The national dish of Uzbekistan is pilaf, it is he who gives the Uzbek cuisine that particular flavor and distinctive feature.
No country can boast a similar dish anymore.
Soft tasty meat, juicy vegetables, the aroma of spices and herbs, delicate rice - this is really delicious.
Real Uzbek pilaf - general principles of cooking
Many people try to cook meat with rice at home, calling their dish pilaf. But this dish has nothing to do with real Uzbek pilaf, usually everyone gets tasty, but ordinary rice porridge with vegetables, meat and dried fruits.
So what is the secret of this pilaf? How to cook Uzbek pilaf in the right way? There are some features. Let's consider.
The first is the choice of rice. Chinese long-grain or Krasnodar round-grain for pilaf will not work, you need to choose a non-sticky variety, the Devzira variety is best suited for cooking.
The second is spices. One pepper for pilaf is not enough, use herbs, zira, barberry, turmeric, chili pepper, garlic and other spices. They give this Uzbek pilaf the very distinctive aroma and smell.
Third - do not skimp on fats. Yes, Uzbek pilaf is far from a dietary dish, zirvak should languish in fats - only then it will be cooked correctly, each grain of rice should be saturated with oils.
The classic version of Uzbek pilaf, except carrots, onions, meat, rice and spices, no longer contains anything. But over time, the recipe of the dish changed and now you can meet a real Uzbek pilaf not only from mutton meat, but also beef, chicken, pork and even game. Also, dried fruits are added to it: more often raisins, less often prunes, dried apricots, apricots and others.
1. Real Uzbek pilaf with lamb
Ingredients:
• 1.5 kg of fresh mutton;
• 300 grams of fat tail fat;
• kilogram of rice "Devzira";
• kilogram of carrots;
• two heads of garlic;
• 600 grams of onions;
• a pod or two hot chili peppers;
• 100 ml of vegetable oil;
• to taste spices: pepper, salt, turmeric, zira, paprika, barberry.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf with lamb:
1. Pour vegetable oil into a cauldron, heat it.
2. We spread the fat tail fat, cut into large cubes, simmer it for 3–5 minutes, stirring it until it highlights all the fats necessary for cooking this Uzbek pilaf.
3. We wash the lamb, cut into fairly large slices and put it into a cauldron, fry it over high heat, allowing it to brown on all sides.
4. Add the onion sliced in half rings, fry with the meat until soft and brownish-golden.
5. Cut the peeled carrots into thin strips, spread them to the meat, fry until soft.
6. Once all the vegetables have softened, pour the boiling water so that it covers the products in the cauldron by 1 cm. Stew the zirvak for 30 minutes.
7. After the allotted time, the water should almost completely evaporate. Pour spices to taste, salt pilaf, spread a whole pod of pepper.
8. Fry for 5 minutes.
9. Pour rice into a colander with small holes and rinse thoroughly, rubbing the cereal with your hands. Wash it long and thoroughly to rinse all the gluten.
10. Spread the prepared cereal on top of the meat without stirring, just level the rice with a spoon.
11. Pour boiling water, covering the cereal by 2 cm.
12. We make small indentations in the center, put in them not completely peeled, but thoroughly washed heads of garlic.
13. Cover the cauldron with a lid, evaporate the rice for 20-30 minutes. The water should completely evaporate.
14. Ready Uzbek pilaf we insist before serving for ten minutes, then carefully mix with a slotted spoon with a long handle, lifting zirvak and meat from the bottom.
15. Serve hot with fresh vegetables.
2. Real Uzbek pilaf with dried fruits
Ingredients:
• 500 grams of lamb;
• kilogram of rice;
• 200 grams of lamb;
• 300 grams of onions;
• a pound of carrots;
• half a glass of vegetable oil;
• 150-200 grams of raisins (you can take different varieties: light and dark raisins);
• salt, spices.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf with dried fruits:
1. In a cauldron of a suitable size, pour the vegetable oil, as soon as it warms up, put the chopped lard. We drown it for 5 minutes, then take it out with a slotted spoon and throw it out.
