Ingredients
- 20 g Barberries
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 kg Carrot
- 200 g Garlic
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 kg LambGet the leaner cuts
- 300 g Sunflower oil
- 1 kg Onions
- 1 kg RiceUse the short-grain variety
- 1.3 l water
Directions
That’s the classics of traditional central Asian cooking. Uzbeks usually serve such easy homemade rice pilaf with a salad made of fresh tomatoes and onion rings. Try that too, and don’t forget about lots of green tea afterwards!
Steps
1 Done | Get everything ready before starting, as it's impossible to stop in the process. Carefully wash the carrots, peel them, just like the onions and garlic cloves. Don't forget to wash your lamb too. The rice is a completely different story, you'll need to keep more details in your mind. |
2 Done | The rice should be carefully washed in the cold water. Change it as many times as needed, until the water becomes almost transparent. Be careful, otherwise you may break the grains. Just gently rub the rice between your fingers. |
3 Done | It's also highly recommended to add one tablespoon of salt while washing the rice, it usually improves the taste. However, this step is optional. |
4 Done | Drain the rice and let it stand for a bit. |
5 Done | Rinse the dried barberries and then soak them before moving to the next step of cooking the pilaf. |
6 Done | Cover the rice with quite hot water. It should stand this way until you add it to the pot. |
7 Done | Cut your peeled carrots into thick strips, only this shape should be used for pilaf, otherwise its texture wouldn't be right. |
8 Done | Cut the onions into the half-rings, it's always traditionally cut this way in Uzbek cuisine. |
9 Done | Cut off the meat from the bones, and junk it. Also try to separate the spinal bones. This way your pilaf would taste as perfect as possible. |
10 Done | Pour all the vegetable oil and let it become hot before transferring the bones. Fry them until the spinal bones become brownish. After that, take them our from the oil. |
11 Done | Transfer the cut onions into the same oil. Keep the heat high. |
12 Done | Tranfer the chunks of your lean lamb to the onions. |
13 Done | Use the mortar to grind the black pepper. Sprinkle it over the meat. |
14 Done | Add the previously discarded spinal bones to the meat. |
15 Done | Transfer your carrots to the base of the pilaf. Since this moment, you shouldn't stir the mixture, otherwise you will spoil your dish. |
16 Done | Sprinkle the dried berries over the carrots. |
17 Done | Generously sprinkle kosher salt over your pilaf base. |
18 Done | Boil and pour the water over the mix in your wok. |
19 Done | Transfer the rice into the wok. Gently stroke it with a skimmer, this way it won't become dry, as you constantly expose it to the liquid with fat. |
20 Done | Stick the garlic cloves into the rice. You should completely cover them with rice, but only gentle movements should be involved. |
21 Done | After a few minutes, make the holes with a wooden stick. This way you will get rid of any unnecessary liquid. |
22 Done | Gently move the rice from the sides to the centre to make a kind of a hillock from your rice. Cover the pilaf with a lid and reduce the heat to minimally possible. |
23 Done | Let the rice evaporate all the water for 25-30 minutes, and then serve it immediately. |
