markets with rice, and therefore we had to look for a suitable one in our stores. I tried different varieties, and by the method of tests I determined that the rice should be taken long. And when steamed long rice appeared on sale, I began to cook only from it, and it never let me down.

7. If you decide to cook pilaf with garlic, then wash the whole heads, remove the top layer of the peel from them. Cut off the remaining small roots under the very base with a sharp knife, it is there that particles of earth can be.

In Uzbekistan, the host himself peels the cloves of garlic and treats him to the guest of honor. This is a special sign of respect.

8. And of course we need a cauldron. Of course, you can cook the famous Uzbek dish in another dish, but it will be more difficult. If you need to tell me how to do this, ask questions - I will.

Cooking beef pilaf in a cauldron

1. And so, when we have already prepared everything, we begin to cook Fergana pilaf. We put fat tail fat in the cauldron and melt it to the cracklings. The cauldron must be dry so that the oil does not "shoot". Then we remove the greaves with a slotted spoon and add vegetable oil. If we do not use fat tail fat, then immediately pour oil. We warm it to a slight haze.

Do not look that the oil is indicated in such a large amount. We have so many products, and it is necessary that every little part of the future dish gets at least a little!

It will not be felt at all. Therefore, we pour as much as indicated in the recipe.

2. When the smoke has appeared, put the meat on the bone into it along the edge of the cauldron. If you throw meat from above, you can get burned by the oil splash. After a minute or two, turn the meat over with a slotted spoon. Let the skimmer lie next to it, we will need it from the beginning to the end of cooking. Fry the meat, stirring occasionally until the bones are reddened and the meat browns.

3. Add the onion.

Fry it until golden brown. We do all this on high heat.

Pour water and cook the meat for 30 - 40 minutes, during this time all of it should have time to evaporate.

4. Now you should fry the chopped pulp. We put it in a cauldron and do not stir for 4-5 minutes so that the oil does not cool down. It is important for us to "seal" the juice in the meat so that in the end it turns out juicy.

And for this you only need hot oil and a lot of fire. Fry the pulp until a beautiful golden brown crust.

5. We put the carrots in the cauldron, we also do not immediately interfere, but give it a little time to warm up.

Then mix everything and lightly fry it. Now you need to stir more often so that the onions and meat do not burn.

When the carrots are well softened and slightly fried, pour in so much hot water that all the ingredients are covered.

6. Add cumin, spices to taste and salt. It is not necessary to pour in the entire norm of salt at once, pour only half of it first, then add more salt.

As for spices, the main spice among Uzbeks is zira (cumin), in many dishes it is the only seasoning. As a rule, I also add a spice mixture, which includes coriander, already chopped, rosemary, dried herbs with basil, paprika.

Barberry is also added. If I have it, I always put it in the cooking dish. I add such spices another teaspoon. But this is at your discretion.

But cumin must be added! Of course, you can cook without this seasoning, but the very desired aroma will not work.

7. Give the opportunity to boil, mix everything, reduce heat to minimum, cover and cook for 30 minutes. What is now languishing under the cover is called "zirvak" in Uzbekistan. The taste of the future dish depends on how we prepared it.

8. After 30 minutes, check the meat for readiness. If you are preparing pilaf from young veal, then usually the meat by this stage is already moving away from the bone and for testing, it is chewed quite well, that is, it is almost completely ready. There are two options at this stage. The first is to get all the bones, the second is to leave everything as it is. I choose the second, although it is believed that the first is more correct!

If you add garlic to the dish, then the whole heads must be thrust directly into the "zirvak".

9. It's time to put rice in the cauldron. We distribute it in an even layer, trying to completely cover the “zirvak”. Do not mix the layers, only rice and water on top.

The water should cover the whole rice by 1.5 cm. If it is not enough, then carefully pour it through the holes in the slotted spoon so as not to damage the layers with a stream of water. It is better to use hot water. Turn up the heat.

10. When the water boils again, add the rest of the salt and pepper to taste. To try, the broth should be moderately salty. Try to install the cauldron in such a way that the water boils in it evenly and the rice is cooked equally evenly. Do not let it boil too much, adjust the heat so that it only slightly "gurgles".

11. Do not touch the rice until all the water has evaporated. When there is no water left, we try the rice, it should already be almost ready. If for some reason it remains tough, then add a little more boiling water through the holes in the oven. Just a little, maybe half a glass. Add another pinch of cumin by rubbing it in your palms.

If everything goes according to plan, and you no longer need to add boiling water, we collect the rice with a slide. If the bones were taken out, then put them on top of the rice again, and only then make a slide. To do this, carefully using a slotted spoon, collect the rice from the edge to the center.

