Uzbek Bakhsh (Green Rice Pilaf with Liver and Herbs)

About This Recipe

Uzbek Bakhsh is a real, traditional Uzbek dish, known as Green Rice Pilaf with Liver and Herbs. Rice cooked with finely chopped liver and a generous amount of fresh herbs, turning the dish a distinctive deep green, a Bukharan Jewish-Uzbek specialty.\n\nBakhsh is closely associated with the Bukharan Jewish community of Uzbekistan, traditionally prepared for Shabbat, its green color coming from a generous quantity of fresh cilantro and dill cooked directly into the rice.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Uzbek home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 300 gbeef or chicken liver(finely diced)
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 2 cupschopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cupchopped fresh dill
• 300 glong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 500 mlwater or stock
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the liver

   Heat oil in a pot and cook the diced liver with onion until browned, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Add herbs

   Stir in the chopped cilantro and dill, cooking for 3 minutes until slightly wilted.

3. 3

   Add rice

   Add the rinsed rice, tossing to coat in the herb and liver mixture.

4. 4

   Add liquid

   Pour in water or stock, add cumin, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

5. 5

   Cook covered

   Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let rest off heat for 10 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork before serving, revealing the dish's characteristic deep green color throughout the rice.

Variations

• •

  Some households use chicken liver instead of beef liver for a milder flavor.

• •

  A version with dried barberries adds a touch of tartness.

• •

  Add a bit of turmeric for extra color and warmth alongside the herbs.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions