How to prepare pilaf on a fire. Cooking beef pilaf on a fire. th stage - strong fire

Pilaf on the fire I cook not often, three times, maybe four a year. Too many things must coincide: the weather, the desire to eat pilaf and for us to be in the village. You understand that such a combination of circumstances does not happen often!

But if it happens, then, as they say, you can’t get away! Moreover, pilaf on a fire turns out to be some kind of magic or something. I think the reason for this is a special temperature regime, which you can’t achieve on a stove, and also a special mood.

Just imagine: the birds are singing, the meat is sizzling, the aromas are spreading throughout the district and the anticipation of what goes with such an appetizer ... But something pulled me in a completely different direction! I tell you how to cook lamb pilaf on a fire.

Let's cook lamb pilaf. This is a classic meat for cooking pilaf. Although last time I did, so if there is no lamb, then you can take beef or pork. Well, don't drop everything because of such nonsense!

Products for cooking lamb pilaf

To prepare pilaf, we need:

• 1 kilogram lamb
• 1 kilogram of carrots
• 1 kilogram of onion
• 1 kilogram of rice
• 200 grams of vegetable oil
• 2 heads of garlic

Do not measure on the scales for a kilogram of each product, measure approximately, by eye. The main thing is that the listed products should be approximately the same amount.

Rinse rice thoroughly in several waters and fill with water so that the water hides it completely.

Spices for pilaf

Mix in equal amount:

• black cumin
• dried tomato
• dried paprika
• barberry
• turmeric

You can't buy it in the store, you have to go to the market. Spice merchants sell white cumin, it's not as flavorful. Do not be shy, ask for black with the air of a connoisseur, they will definitely get it from the floor of the counter. We mix it all in a glass jar and close the lid, we should have enough for several times.

Devices for cooking pilaf on a fire

As I said, I don’t often cook pilaf on a fire, so I use the devices that I have at hand, I didn’t invent anything on purpose.

As a hearth, we will have a brazier, stationary, a little more than a camping one. We put a grate on the grill, put a cauldron on the grate. I don’t have a cauldron in my village; instead, I use an old duckling. I don’t know how old she really is, but I remember her from childhood, which means she should be 25-30 years old for sure. You will also need a large slotted spoon, this is such a spoon with holes, on a long handle, well, or a thick long glove so as not to burn your hand if the skimmer has a short handle.

Prepare thin, dry logs ahead of time to keep the fire going so you don't get distracted later.

How to cook lamb pilaf on a fire

My advice to you, it is better for the first time in advance, before you kindle a fire, chop onions and carrots.

We cut the onion not finely, but not coarsely, it is supposed to be cut into half rings, but I like it smaller.

We cut the carrots. Cut carrots into strips lengthwise. In no case should you cut it with rings. Of course, this does not affect the taste, but the appearance will not be the same.

We make fire under the cauldron. Don't overcook, as everything will burn. It is necessary that the flame licked the bottom of the cauldron.

Pour vegetable oil into a cauldron and wait for it to heat up. Small bubbles should appear inside the oil. You can throw half an onion, as the onion begins to turn golden, then everything is ready, we take it out of the oil and throw it away.

Pour the lamb cut into medium pieces into the hot oil.

We fry the lamb until cooked, but do not overdo it, you should not fry it to small pieces. As soon as the meat begins to fry, proceed to the next step.

Pour the onion into the cauldron. Fry the onion until cooked. Do not listen to advice that the onion should be fried until golden brown. You still won’t succeed, and spoil the products.

Add chopped carrots to the cauldron. Fry until the carrots are cooked.

Pour everything with water, so that the water slightly covers the products, add two teaspoons of the spice mixture that was prepared earlier. Salt well. We stick two heads of garlic into the liquid.

Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes. During the entire cooking process, we try to maintain a small, even fire.

After half an hour, open the lid and see a properly prepared zirvak.

Pour all the rice over the meat. Do not mix under any circumstances! Rice should be on top. We level it with a slotted spoon and fill it with water so that the water covers the rice by one and a half to two centimeters.

The oil has floated so that the rice is almost invisible. Cover with a lid and leave for another 15-20 minutes. Fire at this time can not be supported at all. It should slowly burn out completely and go out.

We open the lid and see that the water is almost completely absorbed by the rice. With movements from the edges to the center, pour rice in a slide in the middle of the cauldron. Try to pick up only the rice with a slotted spoon so as not to mix it with the meat.

