Uzbek classic pilaf with lamb in a cauldron

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 1 hr

1. STEP 1

   

   How to cook classic Uzbek pilaf with lamb? Prepare the products according to the list. I recommend using filtered water. We will need a little water to soak the barberry, and for the pilaf itself the amount of water is indicated approximately; it is traditionally poured “by eye” during the cooking process, so that after placing rice in the cauldron, it covers it by 1 cm (or the thickness of a finger).

2. STEP 2

   

   Pour boiling water over dry barberry and let it soak.

3. STEP 3

   

   Place the cauldron on the fire, heat it up and pour in the oil. First fry the onion, cut into half rings, in heated sunflower oil.

4. STEP 4

   

   Add carrots cut into strips. Important: traditionally, carrots are chopped, but many often neglect this point and grate them. Keep in mind that this is not only about tradition, but also about the appearance and taste of the dish. Sliced ​​carrots will retain their shape during cooking, but grated carrots will become mushy and mix with the rest of the ingredients. It's your choice, but I personally like the traditional option better. Fry the vegetables.

5. STEP 5

   

   Add the chopped lamb. Fry. At this stage the lamb does not need to be cooked through, just nicely browned on the outside.

6. STEP 6

   

   Add saffron - you can pour boiling water over it in advance or grind it finely and add it to the pilaf. Send turmeric there too.

7. STEP 7

   

   Add barberry. Pour in a glass of hot water and simmer over low heat until the meat is cooked (a mixture of fried vegetables and meat is called zirvak).

8. STEP 8

   

   Now it's the turn of the rice. If you take regular rice, then you need to sort it out and rinse it well, then put it on a sieve and let it drain. Pour the rice into the cauldron.

9. STEP 9

   

   Add hot (just boiled) water so that it covers the rice by about 1 cm. Add salt. Do not mix under any circumstances!

10. STEP 10

    

    Add a whole head of garlic to the center (only the hard base is cut off and the very top layers of the husk are removed, which are easily removed) or individual cloves, cut crosswise (this allows the garlic to release all its flavor into the pilaf).

11. STEP 11

    

    Simmer the lamb pilaf in a cauldron over low heat with a lid until all the water is absorbed. You should not stir the pilaf, otherwise the rice will turn into porridge.

12. STEP 12

    

    The finished pilaf can be removed from the heat and, if desired and if you have time, let it brew under the lid for another 15-20 minutes. This will only make it tastier. Serve the lamb pilaf, beautifully arranged on a large platter. Bon appetit!

Comments on the recipe

Elisa Helga

10.12.2023

4.6

I also know this recipe - Samarkand pilaf with lamb in a pan.

Natalia M

10.12.2023

4.9

For a hearty dinner, I chose classic Uzbek pilaf with lamb in a cauldron. This colorful dish captivated my whole family! I started by preparing zirvak. I cut the onion into cubes, the carrots into cubes and fried them. Added pieces of fatty lamb and continued to fry until the liquid evaporated. Then she added spices, added water and simmered until the meat was soft. I decided to place the soaked barberry on top of the rice. I poured in twice as much water as the cereal. I took the rice special for Uzbek-style pilaf, washed it and poured water on it while the zirvak was stewing. I cooked the pilaf until the water had almost completely evaporated, leaving a little at the bottom so that it could be absorbed under the lid. The pilaf came out simply gorgeous! Due to the fat content of the meat, each grain of rice was soaked in delicious juice. The rice didn't stick together, but it didn't fall apart either. The aroma of garlic and cumin suits meat pilaf perfectly! Paprika and turmeric give a pleasant shade and subtle taste! This is a very tasty dish, I advise everyone to try it!

Galla

10.12.2023

4.7

An excellent recipe, my grandmother cooked almost the same way, she lived all her youth in Tashkent, her pilaf turned out very tasty. In general, I don’t really like lamb, but it’s ideal in pilaf.

oblachko

10.12.2023

4.5

Your pilaf looks amazingly delicious!!! And lamb for pilaf, of course, is just perfect!

Faith

10.12.2023

4.7

I prepared pilaf according to your recipe, it turned out very tasty with lamb. Thank you for the recipe! I think your pilaf is rightfully called KHAN’S pilaf! And this is what happened to me!

Irisha

10.12.2023

4.6

Your pilaf turned out great!!! I really love pilaf, but I can’t find lamb in my city, so I cook it with pork, but I would love to try something like yours!!

Maria

10.12.2023

4.5

Thank you for participating in the “Best Recipe of the Week” competition. Very appetizing pilaf - now I’m going to cook this one too. Everything was very well chosen. This is the case when the colorful pilaf and the colorful background do not overlap each other, but, on the contrary, complement each other. Everything in the photograph is very well chosen both in color and texture.