2. The meat is cut into medium cubes, spread in oil, fry, adding heat to a maximum of 10 minutes.
3. Add the onion chopped in half rings and the carrots grated on a Korean grater, fry all together, stirring for 5 minutes.
4. Pour a glass of boiling water, close the cauldron with a lid, stew meat with vegetables for 30 minutes.
5. While the meat is being cooked, we wash the raisins, soak it in boiling water for 20 minutes, drain the water, wash the raisins thoroughly again.
6. Open the lid of the cauldron, put spices and salt to taste, mix.
7. We put in the zirvak prepared raisins and thoroughly washed rice. Tamp the ingredients lightly with a spoon, but do not mix.
8. Pour boiling water so that it covers the cereal by 1-1.5 cm.
9. Cook the Uzbek pilaf for another 30 minutes.
10. After the time has passed, turn off the fire, mix the pilaf thoroughly, let it brew for 5-10 minutes before serving.
3. Uzbek pilaf with chicken
Ingredients:
• 600 grams of rice of a suitable variety;
• 600 grams of chicken;
• 400 grams of onions;
• 300 grams of carrots;
• vegetable oil;
• salt, paprika, barberry, zira.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf with chicken:
1. To cook a real Uzbek pilaf with chicken, it is better to take not breast, but meat from the hips and legs. Rinse the chicken thoroughly and cut into large pieces, at least 100 grams.
2. Sprinkle the meat with salt, set aside for 10-20 minutes to the side.
3. Pour oil into a cauldron, stewpan or large deep frying pan, heat it.
4. Peel the onion and cut into a quarter of the rings, spread in oil, fry until golden.
5. As soon as the onion softens, add chicken to it, add heat to the maximum and, without leaving the stove, and stirring constantly, fry the meat for 3-5 minutes, until the chicken becomes white.
6. Add the carrots, cut into strips, salt, throw spices. We extinguish by covering the container with a lid and setting an average fire for 25 minutes.
7. We spread the washed rice groats, pour a little boiling water, cook for another 20 minutes.
8. Before serving, mix thoroughly and insist for 5-8 minutes.
4. Uzbek pilaf with buckwheat
Ingredients:
• a pound of beef or pork;
• 400 grams of buckwheat;
• 150 grams of butter;
• 200 grams of onions;
• 200 grams of carrots;
• barberry, turmeric, salt.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf with buckwheat:
1. We thoroughly wash the meat, peel the vegetables, clean the buckwheat and rinse.
2. Heat the butter in a cast-iron skillet or in a cauldron, put the meat chopped into large pieces, fry until light blush.
3. Add onions, cut into half rings, carrots, chopped straws. Add spices and salt to taste.
4. We pass the ingredients in a cauldron, stirring, until half cooked, about 10 minutes.
5. Pour boiling water, simmer over medium heat for about 40 minutes.
6. Put the prepared buckwheat on another pan, add a little butter (1 tbsp. L.). Fry over low heat, stirring constantly, for 6-7 minutes.
7. Put the buckwheat groats for meat, mix thoroughly, add if necessary.
8. Pour water, bring pilaf to readiness. This will take about 15 minutes.
5. Uzbek pilaf with stuffed sweet pepper
Ingredients:
• 600 grams of rice;
• 600 grams of meat on the bone;
• 300 grams of onions;
• 300 grams of carrots;
• 100 grams of fat;
• egg;
• Bell pepper;
• greenery;
• 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• salt, spices.
Cooking method:
1. Cut the meat from the bone, but not completely, 250-300 grams of pulp will be enough for us.
2. Grind the pulp in a meat grinder.
3. Grind one onion and add to the minced meat, season the mass with spices and salt, mix well.
4. In a cauldron we heat oil, put fat, put bones with meat. Fry until light brown.
5. We chop the second onion in half rings, carrots with thin strips. Add both ingredients to the cauldron.
6. Put spices and salt here, mix, fry for 5 minutes, then pour a glass of water.
7. Stew meat with vegetables for 45-50 minutes.
8. While the meat is cooked on the bones, we stuff the minced peeled peppers and seeds.
9. On top of the finished zirvak we put half of the washed rice, carefully place the peppers, cover the second half of the rice.