Cover with a lid and cook for another 10-20 minutes until the water is completely gone. Look into the cauldron every five minutes so as not to miss this moment, otherwise the meat will start to burn.

Firewood should already be completely extinguished and pilaf should only reach in the heat of coals.

When the pilaf is ready, I mix it thoroughly.

I know that all true connoisseurs of pilaf will scold me here, saying that then it will not be possible to serve it correctly ... Do not swear, I like it better!

After all, this is my plov.

I put a cauldron with pilaf in the middle of the table and everyone puts as much pilaf as he wants into deep plates. Be sure to have fresh vegetables and herbs on the table.

One more important moment! Be sure to pour yourself some cognac or cold vodka!

Good afternoon friends!

I love bright original oriental cuisine! With its delicious basma, rich shurpa, flatbread baked in the tandoor. Delicious puff pastry samsa and Mmmm… delicious, very tasty!

Today, I present another delicious dish - Uzbek pilaf. We will cook it exclusively from lamb in a cauldron, but under different conditions: at home, on a gas stove and on a fire in the garden. The recipe for cooking on a garden stove is more difficult, because it is necessary to skillfully regulate an open fire and maintain the required temperature under a cauldron. Although on the stove it turns out incredibly crumbly and tasty.

The pilaf recipe includes such obligatory products: meat, fat tail, devzira rice, zira, garlic, carrots. The calorie content of the finished dish (220 kcal per 100 g) is slightly less than the fat content of milk sausage (226 kcal).

The correct classic Uzbek pilaf is prepared only from fresh lamb. My grandfather had a joke about this: how in a nightmare he cooked pilaf in a slow cooker from pork and chicken ... and grumbled that it was not the same dish from beef.

The food is not prepared quickly, but you will get real pleasure when a hearty, fragrant meal appears on the table.

How to properly and tasty cook a real Uzbek pilaf?

We are preparing a classic recipe in a cauldron of lamb with fat tail in Uzbek correctly and tasty! And for this, several conditions must be met: choose a good pot, prepare the necessary products, follow the technology and the procedure for laying products. And cook with a good mood and take your time.

Speaking of the bowler hat... Once upon a time there was a cauldron, and he served faithfully to his mistress (that's me), for many, many years. During this time, he cooked a huge variety of oriental dishes and fed people. And so, at lunchtime, he turned a hundred years old, and they sent him to a well-deserved rest. Now he lives in the garden and cooks dishes, exclusively on the fire, and this is very honorable.

Instead, they bought a new cast iron, cast with beautiful handles, with a volume of 5.6 liters. As the instruction promises, it quickly heats up and keeps heat for a long time, which allows you to save the useful and taste properties of the prepared dish. A pot made of cast iron is eternal (this does not happen), it is not subject to deformation ... today we will cook in it and check how it will cope with its task.

Required products:

• Traditional Uzbek pilaf is made from lamb with fat tail. The meat should be moderately fatty.

Ideally, this is a tenderloin and loin, the neck, hind leg or front shoulder blade will work well.

• Fat tail fat in its pure form, or in combination with vegetable oil.
• The best and most expensive variety of rice for our dish is Devzira, Laser, Vanguard. (although where to get them?), for lack of availability, we take the long-grain thin variety "Basmati". We sort, clean from litter and small pebbles.

All these varieties of rice differ from each other in starch content, taste and ability to absorb water and oil. And this will have to be taken into account when preparing the dish.

• We take any carrot: yellow or red. The yellow one is less sweet, it does not interrupt the taste of the rice, while the red one, on the contrary, gives a sweet note. You can take a mixture of yellow and red, in equal proportions.
• Plain white onion.
• Garlic for flavor and hot pepper for decoration.

The main spice without which pilaf will not work is zira (do not confuse with cumin).

• Optionally, you can add barberry, saffron, turmeric, sweet paprika, black peppercorns.

Cooking delicious food with fun, in a good mood, we are not in a hurry!

Cooking lamb pilaf at home (step by step recipe)

According to this detailed recipe, we will cook a delicious oriental lamb dish at home in a cauldron, on the stove. Try it, it won't let you down!

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram of pulp
• 300 g fat tail fat
• 1 kg Basmati
• 1 kg carrots
• 2 large onions
• 2 heads of garlic
• 2 pods of hot pepper
• 1 st. a spoonful of salt
• 1 teaspoon of zira and barberry
• 1 st. a spoonful of spice mix
• 1 st. a spoonful of salt

Cooking:

Try this classic recipe for pilaf in a cauldron with fat tail in Uzbek style.

We take the meat of a mature lamb, it is good if it is with white fat. Cut the pulp from the seeds and cut into walnut-sized pieces.

We need another amazing super product - this is fat tail, it is he who gives the dish an oriental flavor. We cut it into medium pieces 1.5x1.5 cm. If desired, you can reduce the amount of fat and add vegetable oil.

Cut the onion into medium strips, half rings or rings. It all depends on the size of the onion, but remember that the thinner you cut the onion, the faster it will fry.

Next is carrots. We divide the vegetable into three identical parts, cut each into plates, and chop them with rather large sticks along. It is not recommended to grate carrots, because in hot oil it quickly turns into carrot puree and completely dissolves, which is not acceptable.

Cooking spices. The most real and correct recipe for an Uzbek dish cannot be prepared without spices. The most common is zira. Rich in essential oils, with a light nutty aroma, it gives a unique flavor to the dish. To fully reveal its taste, rub it in the palm of your hand.

We also add dried barberry for sourness, turmeric and paprika for color, a couple of small pods of hot pepper and two heads of juicy garlic.

We heat a cast-iron cauldron for 5, 6 liters well, put pieces of tail fat on the bottom in one layer. They immediately begin to hiss and sizzle.

We melt the fat over medium heat, and take out the resulting cracklings with a slotted spoon.

Do not throw away crispy tasty greaves! Lightly salted roasts, with thinly chopped onion and a piece of fresh flatbread should be eaten while they are hot, well, of course, with a glass of good vodka.

The next step is roasting the meat. Increase the heat to high, heat the fat strongly. As soon as a bluish smoke appears (turn on the hood), carefully lay out the meat. Be very careful not to get burned by splashes of boiling fat.

Do not interfere until one side is fried to a good crust, then turn over and fry the other side of the pulp. This way we seal the juice inside the meat pieces.

It is important that the meat should be fried, it should not give up its juice.

And now the main thing is not to overdry and not overcook.

When the fried meat is covered with a crust and the onion juice has evaporated, we fall asleep carrots. It turned out a lot, but we are doing everything right. Salt, sprinkle with zira and wait.

After about 10-15 minutes, the carrots will become soft, settle and give off their taste.

Keep a kettle of water handy. People often ask what kind of water to pour cold or hot? Of course, hot, so that the cooking process does not stop. Pour water evenly with carrots.

We put salt, spices, hot pepper and garlic, mix everything gently. We got zirvak - a delicious sauce for pilaf.

If rice is the basis of the dish, then zirvak is its soul.

Simmer the sauce for 40 minutes, let it gurgle slowly. And now is the time to check the dish for salt. It should be more than usual, this is normal, because part of it will be taken by rice.

We wash the rice in advance in 7-8 waters, until the water is clear. So that the rice grains do not get weathered and dry out while they are waiting for their laying, fill them with water for 30-40 minutes. It is very important to choose the right ratio of rice and water. Pour a little, you get hard rice, pour a lot, you get shawla (rice porridge).

We drain the water and spread the cereal on the zirvak, level it. Pour boiling water, select the volume of water depending on the variety.

It is better to pour less water and then add more than to pour a lot and ruin everything at once.

We cover the rice with water about 1-1.5 cm. Immediately increase the heat to the maximum so that everything boils quickly.

See how fat has risen up along the edges of the cauldron. In the process of languishing, it will settle again, and at the same time envelop each grain of rice. That's how fluffy rice turns out. Close the lid, and simmer on the smallest fire until the cereal is ready.

After 20-30 minutes, when the water is equal to the rice, we begin to mix the rice, otherwise it runs the risk of overcooking at the bottom and remaining hard on top. We interfere carefully from the walls where there is no longer water, to the center.

And again we simmer under the lid, it took me about 1 hour, until all the water finally evaporated and the cereal was completely steamed, it became soft and crumbly.

If the rice is ready and there is still water left at the bottom, open the lid and use a wooden stick to make holes in the pilaf all the way to the bottom.

Give time to evaporate all the water.

This is my recipe for crumbly Uzbek pilaf (Ferghana style), cooked at home on the stove. I tried to show you the main steps of preparation.

Spreads on lyagan, in the same order as it lies in the cauldron. The bottom layer is rice, then carrots, meat with onions and decorate with garlic heads and red pepper. Quince or raisins with walnuts are put in a festive version. On weekdays, for satiety, they cook with chickpeas.

