One of the most famous Uzbek dishes is pilaf. It is prepared in every region of Uzbekistan in different ways, and everyone believes that it is his recipe that is real. Women are rarely allowed to cook pilaf, this is a real man's work, and the secret of the dish is passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. Try to cook Uzbek pilaf the way it is done in Tashkent.
It is necessary
-
- fatty lamb;
- 1.5 kg long rice;
- 2 kg of onions;
- 2 kg of carrots;
- raisins;
- barberry;
- zira;
- soaked peas;
- ground red pepper;
- salt;
- several heads of garlic.
Instructions
Step 1
Choose long, polished rice for pilaf. In many respects, the quality of the cereal will depend on whether you get pilaf or porridge with meat. It is better to take real Uzbek rice, a sort of devzir. But if you don't find it, buy Indian or Pakistani. The grains should be hard, the same, not sticky (you can check by crunching the grain with your teeth).
Step 2
Rinse the rice thoroughly and soak it for 1-10 hours. The more sticky rice you come across, the longer it will take to soak. If, nevertheless, you come across rice from Iran, Burma or Pakistan, rinse it several times and soak it in salted water for at least 3-4 hours.
Step 3
Cut the meat for pilaf into large pieces, but not more than 10 cm. Instead of traditional lamb, you can use pork, in extreme cases - beef.
Step 4
Cook pilaf in a large cauldron with thick sides and bottom. It is most delicious cooked on wood, but you can also use a regular stove. Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron (if you find fat tail fat) and let it ignite.
Step 5
Start preparing zirvak - the basics of pilaf. Put coarsely chopped onions in boiling oil, fry them until golden brown. Put the meat and soaked peas (chickpeas) there. Peas must be pre-soaked for several hours or bought ready-made at the market.
Step 6
Add barberry and peppercorns to the zirvak. Do not fry meat and onions too much - this is harmful and spoils the taste of pilaf.
Step 7
Cut the carrots into thin strips and place in the zirvak. Also fry it a little, until it is slightly translucent and supple. Try not to miss a moment and not overcook - pour boiling water over everything and leave to simmer over low heat for a while. Season with salt and pepper zirvak, add red bell pepper, red hot pepper, ground cilantro seeds, cumin, garlic.
Step 8
Place the rice in a cauldron and flatten. For color and aroma, zirchava, saffron and washed raisins are put in pilaf. Never stir rice with zirvak - it should be steamed. Close the cauldron with a lid and wait until the rice is soft enough.