We still do not mix anything and do not break the layers. We make several holes in the hill from the very bottom. The holes can be made with a Chinese stick, or in extreme cases with a slotted spoon handle.

12. The water remaining at the bottom will come out through the holes made, and the rice will "come" completely. Reduce the fire to the very minimum. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

13. After this time, turn off the fire, cover with a towel and leave to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

14. When you open the lid, try not to let condensate drops from the lid fall back into the cauldron.

15. While the contents are simmering under the lid, prepare a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Or just cut a juicy meaty tomato with onions, cut into half rings, into slices. Vegetables will help break down fats faster and improve digestion.

16. Before putting the pilaf in a large flat dish, it must be gently mixed right in the cauldron using a slotted spoon. In doing so, remove all bones.

17. Put in a dish and garnish it with chopped parsley, dill, basil and green onions. Eat while it is hot. And it will be difficult to find a dish tastier than this!

Video on how to cook Uzbek beef pilaf with devzira rice

Delicious pilaf is obtained with pink devzira rice. It is, of course, not pink in the literal sense, but only has a layer of brownish-pink powder on the grain, which is washed off when the grain is washed. But the characteristic groove remains on it.

The advantage of this variety is that such grain is capable of absorbing all juices and fats from zirvak. This means that it turns out not dry, but nourished, and incredibly tasty.

True, it can be difficult to buy a devzir, although if you set a goal, then it is possible. I saw this variety in an expensive supermarket. And I myself order it in the market for Uzbeks who sell vegetables. They always bring the best. They understand a lot about this. I myself would not have chosen better than them.

The difference between this pilaf and the previous one is not only in the type of grain. if we prepared the previous recipe according to the “Fergana” recipe. Then we will have this pilaf in Samarkand style.

What is the difference, see the chapter below, and all the nuances are told and shown in the video.

What is the difference between Samarkand pilaf and Fergana

in the Samarkand pilaf, all the meat used is taken on the bone, cut quite coarsely, and when serving, the bones are removed and the meat is cut into small pieces. In Fergana - part of the meat is taken on the bone, and part - the pulp, cut immediately in portions
in the Samarkand version, carrots are not fried, and in the Fergana version, they are fried
from this, in the first version, the rice is white, and in the second, it is slightly brownish
In the Samarkand version, after cooking, rice is not mixed with the rest of the ingredients, but is laid out in layers in the dish in the same order as it was cooked - first rice, then carrots, and finally meat. In Fergana, all the contents are mixed right in the cauldron.

Of course, from all these manipulations, the taste of these two different dishes is different. But as noted above, both are delicious, it is impossible to choose which one tastes better!

The Fergana dish is considered the basis for all other varieties of this delicious dish. Knowing these basics, you can cook absolutely any pilaf, and it is believed that there are more than 100 recipes. I cook on the same basis.

An interesting fact is that in Uzbekistan they believe that cooking pilaf is a purely male occupation, and that he does not tolerate female hands. And in fact, for all holidays and celebrations, for all other occasions, men prepare him there. And although I ate a lot of pilaf prepared by women, and their preparation was no worse than men's, such a judgment still lives on and lives!

I believe that in any case, whoever cooks this magnificent dish should be approached to its preparation in a good mood, without fuss and haste. It requires attention and respect, and that is why the finished dish is sometimes perceived as some kind of "special", and it is always said Plov! - with a capital letter and an exclamation mark.

I really hope that you and your family and friends will like the dish prepared according to this recipe if you cook for them! And if something is not clear, ask, I will always be happy to answer all your questions regarding the preparation of this dish.

Bon Appetit!

Pilaf recipes

pilaf in Uzbek step by step recipe with photo

1 hour 30 minutes

105 kcal

5 /5 (1 )

My husband is a big fan of oriental cuisine. And my culinary experience before marriage was very modest. Much had to learn from my mother-in-law, since at first we lived together. It was she who revealed to me secrets of Uzbek pilaf, which amazed me with its simplicity and unique taste. The mother-in-law herself learned to cook from her grandmother, and carefully wrote down all the knowledge she gained in an old notebook. In it, among other culinary masterpieces, was found recipe for real Uzbek pilaf. T So, hostesses, arm yourself with notepads and pens.

How to cook classic Uzbek pilaf - a recipe with a photo step by step

Kitchen appliances: stove, cutting board, knife, cauldron.