We invite guests to the dostarkhan. Serve with tortillas and Shakarob salad made from tomatoes and onions (you can find its recipe on the Internet).

Delicious pilaf in a lamb cauldron from the chef, on the fire

I propose to see a step-by-step recipe with a fat tail on a fire. This is the easiest way for beginners to understand how to cook delicious food correctly and quickly. As they say: "It is better to see once than hear a hundred times."

And what kind of pilaf are you preparing? Write in the comments, share your chips and tips, it will be interesting.

Once I read on one of the culinary sites 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 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 only be gained by trying to cook a particular 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 does not matter what nationality you are. In any case, the dish will turn out the way it should be - tasty, fragrant, crumbly and, most importantly, healthy.

Say - "what's the difference, Samarkand, Ferghana ... ". And you might be right. But if you ate a real Uzbek pilaf somewhere, and not only ate it, but also cook it yourself, then the difference in cooking will be useful for you.

You can cook first one, then the other, 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 is tastier!

We will need:

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

Preparation

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

For Ferghana pilaf, they usually take the pulp and meat on the bone in approximately the same proportions. I used brisket and shoulder blade. It should be said that meat on the bone for cooking must be present without fail. From one pulp, a tasty dish will not work.

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

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

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

To prepare Fergana pilaf, a little less onion is taken than indicated in the recipe. But the onion gives juiciness and taste to the dish, so I add a little more than it should be.

My grandfather, who lived all his life in Uzbekistan, always spoke about such a rule. failed.

4. Cut the onion into half rings no more than 0.5 cm thick. We left the ponytails so that holding on to them, the slicing 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 a little in the water, and now it will be possible to cut it without tears, but if the knife turns out to be blunt, then tears cannot be dispensed with. In addition, slicing the onion thinly also does not work.

5. Cut carrots into long thin strips.

It cannot be grated, this is a mistake that many who cook pilaf make. 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 clear. And if you use steamed 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 a "shawl" - that's how it is called in Uzbekistan.

Uzbeks attach great importance to the choice of rice for preparing their famous dish. In the huge Samarkand market, large stalls are completely strewn with hills of rice. What is not there. And white, and red, and brown, and brown ... What experience and knowledge you need to have experience in order to choose it correctly.

We don’t have such markets with rice, and therefore we had to look for a suitable one in our stores. I tried different varieties, and by trial I determined that 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 with a sharp knife to the very base, this is where particles of earth can be.

In Uzbekistan, the host himself cleans the garlic cloves for the honored guest and treats him. 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 how to do this, ask questions - I will tell.

Cooking beef pilaf in a cauldron

1. And so, when everything is already prepared for us, we begin to cook Ferghana pilaf. We put fat tail fat in a cauldron and melt it to cracklings. The cauldron must be dry so that the oil does not “shoot”. Then we remove the cracklings with a slotted spoon and add vegetable oil. If we do not use fat tail fat, then immediately pour the oil. We warm it up to a light haze.

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

It won't feel at all. Therefore, pour as much as indicated in the recipe.

2. When the smoke appears, we lower the meat on the bone into it along the edge of the cauldron. If you throw meat from above, you can get burned by splashes from oil. After a minute or two, turn the meat over with a slotted spoon. Let the skimmer lie nearby, we will need it from the beginning to the end of cooking. Fry the meat, stirring occasionally until the bones turn red and the meat is browned.

3. Add onions.

We fry it until golden brown. All this is done on a big fire.

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

4. Now you should fry the chopped pulp. We spread it in a cauldron and do not interfere 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 need only hot oil and a big fire. Fry the flesh until a beautiful golden brown.

5. Put the carrots in the cauldron, also do not interfere immediately, 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 limp and slightly fried, pour so much hot water so that all the ingredients are covered.

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

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

Also add barberry. If I have it, I always put it in the cooking dish. I add a teaspoon of these spices. But this is at your discretion.

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

7. We give the opportunity to boil, mix everything, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. What is now languishing under the lid is called “zirvak” in Uzbekistan. The taste of the future dish depends on how we cooked it.

8. After 30 minutes, you need to check the meat for readiness. If you are preparing pilaf from young veal, then usually the meat is already moving away from the bone by this stage and is chewed well enough for testing, that is, it is almost completely ready. At this stage, there are two options. 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 you need to stick the whole heads directly into the “zirvak”.

