Name: Plov
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 lbs lamb leg, cut into bite size pieces; 4 heads of garlic, washed and tops cut off; 2 onions, cut in half and sliced; 5-6 carrots, julienned; 1/2 cup garbanzo beans; 1/2 cup yellow raisins; 2 cups long grain rice; 2 cups boiling water; 2 tbsp whole coriander seed; 2 tbsp cumin; 1 tbsp whole peppercorns; 1-2 tbsp salt; 1-2 bay leaves

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Plov is an Uzbek dish that is traditionally made in a Kazan over a fire using simple ingredients to create a tender and flavorful rice pilaf. Plov is the national dish of Uzbekistan and is often served in social gatherings and life events such as weddings and funerals.

History of Plov

Alexander the Great is often credited as being the inventor of plov. The famous commander didn’t want his soldiers to stop multiple times a day to eat so he ordered cooks to prepare an easy dish that would keep the troops full all day. Today, the famous dish is traditionally cooked by men as street food or for social gatherings each having their own spin on the classic!

How to make plov?

In a spice grinder coarsely ground coriander seed, cumin, and peppercorns. Set aside. Place rice in a bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a Kazan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot stir in lamb pieces and the ground spices, and cook for about 10 minutes until evenly browned. Stir in the heads of garlic and bay leaves. Lower the heat to medium and add sliced onions as an even layer and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes and scrape the sides upward so nothing sticks but without mixing everything together. Add julienned carrots as an even layer, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes. Scrape the sides again and add a layer of garbanzo beans and raisins. Cover and cook for 20 minutes occasionally scraping the sides and bottom. Rinse the rice until the water runs clean. Add it as a pile in the middle and cover. Every few minutes move the rice around without spreading it to the edges. Then pour the boiling water on the sides and cover. Keep moving the rice around every few minutes. Once the rice is almost cooked spread it as an even layer all the way to the edges and cover for a few minutes. Then mix everything together and season with salt. Serve immediately!