10. Fill everything with water so that it is 2-3 fingers higher than the rest of the ingredients. Close the cauldron with a lid, cook Uzbek pilaf for 40 minutes.
11. We serve such pilaf as follows: put rice on a plate, then stuffed peppers, sprinkle with chopped herbs.
6. Green real Uzbek pilaf Bakhsh
Ingredients:
• 500 grams of beef;
• 500 grams of rice;
• a pound of fresh cilantro;
• onion;
• 100 grams of green onions;
• 100 grams of parsley leaves;
• 100 grams of chicken fat;
• 60 ml of olive or sunflower oil;
• salt, pepper, spices.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf Bakhsh:
1. We carefully wash all the greens, separate the leaves from the branches. We remove the branches, chop the leaves.
2. Peel the onions and cut them into small cubes, cut the feathers of green onions into rings.
3. Rinse the rice, fold it into a colander.
4. My meat is cut and not in large pieces.
5. In a deep frying pan or in a cast-iron pan, heat the oil, put fat and meat into it, fry for 2-3 minutes until blush.
6. Add onions, mix thoroughly, fry until softened.
7. Add cilantro, parsley and green onions, mix. Do not be surprised by such a huge amount of greens - this is Bakhsh, if there is less greens - you will get just rice porridge with meat.
8. Spread the rice, mix everything again. Pour two glasses of water, close the pan with a lid. Cook for 45 minutes over low heat.
9. Serve Bakhsh hot with green tea and cakes.
7. Uzbek pilaf from game
Ingredients:
• two pheasant breasts;
• kilogram of rice;
• 250 grams of fat;
• three onions;
• four carrots;
• 50 ml of grape vinegar;
• salt, spices;
• a spoon of dried herbs (parsley, basil).
How to cook Uzbek pilaf from game:
1. The day before cooking, pickle thoroughly washed and sliced portions of pheasant breast in finely chopped onion, vinegar, pepper, dried herbs and salt.
2. Put the fat in the cauldron, melt it. We put the pickled pheasant, fry from all sides to the crust.
3. Add the onion cubes and carrot straws, lightly fry.
4. Pour a liter of water, add salt and spices, simmer for 30 minutes after boiling.
5. Add the rice, after sorting and washing it, level the groats with a spoon, but do not mix with the pheasant.
6. Pour half a liter of water, cook over medium heat until the liquid is completely evaporated.
7. We make 2-3 deep holes in rice, pour water into them as much as they enter. Reduce the heat to a minimum, cook for 20 minutes, covering with a lid, on the quietest fire.
8. Stir the pilaf before serving.
Real Uzbek pilaf - secrets and tricks
Why are spices needed? A true Uzbek pilaf without spices and not pilaf at all. They give the dish the very highlight that we often cannot achieve in the kitchen, even if we strictly follow the instructions, but at the same time forget about such an important ingredient.
• Barberry - gives the dish sourness, makes the meat softer and juicier, unobtrusively emphasizes the sweetness of carrots and rice.
• Turmeric - gives pilaf a light, unobtrusive note of nuts.
• Paprika - colors the dish in a surprisingly beautiful mouth-watering color, gives a soft sweetness.
• Greens - refreshes and emphasizes the taste of a real Uzbek pilaf.
• Garlic - thanks to this ingredient, the dish acquires a characteristic aroma, but not its spiciness.
• Chili or paprika - these ingredients are required to prepare if you like a slight spice in the dish.
Once you learn how to cook a true Uzbek pilaf correctly, you will return to this dish more and more often - after all, it is tasty, aromatic and very satisfying. In addition, it is prepared quite easily, simply and quickly. Enjoy your meal.