9. It's time to put the 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.

Water should cover all 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 jet of water. It is better to use hot water. Add fire.

10. When the water boils again, add the rest of the salt and pepper to taste. Try it, the broth should be moderately salty. Try to set the cauldron in such a way that the water boils evenly in it and the rice cooks equally evenly. Do not let it boil too much, adjust the fire in such a way that it only “gurgles” slightly.

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

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

As before, we do not mix anything and do not break the layers. We make several holes in the gorochka from the bottom. Holes can be made with a Chinese stick, or in extreme cases with a skimmer handle.

12. The water remaining at the bottom will come out through the holes made, and the rice will “reach” completely. Reduce the fire to the minimum. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

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

14. When you open the lid, try to prevent drops of condensate from the lid from falling back into the cauldron.

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

16. Before laying pilaf in a large flat dish, it must be gently mixed right in the cauldron with a slotted spoon. At the same time, remove all the bones.

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

Video on how to cook Uzbek beef pilaf with devzira rice

Very tasty pilaf is obtained with pink devzira rice. Of course, it is not literally pink, but only has a layer of brownish-pink powder on the grain, which is washed off when the grain is washed. But a characteristic groove remains on it.

The advantage of this variety is that such grain is able to absorb all the juices and fats from zirvak. So it turns out not dry, but nourished, and incredibly tasty.

True, it can be difficult to buy a devzira, although if you set a goal, then this 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 this. I wouldn't even choose better than them myself.

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 this pilaf will be in Samarkand style.

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

What is the difference between Samarkand pilaf and Ferghana pilaf

• in Samarkand pilaf, all the meat used is taken on the bone, cut rather large, and when serving, the bones are removed and the meat is cut into small pieces. In Ferghana - part of the meat is taken on the bones, and part - the pulp, cut immediately in portions
• in the Samarkand version, carrots are not fried, but in the Ferghana 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, rice after cooking 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 turns out to be different. But as noted above - both are delicious, it is impossible to choose which one is tastier!

The Ferghana 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 for them. 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 it does not tolerate female hands. And in fact, for all holidays and celebrations, for all other occasions, it is prepared by men there. And although I ate a lot of pilaf cooked by women, and their preparation was no worse than that of men, such a judgment is still alive and well!

I believe that in any case, whoever cooks this magnificent dish, it should be prepared 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 Pilaf is always said! - 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 is a tasty and hearty dish. And if you cook it on a fire, all the qualities only multiply. And in order for this dish to acquire the taste of the highest degree, you need to cook from lamb. Lamb pilaf is incredibly tasty. I want to cook this dish, eat it and treat my friends to it. It is not difficult to prepare, unless, of course, the weather is windy outside and a twenty-degree frost holds together.

To cook Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron on a fire, take the products from the list.

It is good to heat a cauldron on a fire and put fat tail fat cut into small pieces into it. From it you need to melt the lard, while you need to mix several times so that everything is fried and evenly. Ruddy cracklings need to be removed. Pour finely chopped onion into the cauldron. Stirring occasionally, bring it to transparency and softness. If the fire is strong, then this will take about 2-3 minutes.

The meat should be cut into small pieces, about 2x2 cm, while the existing fat does not need to be cut off. Put it in a cauldron, evenly distribute it along the walls of the cauldron, pushing the onion to the middle. This must be done so that the meat warms up and does not cool the fat.

Let it warm up for 5-7 minutes and only then mix.

Add spices, salt, chopped carrots and pour in water. Put two washed heads of garlic and leave to boil until fully cooked. If the lamb was young, then 30 minutes is enough for the zirvak to be ready.

Wash the rice until the water is clear.

Pour into prepared zirvak. The water should cover the rice by 1.5 cm. If there is less water, you need to add water. Without covering with a lid and without stirring the mass, leave to simmer over low heat until the liquid evaporates. Then collect the rice in a slide, cover the cauldron with a lid and leave for another 15-20 minutes.

Before serving, gently mix, and serve the most delicious, satisfying and crumbly pilaf on the table.

Pilaf cooked in a cauldron on a fire was a success!

Bon appetit. Cook with love.

There is hardly a state on the territory of Central Asia whose national cuisine would not be represented by plov, hearty and fragrant with oriental spices. Uzbekistan is no exception in this regard, whose dastarkhan always pleasantly surprises guests with its richness and diversity. Pilaf in this country is not just the main dish of the national menu, but a symbol of hospitality and well-being of the owners of the house.

Pilaf is always served on the table on the days of important folk celebrations and family celebrations. Uzbek chefs know a number of options for preparing this dish. Each of them has its own cooking secret.
Pilaf has been invariably popular for many centuries among representatives of this oriental people - a classic recipe, according to which traditional pilaf is prepared.

Uzbek pilaf ingredients

The real Uzbek pilaf, the traditional recipe of which has been improved over the years, prescribes the use of such basic ingredients as:

• carrot,
• meat,
• vegetable oil,
• fat tail,
• garlic,
• spices.

Traditional Uzbek pilaf is prepared exclusively from durum rice. They are grown in several eastern countries: in the states of Central Asia, in China, in Korea. Such rice has a specific feature: in the process of cooking, it tends to absorb all the broth introduced into the dish.

The best variety of rice, which Uzbek culinary specialists stock up for cooking pilaf, is considered to be rice growing in the Ferghana Valley called devzira.

Its oblong, ribbed grains are distinguished by a delicate pinkish color, which is given to them by the powder covering the rice. You can remove it by thoroughly washing rice of this variety several times just before cooking pilaf.

A subspecies of devzira is chungara rice, which has also proven itself in the preparation of a delicious national dish. The grains of such rice are white, differing in finished form with a sweetish aftertaste.

Vegetables

The next important ingredients of pilaf are vegetables. This dish involves the use of onions, well known to cooks. But the carrots in the Uzbek classic pilaf should be only yellow, cultivated in this state.

Taking into account such an extremely important fact that the Uzbeks preach the Muslim faith and cannot, following the Koran, eat pork, they choose mutton for cooking traditional pilaf. The best option would be a shoulder blade with juicy pulp.

fat tail fat

To fry all the ingredients, the Uzbek cook will prefer cottonseed oil. Alternatively, you can use sesame seeds.

The classic supplement is fat tail fat. It is customary to cut it into cubes and melt it during cooking over high heat.

Spices

When adding garlic to pilaf, you should not waste time cleaning it. This ingredient is placed in a container with a dish with a whole head along with the husk.

To prepare a classic Uzbek pilaf, you will need a whole set of spices. The leader among them is zira, otherwise called cumin. Be sure to introduce a mixture of several peppers, where there will be black, and red, and white, and allspice. Powdered turmeric will give a warm yellowish tint to pilaf. Taste highlights will be barberry and coriander.

Cooking

Traditional Uzbek pilaf is prepared only in a cauldron. Any other dishes do not correspond to the parameters of the cauldron, so the pilaf will not work perfectly in it. First of all, they prepare zirvak, in other words, the basis of the national pilaf.

1. It is necessary to pour oil into a cauldron of the selected size, which is calcined for a certain time until smoke appears. It is necessary to add fat tail fat to the burnt vegetable oil and melt it in turn. The cracklings formed during the rendering process should be removed from the cauldron. When this work is done, it is recommended to reduce the fire to medium.
2. Lamb cut into pieces of medium size is placed in a cauldron and fried until the meat acquires a golden hue.
3. Next in turn, the onion is introduced into the cauldron, after chopping it into small cubes. Onions are cooked until they are light brown in color.
4. It is customary for Uzbeks to cut peeled carrots into thin long strips. Experienced chefs do not advise grinding it with a grater. Otherwise, carrots will not be visible and palpable in pilaf. After laying carrots in a cauldron, the dish continues to cook until the vegetable becomes soft.
5. Having achieved this result, the pilaf is salted, flavored with spices, garlic is placed on top of all the ingredients, slightly cleaning the heads from the outside.
6. Having finished work on zirvak, you can proceed to the next step. Rice of the required variety is washed five to six times. Anticipating its laying in a cauldron, rice is soaked in hot water. Slightly swollen, it is put to the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, salted and, having leveled its layer, poured with water so that it covers the ingredients to the thickness of a couple of fingers.
7. The dish is brought to a boil and, having made the fire medium, they expect all the liquid to boil away. When this is done, the fire is reduced, and the cauldron is tightly covered with a lid. The advice of experienced chefs should be taken into account: if there is a gap between the lid and the cauldron, it is advisable to close it tightly. To do this, you can use a towel, which is wrapped around the cauldron in the lid area.
8. Having done these manipulations, the cauldron is kept on low heat for forty-five minutes. During this period, the dish becomes completely ready.
9. Guests of any nationality will enjoy the traditional festive treat of Uzbeks.