Şah Plov (Azerbaijani Saffron Rice with Chicken)

About This Recipe

Şah plov, or 'king's plov,' is the most elaborate of Azerbaijan's many plov variations, historically reserved for royalty and important guests. Unlike simpler pilafs, this version wraps the entire dish — rice, saffron-infused butter, tender chicken, and a sweet-savory mix of dried apricots, raisins, and chestnuts — inside a thin sheet of lavash bread before baking, so the finished dish emerges as a golden dome that's cut open tableside to reveal its layers, releasing a burst of saffron-scented steam. The rice itself is parboiled separately, then layered with the lavash lining before the final steam-bake finishes the cooking, a technique similar in spirit to Persian and Central Asian polow but distinctly Azerbaijani in its combination of chestnuts and dried fruit with saffron. Getting şah plov right requires real technique: the rice must be parboiled to just the right doneness so it finishes perfectly during the final bake without turning mushy, and the lavash crust must be thin enough to become delicately crisp on the outside while staying tender enough to cut without shattering. The result, when done well, is a dish of genuine ceremony — sweet dried fruit against savory saffron rice and tender chicken, wrapped in a bread crust that's torn apart and shared at the table, historically served at Azerbaijani weddings and the most important family celebrations.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 600 gbasmati rice, rinsed and soaked 1 hour
• 1.2 kgbone-in chicken thighs
• 0.5 tspsaffron threads, steeped in 3 tbsp hot water
• 150 gunsalted butter, melted
• 1 largeonion, sliced
• 150 gdried apricots, halved
• 100 ggolden raisins
• 150 gchestnuts, peeled and halved (jarred or vacuum-packed is fine)
• 2 large sheetsthin lavash bread
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 2 tspfine salt, plus more to taste
• 1 litrewater, for boiling rice
• 2 tbspvegetable oil, for the chicken

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the chicken

   Season chicken thighs with 1 tsp salt. Heat oil in a skillet and brown chicken on both sides, then add a cup of water, cover, and simmer 25 minutes until cooked through and tender. Shred or chop into large pieces.

2. 2

   Sauté the fruit and chestnuts

   In a separate pan, melt 2 tbsp butter and sauté onion until soft. Add apricots, raisins, chestnuts, and cinnamon, and cook gently for 5 minutes until fragrant and slightly caramelized.

3. 3

   Par-boil the rice

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil with remaining salt. Add soaked rice and boil 6-7 minutes until about 70% cooked. Drain well.

4. 4

   Line the pot

   Brush a heavy pot generously with melted butter. Lay the lavash sheets across the bottom and up the sides, overlapping so there are no gaps, with enough overhang to fold over the top later.

5. 5

   Layer

   Spread a third of the rice over the lavash. Add half the chicken and half the fruit mixture. Repeat layering, finishing with a final layer of rice on top. Drizzle saffron water and remaining melted butter evenly over the top.

6. 6

   Fold and seal

   Fold the overhanging lavash over the top of the rice to fully enclose it, patching any gaps with an extra piece of lavash if needed.

7. 7

   Steam-bake

   Cover the pot tightly with a lid (wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel to help seal in steam) and cook over very low heat for 35-40 minutes, or transfer to a 160°C oven for the same time.

8. 8

   Unmold and serve

   Invert the pot carefully onto a large platter so the golden lavash crust forms the outer shell, or simply lift the crust off and serve rice and lavash on the side. Cut open at the table.

Variations

• •

  Simpler everyday plov (adi plov) skips the lavash wrapping entirely and is simply saffron rice with meat and dried fruit served in a bowl.

• •

  Lamb can replace chicken for a richer, more traditional wedding-style version.

• •

  A meatless version for fasting periods uses only dried fruit, chestnuts, and saffron rice.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; the lavash crust softens on storage but the rice reheats well covered with a splash of water in the microwave or a low oven.

Frequently Asked Questions