For many years, I have made this for our daughters’ birthday cakes. Any day, it outshines store-bought cake!
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 heads garlic, whole
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 5 large carrots, coarsely grated
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons coriander seed
- ½ cup fresh barberries
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 cups boiling water to cover
- 2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- Place basmati rice in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside. Wash heads of garlic. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a dutch oven or large skillet over high heat until smoking, then add lamb, turning occasionally until the lamb is evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onions; cook and stir until the onion has softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots; cook and stir until the carrots have softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cumin, coriander, barberries, and peppercorns. Drop whole garlic heads into the mixture, stirring to evenly distribute ingredients. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Wash and drain basmati rice with hot water. Pour cleaned rice over the lamb mixture in an even layer. Slowly pour in the boiling water. The rice should be covered with about 3/4 inch of water. Do not stir. Season with salt, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir rice and lamb together, and serve with the garlic heads on top.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 497 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 56 g |
| Cholesterol | 50 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 1808 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I love it. I modified a bit. No oil need – I just melted on low heat some fatty pieces of the lamb shoulder cause i used 1lb leg of lamb + 1 lb lamb shoulder. I browned the meat in the lambs melted fat and than done the onions a bit. Carrots cut julienne. I add 2 tomato to counter the sweetness of onions and carrots also lamb is a sweet meat.I used turmeric and hot paprika. Rice- I used Basmati 1 cup and Risotto 1 cup. If you plan to reheat in the oven the leftovers you can add 1 tablespoon of water / plate. If you like the rice dried up than don’t add water.
I doubled the spices, added a bit of saffron, and barberries, which made a huge difference between previous iterations of this recipe.
I added turmeric and paprika just like adviced.
We had this dish at a Russian restaurant and loved it so I wanted to try making this at home. It turned out fantastic. Per another post, I added Fenugreek seed ( 1 tbsp ). I would NOT use whole peppercorns again — too strong when you bite into one. I’ll use ground pepper instead. Also, keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn like the other reviewer had a problem with. You’re cooking at a high temperature, just watch it and adjust if needed. Lastly, it took me over 2 hrs so plan for some extra time when you make this the first time.
I doubled it , used 2 lb. ground lamb, & julienned the carrots & added 1/4 c. turmeric as suggested by one reviewer. I did not have the bayberries on hand, but will definitely try the recipe with them next time. This recipe was very easy & a hit with my family. This could easily be a good potluck meal or dinner for guests.
This recipe is accurate, and delicious but should not suggest whole black peppercorns to be used. They are too spicy when eaten and pepper should be ground instead of used as whole. This dissapointed many who liked the dish.
Outstanding!!! I’ve had my eye on this recipe a while after I heard about it on a documentary. Just made it today and I’m just… In love! So savory, delicious and satisfying. Followed directions and added turmeric, Caraway and cinnamon based on other reviews. Didn’t have coriander so I used a little cardamom. Absolutely delicious. Just use your eyes when cooking this. Add water to deglaze if your meat is sticking and the rice is done when no water is left. Then let it rest off the heat while you clean up. Will make this again and again!! Thank you!!!
I found that the ratio of rice:water was not quite right. Needed to add more water after the first 20 minutes and continue simmering for an additional 15 minutes. Probably needed to use 3.5 cups of water the first time around. I will make Plov again, but I might shop around for other recipes. Used lamb shoulder.
Super recipe! The real deal. I used jasmine rice as that’s all that I had. No difference. Tasted just like my daughter in laws who’s Russian. Oh, I did add extra cumin seed. We like the flavor. Will use this again.
Based on the other reviews I added about 1 tablespoons of turmeric. I chopped the carrots because I’m lazy. I used brown rice because that’s what I had. This dish was fantastic and really easy to make. It could easily be made with chicken or beef though that wouldn’t be authentic. Leftovers were also good.
Great version of the Uzbekh plot, will make again!
It was very delicious
This is pretty close to some original recipes I used before. May be with a few adjustments: First, I wouldn’t recommend using hot water for washing rice. The purpose of washing is to remove the starch and gluten without breaking the delicate cellular structure of the grain. This allows the grain to absorb flavor from the liquid while it cooks. Washing away the starch makes the rice cook in separate grains. Otherwise starch and gluten form a glue-like substance that cobble grains together. Besides, it brakes the cellular structure of the grain making the rice mushy. Although using hot water accelerates washing away the starch, it can damage the grain. Be patient and wash it several times in cold water until water drained from the rice becomes transparent. Second, the carrots should be cut into strings with a very sharp knife. Grating carrots will make them too thin and short. Cumin seeds and coriander are essential ingredients for this dish.
I made it for the first time last night, and my husband said they definitely need to be julienned carrots. I also didn’t use barberries (which is my own fault) but tried raisins instead. I personally really liked the sweetness of the raisins, but my husband said that it’s never made this way. I agree with another reviewer about the cooking time, as well. I’m so glad I kept a close eye on it while it was cooking because it definitely would’ve been burned if I stuck to the times listed in this recipe…especially if you are planning on reheating it at some point. Overall, I think it turned pretty well. I can only be critical because my husband knows how true Uzbek plov tastes. I will be trying this recipe again with some adjustments–and maybe some tips from my mother-in-law! 😉
We made this after living in neighboring Kyrgyzstan for several years. We added a little extra salt, pealed the garlic cloves rather than whole heads, left out the barberries and it turned out great!
so I made this recipe after not having made plov in years. Now i’m Russian and have tasted many a plov…this was by far the easiest recipe and one of the tastiest…even considering that I was missing most of the recommended spices. so easy and delish! Note: I made it with chicken (deboned but large whole thighs and bone-in legs).
You can use pomegranate seeds instead of barberries, add them when you serving in each plate on top.
I have tried this recipe few times, always the result was astonishing. I have used the review comments to improve, cranberries and barberries are really different, I have used sour cherries once as well with some sour sultanas. Grated carrots leave extra water, which wasn’t useful so thinly sliced way is give the better result.
The bottom was a little burnt but definitely edible. The rest was absolutely delicious. The times in the recipe were a little off but as long as you keep an eye on the food, it turns out really good. This was also my first time cooking with lamb so I’m glad it came out good. I substituted dried cranberries for barberries and the added sweetness was very welcome.
I did not care for this recipe.
This is a wonderful recipe. I made it as written (okay, I added chopped almonds) and it was fantastic. My husband said I could make this anytime… and I plan to! I’m looking forward to trying this with different veggies, dried fruits, nuts, etc. Thanks for the great recipe!