Ingredients

Mutton	900 g
Rice	900 g
Carrot	5 pieces.
Onion	2 pcs.
Garlic	3 heads
Sugar	0.5 tsp
Sunflower oil	1 tbsp.
Salt	4 tsp
Ground black pepper	2 tsp
Zira	1 tsp
Curry	0.5 tsp
Barberry	1.5 tsp
Turmeric	1 tsp
Water

How to choose the right ingredients for pilaf

Rice. For pilaf it is best to use Devzira rice. But he is not everywhere. Steamed rice, basmati or special for pilaf will be an excellent substitute for it. The surface of the cereal should be ribbed, and the cereal itself should be free of a specific smell, GMOs and additives. Only long-grain rice is suitable for cooking pilaf.
Meat. Ideal is lamb (brisket or back). But the experience of many hostesses claims that any meat will do and Uzbek pilaf will turn out to be just as tasty if, according to the same recipe, it is cooked with pork or beef. It is worth considering that pork pilaf can turn out to be more fatty and high-calorie, and more lean and dryish. The main thing is that the meat is fresh and without a specific smell.
Carrot. It is very important to choose good carrots for bright juicy pilaf. Small, wrinkled, stale - will not work. A good carrot will let the juice out, give the dish a unique taste and beautiful shade, while a bad carrot will spoil it. Trust my bitter experience. So, Uzbek lamb pilaf, below is a recipe with a photo.

How to cook Uzbek pilaf at home

Prepare your vegetables. Peel onions, carrots. Prepare the meat. If necessary, defrost everything in advance.
Prepare the cauldron.

If there is none, any saucepan or deep frying pan will do, but always with a thick bottom. Honored chefs say that Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron on a fire is real pilaf, and the recipe is about the same in all cases.
Put the cauldron on the fire, let it warm up. When the cauldron heats up, pour half the oil into it.
While the oil is heating, chop the meat.
Cut the carrots into strips.
Put the meat in hot oil and stir gently and leave to fry.
While the meat is fried, cut the onion into thin half rings or as you like, just not very finely.
At this point, put in 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. ground pepper. Stir the contents so that the onion is on the bottom and the meat is on top.
When the onions and meat are golden brown, add water to completely cover the contents. When the water boils, reduce heat, cover the cauldron with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add carrots and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Add all seasonings except turmeric and salt. Cover and let sit for a few minutes.
Pour the rice into the cauldron and smooth it out gently.

Add the remaining salt and turmeric.
Add water to the two phalanges of the index finger (the length of the nail, of course, does not count). I got it 4.5 cm. And cover the cauldron with a lid.
Peel the garlic from the top husk. Add lightly peeled heads of garlic to the cauldron, lightly pressing into the rice and continue to simmer until the water evaporates.
When all the water has evaporated, remove the heat to a minimum, puncture the rice and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes.
Place the pilaf carefully on a platter and serve.

Video recipe

How to cook is not easy pilaf, but Uzbek, his recipe, the way of serving and traditional salads you can find out by looking at this video.

Uzbek pilaf

Uzbek cuisine. How to cook Uzbek pilaf.
Ingredients, cooking method, step-by-step recipe: http://www.tveda.ru/recepty/uzbekskiy-plov
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2014-11-12T10: 10: 03.000Z

What to serve pilaf with

My family loves to eat pilaf with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. Someone in addition lays out salted and pickled vegetables, and someone prefers not to clog the taste of this delicious dish with anything. In Uzbekistan, pilaf is traditionally served with a salad of radish with pomegranate seeds or a salad of onions and tomatoes Sachchik-Chuchuk.

In order for the preparation of pilaf to take a minimum of your time and you can do it simply, quickly and very tasty, take a few notes to yourself:

Buy all products well in advance. If you need to go to the market for meat, rice and spices, the whole process of cooking pilaf will take much longer.
You can prepare and cut meat and vegetables right away, so that later you will not be distracted from the cooking process.
Grate the carrots much faster, but chop is better. Grated carrots will not change the taste of the dish for the better.
If the pilaf onion is chopped very finely, it can burn in hot oil and ruin the whole dish. The optimal cut is a quarter of a half ring.
If you really really wanted oriental exoticism, then you can cook Uzbek pilaf with chickpeas. It is also called Fergana pilaf.

Important! If you have round rice for pilaf at home, it is better not to use it. It will make delicious rice porridge, not the pilaf you want to cook.

For lovers of diet food, chicken pilaf is perfect, it contains much fewer calories.

There are many other options for cooking pilaf, for example. This recipe is a godsend for lovers of both tasty and healthy food.

If you are interested, write questions, comments, drop photos of cooked dishes. We hostesses always have a lot to learn from each other.

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