Uzbek-style lamb pilaf in a cauldron. Recipe for preparing real Uzbek pilaf

Step-by-step recipe with photos and videos

Pilaf is a dish that many people love. It is nourishing, high-calorie, colorful and tasty dish oriental cuisine. Each housewife has her own method of preparing pilaf. Varieties Uzbek pilaf as many as there are regions in Uzbekistan. Main feature Uzbek pilaf is that the onion is first fried, then the meat is laid out.

An important component of any pilaf is rice. Therefore, you need to take its choice seriously: Uzbek pilaf is prepared from rice durum varieties, such as devzira. In our area, unfortunately, it is very difficult to find these varieties, and I had to replace them with aromatic and no less tasty basmati. It perfectly sets off and absorbs the aroma of vegetables, meat and spices.

As for meat, there are superfluous words: lamb or beef.

To prepare Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron, take the ingredients according to the list.

Cut the tail fat into small pieces and melt in a well-heated cauldron. When the cracklings acquire a golden color, remove from the cauldron.

Cut the meat into cubes, approximately 2x2 cm.

Peel the onions and carrots.

Cut the onion into small cubes and the carrots into strips.

Place the onion in a cauldron with hot fat and fry until golden, stirring occasionally. After this, add the meat. It needs to be evenly distributed over the walls of the cauldron, allowing it to warm up, as if pushing the onion into the middle. Stir after 5-7 minutes (you don’t need to stir right away so as not to cool the fat).

After mixing, spread the carrots evenly, let them warm up for 2-3 minutes (you can sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt, and when it disappears, it’s time to mix all the ingredients). When the carrots become soft, add salt and half a pinch of cumin.

Pour water into the cauldron to just cover the carrots. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Add pepper and peeled garlic, salt and spices.

Rinse the rice with running water until the water is completely transparent.

When the zirvak is ready, remove the garlic and pepper, increase the heat and spread the rice in an even layer. Water should cover the rice by 1.5 cm (add water if necessary).

When the water has evaporated, the rice will be 80-90 percent cooked - it will taste a little tough, which is normal. It must be collected in a mound, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. At the end of cooking, return the garlic and pepper to the pilaf.

Gently mix the delicious Uzbek pilaf, place it on a dish and serve immediately.

Bon appetit. Cook with love.

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

Real Uzbek pilaf is a rich, 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 of lamb tail; can also be prepared from poultry, game, pork, fatty beef

1 kg of rice, preferably round, which is preferred by true 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. IN this recipe Bukhara rice was used

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

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

vegetable oil

Spices and seasonings

cumin (required, gives the pilaf a characteristic taste and smell)

barberry (preferably, if you don’t have it, you can replace it with raisins)

raisins (optional)

turmeric (required) - gives pilaf its characteristic color

paprika (optional)

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

Dishes for pilaf

It is best to cook pilaf in a cauldron. A heavy, thick-walled antique cauldron was used to prepare this pilaf. self made, made by masters of Central Asia.

Recipe for Uzbek pilaf

1. Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron, bring to a boil and add meat - or big pieces, which we chop already in the finished pilaf, or immediately cut into small pieces. Fry on high fire; Stir the meat several times until it is well browned on all sides.

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

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

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

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

6. Place the prepared rice into the cauldron without mixing with the meat. Level and fill with water 2 fingers from the top (add salt if necessary). If the type of rice you use cooks quickly, then less water is needed; if it takes a long time, then, accordingly, more water is required.

7. When the water has boiled away from the surface of the rice, use a stick to make 5-6 holes to evaporate the remaining liquid.

Real Uzbek pilaf is fatty, aromatic, with a pronounced taste of lamb and cumin. He's getting ready for 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

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 non-stick coating. The main thing is that the lid is heavy and fits tightly to the pan.
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 a few 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.
If you don't love too much spicy food, That hot pepper you don't have to put it in. However, leave the garlic - it adds a special aroma, but does not make the dish “fiery”.
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.
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. Grind grains better with your hands, 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 and 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.

Uzbek pilaf is not just a name, but a real national food brand - like, for example, Provencal cabbage, Siberian dumplings, Gurian lobio and so on. The aroma of spices, the unique consistency of the pilaf, where the rice is both crumbly and slightly sticky, the delicious taste - this is all about Uzbek pilaf. Although to be precise, there are many varieties of this dish. It is prepared in its own way in Tashkent and Bukhara, Samarkand and Andijan. However, there are several general ideas, which combine all types of Uzbek pilaf. We will tell you how to cook real Uzbek pilaf while preserving all traditional features preparations.

How does Uzbek pilaf differ from others?

In addition to the fact that it is prepared differently in different areas, there are also traditions of preparing pilaf from different components. In Uzbekistan, you can find wedding pilaf and pilaf with dolma, dried fruits and other ingredients. However, Russians are accustomed to the classic Uzbek pilaf, which is prepared from rice, meat with carrots and onions. This is what we will talk about.

In Uzbek pilaf, the meat can be different, even chicken, but classic recipe suggests lamb or beef.

But here are the differences that are characteristic of this particular pilaf:

carrots are taken not orange, but yellow;
meat and vegetables are simmered in a sauce called zirvak, and then combined with rice and cooked all together;
vegetable oil is used, but usually the dish is enriched using a mixture different oils. It can be sunflower, sesame or nut;
lamb pilaf is prepared using fat tail fat combined with vegetable oil;
Proportions are strictly observed - carrots and meat are taken in equal quantities, and there should be approximately the same amount of rice.

Important! Rice selection - important point. For traditional pilaf don't waste your time and find real rice, which Uzbeks use to prepare pilaf, is Devzira rice, long-grain and transparent. It will not turn into porridge and will not be dry; this rice steams perfectly, increasing greatly in volume.

Real Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron with lamb

A cauldron is used for cooking - it can be either on the fire or on a regular stove. The thick cast-iron walls of the cauldron retain heat for a long time, and quick and uniform heating of all the walls of the cookware ensures that the dish turns out to be the most delicious and aromatic. Perfect option- a copper outdoor cauldron on an open fire, but if there is no such thing, then a heavy cast iron cauldron-saucepan will do. The vessel must have a well-fitting lid so that the pilaf simmers covered for as long as possible.

You will need:

kilogram of rice;
kilogram of carrots;
4 large onions;
2 liters of water;
vegetable oil 300 g;
salt, pepper, cumin and other spices to taste, a head of garlic.

Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron - we bring to your attention a classic recipe with photos. Eastern cuisine has given the world many delicious dishes, among which the aromatic and crumbly Uzbek pilaf occupies a worthy place. This dish of rice, vegetables and lamb has long been loved by our housewives, and it is difficult to find a family whose menu does not include this dish.

Of course, in city apartments it is quite difficult to observe all the nuances of preparing pilaf, and Uzbek chefs carefully guard the secret of its recipe. However, if you have cast iron cauldron and the opportunity to go out of town, you may well try to make this amazingly tasty dish yourself. You can also cook pilaf in a cauldron at home; the pilaf will taste virtually no different.

Ingredients

To cook Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron, you will also need special products. These include:

Leg of lamb on the bone weighing approximately 1200 grams;

1 kg of carrots (preferably yellow Uzbek);

4 onions;

20 grams of dried barberry;

1 head of garlic;

1 kg of special rice for pilaf (can be replaced with rice for risotto);

10 grams of dried saffron and cumin;

400 ml vegetable oil.

Step-by-step recipe for preparing Uzbek pilaf

Step 1. Before you start cooking the pilaf, prepare the meat. To do this, cut the lamb flesh from the bone and divide it into small pieces. Place the bones with a small amount of meat on them in a separate bowl, place the lamb fillet in another container (as shown in the photo with the ingredients).

Cooks always put a lot of carrots in real Uzbek pilaf. Of course, it is advisable to purchase real food for this dish. yellow carrots, called “Uzbek”, but if you failed, you will have to use traditional vegetable orange color.

Carrots for pilaf should be washed, peeled and then cut into large strips.

Step2. Also peel the onions and cut into large rings.

Step 3. Heat the cauldron on fire until high temperature and pour vegetable oil into it. When it boils, throw the bones into the container and fry them until golden brown.

Step 4. Then add the onion and, stirring, fry the food until onion rings will not turn brownish.

Step 5. Now place the lamb fillet cut into pieces into the cauldron.

Step 6. Stir the products and keep them on the fire for 15 minutes, and then add the chopped carrots to the cauldron.

Step 7. Stir the meat and vegetables again. Fill the contents of the cauldron with water so that it completely covers the food, and place a head of garlic in the middle. Salt the dish and simmer it over low heat for 40 minutes.

Step 8. It is better to buy rice for pilaf at the market; in extreme cases, you can replace it with products for making risotto. If you want to cook a classic eastern pilaf, never take steamed rice - it will not absorb required quantity moisture.

Before using, rice should also be prepared - soak it in salted water for 40 minutes. When zirvak (the so-called meat, onions and carrots cooked in a cauldron) is stewed, add seasonings to it.

Step 9. Stir the ingredients and place a layer of rice on top.

Keep the dish on the fire until the cereal is ready. Every 10-15 minutes, the rice needs to be stirred gently, while the zirvak should remain untouched, that is, you only need to stir the rice.

Step 10. When the rice becomes soft, turn off the heat, cover the cauldron with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes. Then mix all the products in a cauldron and serve the finished pilaf on the table.

Bon appetit!

Watch the video step-by-step preparation Uzbek pilaf: