Uzbek Plov with Carrots and Raisins

About This Recipe

Plov is Uzbekistan's national dish and arguably its most important culinary export, cooked in a heavy cast-iron kazan pot where lamb, onion and an enormous quantity of julienned carrot are fried down until deeply caramelized before rice is layered on top to steam in the rendered fat and stock below. Every region and even individual family has its own variation, but the fundamental technique — building flavor in layers rather than mixing everything together — stays consistent across the country. The carrots are the real workhorse of the dish: cut into long matchsticks and cooked down slowly until they turn deeply sweet and almost jammy, contributing both flavor and the plov's characteristic golden-orange hue alongside cumin. Whole heads of garlic are often pushed into the rice partway through cooking, left to steam until soft and mellow, meant to be squeezed out and eaten or mashed in at the table. A proper plov should have distinct, fluffy grains of rice, never mushy, with a crisp golden layer (zirvak-soaked rice at the bottom) considered a prized part of the dish rather than a mistake. It's served on a large communal platter, often for guests or celebrations, reflecting its role as a dish of hospitality across Uzbek culture.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 glamb shoulder(cut into chunks)
• 0.75 cupvegetable oil
• 3onions(sliced)
• 1 kgcarrots(cut into long matchsticks)
• 3 cupslong-grain rice(washed until water runs clear)
• 1 tbspcumin seeds
• 1 tspdried barberries(or raisins)
• 2whole garlic heads(outer papery skin removed)
• 2 tspfine sea salt
• 4 cupshot water
• 0.5 cupraisins

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the lamb

   Heat oil in a heavy pot (kazan or dutch oven) until shimmering. Brown lamb chunks well on all sides, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Caramelize the onions

   Add onions and cook until deeply golden and soft, about 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Cook the carrots down

   Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes until they soften considerably and turn sweet.

   Don't rush the carrots — they should cook down until noticeably sweet and slightly jammy, which is what gives plov its deep flavor and color.

4. 4

   Build the zirvak

   Add cumin, barberries, salt and hot water to just cover the meat and carrots. Nestle the whole garlic heads into the mixture. Simmer covered 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Layer the rice

   Remove the garlic heads temporarily. Spread the washed rice evenly over the meat and carrot mixture without stirring, then add enough hot water to sit about 1cm above the rice. Push the garlic back into the rice.

6. 6

   Steam until tender

   Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce heat to very low, cover tightly, and steam 25 to 30 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let rest covered off heat for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a large communal platter with the rice on top, meat and carrots underneath, and the whole garlic heads for guests to squeeze out.

Variations

• •

  Use beef instead of lamb for a milder, more widely available version.

• •

  Add dried apricots along with or instead of raisins for a fruitier variation found in some regions.

• •

  Make a vegetarian version with chickpeas and extra vegetables, adjusting cooking times down.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of water, covered, on the stove or in the microwave to restore moisture to the rice.

Frequently Asked Questions