Uzbek pilaf

Cookinero 24 April 2025

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How to cook Uzbek pilaf? In the homeland of this dish, they believe that real Uzbek pilaf can only be cooked in a cauldron. Chefs know how to cook the right pilaf according to the classic recipe so that it is tasty and crumbly. To do this, you should choose long-grain rice. We will tell you step by step how to cook such pilaf.

How to cook Uzbek pilaf

Step 1

Prepare the zirvak (the vegetable and meat base for pilaf). Pour oil into a cauldron or a thick-walled saucepan and heat it until a light smoke appears. Throw in the whole onion and fry it well. Then remove the onion from the oil - it is no longer needed. In the same oil, fry the chopped onion until dark golden brown. This will take 5-7 minutes. Then add the meat to the onion and fry for another 3-5 minutes until a crust appears. Pour the carrots into the onion and meat. Continue to simmer for 3 minutes without stirring. Then mix everything and cook for another 10 minutes. Add spices to the resulting zirvak. Place the cauldron on medium heat and simmer until the carrots soften, 7-10 minutes. Add boiling water and hot pepper. Leave the zirvak to simmer for 60 minutes.

Step 2

Cook delicious Uzbek pilaf. Add well-washed rice to the zirvak. Set the heat to maximum and pour water into the cauldron. The liquid should cover the pilaf by about 3 cm. After the water is absorbed, add the garlic heads and reduce the heat to medium. Bring the rice to readiness. Cover the cauldron with a lid or plate, reduce the heat to minimum and continue to simmer real Uzbek pilaf for 30 minutes.