Fergana pilaf - Uzbek classic

Step 1

The rice is rinsed, the meat and carrots are chopped, and the spices fill the kitchen with aroma, ready for cooking.

Step 2

So, place the cauldron over high heat, cut the fat into cubes and put it into the pot. For a few minutes, render the fat, stirring the cracklings occasionally to prevent burning. Then remove the cracklings and add about the same amount of vegetable oil to the fat.

Step 3

After waiting a bit for the fat mixture to get hot, add the coarsely chopped onions to the cauldron.

Step 4

Since the heat is high and the oil is very hot, the onion should literally boil in it and fry within a minute. This is the effect of the cauldron’s special shape. There should be enough fat so that the onion actually floats in it.

Step 5

Don’t forget to stir the onion, monitoring the degree of frying and golden color.

Step 6

Frying the onion to the desired state takes just about a minute and a half. Then bones are added to the cauldron and lightly fried for a few minutes. After that, they are removed, and pieces of meat are added. Since everything happens very quickly, I recommend preparing all the ingredients BEFORE cooking so nothing burns or forces you to remove the cauldron from the heat.

Step 7

Fry the meat until a golden crust forms. This takes just a few minutes.

Step 8

After the meat is browned, add the julienned carrots. Mix them with the meat and fry for a few minutes. During this time, the carrots release a lot of juice, and the frying process smoothly turns into stewing over high heat.

Step 9

Now it’s time for spices. Cumin. The incredible aroma and flavor of pilaf come largely from it. Sprinkle cumin over the carrots, meat, and onions.

Step 10

At this point, I add a bit of turmeric and pieces of dried paprika.

Step 11

Mix everything in the cauldron, return the bones, and add whole garlic heads and chili peppers.

Step 12

Now add water to the cauldron — enough to cover everything inside. This mixture is called zirvak. By the way, this is also when we add salt.

Step 13

Cover the cauldron with a lid and let the zirvak stew for an hour. Even at this stage, you can taste and adjust the flavor of the future pilaf. If everything has been done right, the taste of the zirvak will amaze you.

Step 14

Time has passed. Remove the lid from the cauldron — it’s time for the rice... As I mentioned earlier, it should be rinsed well in advance and soaked for a couple of hours. Before adding the rice, remove the garlic and chili pepper from the cauldron and set them aside. We’ll use them later.

Step 15

Add the rice to the zirvak.

Step 16

Continue cooking. Our goal is to wait until there’s not a drop of water left in the pilaf. During stewing, you can make holes down to the bottom to help the water evaporate. To check if there’s still water, tap the surface with a spatula — squishy sound means there is, dull sound means it’s gone. Until the water evaporates, don’t cover the pilaf with a lid.

Step 17

Once the water has evaporated, add a bit more cumin to the pilaf. The first addition was for taste — this one is for aroma.

Step 18

Return the garlic and chili pepper to the cauldron, cover the pilaf with a lid, and let it sit on the lowest heat for 30–40 minutes.

Step 19

Finally, before serving, there’s one last step — fluff the pilaf. Lift small portions with a spatula and shake them over the cauldron. This makes the dish fluffy and airy.

Step 20

Enjoy your meal!