Uzbek Lamb Plov

Name: Uzbek Lamb Plov
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 700 g lamb shoulder; 600 g long grain rice; 700 g carrots; 2 onion; 1 whole head garlic; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tbsp dried barberries; 120 ml sunflower oil

Rice cooked over lamb and a thick raft of carrots, never stirred, with a whole head of garlic buried inside.

Uzbek⏱ 100 minNo common allergens listed

Ingredients

Lamb shoulder700 g
Long grain rice600 g
Carrots700 g
Onion2
Garlic1 whole head
Cumin seeds2 tsp
Coriander seeds1 tsp
Dried barberries1 tbsp
Sunflower oil120 ml

Steps

1Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs clear, then leave it covered in warm salted water while you cook everything else.
2Heat the oil in a heavy casserole until it shimmers, brown the sliced onion, then the lamb cut into large cubes, until both are deep brown.
3Add the carrots cut into thick matchsticks — yellow ones if you can find them — and cook 10 minutes without stirring much. Never grate them: grated carrot dissolves into the rice.
4Add the cumin, coriander, barberries and 2 tsp of salt, pour in 500 ml of hot water and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. This layer is the zirvak and it carries all the flavour.
5Drain the rice and spread it over the top in an even layer. Add enough hot water to cover the rice by 1.5 cm and boil hard, uncovered, until the water drops to the level of the rice.
6Bury the whole garlic head in the rice, gather the rice into a mound, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat for 25 minutes. Only mix the layers together when you serve.