Cooking pilaf in a cauldron is a special ritual. It only at first glance seems that there is nothing complicated in frying meat and stewing rice. Real experts know many secrets, without which a real Uzbek pilaf will not work. If you want to master the intricacies of cooking this popular Central Asian dish, this article is for you.
Cooking Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron
Everyone knows that in the East, lamb is traditionally used in all culinary dishes. Pilaf is no exception. Here is a list of essential ingredients:
- lamb - flesh and back with ribs. With a total weight of about 1.5 kg (if lamb was still not found, take the veal);
- fat tail fat (in extreme cases - vegetable oil) - 350 grams;
- medium grain rice (if you find, then use the special “devzer” rice) - 1 kg;
- ripe red carrots - about 1 kg;
- onions - several medium heads;
- several heads (2-3) of garlic;
- Capsicum (red or green) pepper - 2-3 pieces;
- zira and salt.
Cooking technology
How does cooking pilaf in a cauldron begin? Of course, with the cutting of meat. So, step by step instructions.
1. Cut the lamb into pieces measuring 1.5 cm. Set the bones aside, beat the ribs slightly, add salt and set aside the pickle. Lamb for pilaf should be young, with a small amount of fat.
2. Carrots - one of the main components of this pilaf. You need to cut it correctly. It is chopped, do not use graters and shredders. Carrots should be chopped manually with a thin straw. For pilaf, choose ripe and not early root crops .
3. Sort and rinse the rice properly. Water should be clear and clean. After that, soak it in warm water. Now warm the cauldron. Set the fire to maximum. In a hot container, place the lard, cut into pieces. Get fat out of it. Remove the greaves. Fat can be replaced with good butter. It must be calcined before a faint bluish haze appears.
4. Now dip the ribs into the oil. Fry quickly. Turn over several times. As soon as the meat has turned golden brown, take it out of the cauldron. We heat the oil again and lower the onion chopped into half rings into it. Sauté it until golden brown. The water in the onion evaporates quickly. After that, we lower the meat into the cauldron, periodically stirring it with onions.
5. Fill the carrots with an even layer. After a couple of minutes, mix everything. Fry for 15 minutes and reduce heat to medium by the end of frying. Pour some of the zira. As soon as the carrots become soft and a mouth-watering aroma appears, pour hot water. It should cover all ingredients by 1.5 cm.
6. We continue cooking pilaf in a cauldron. We lay the garlic, previously peeled. Put chilli peppers whole, without cuts. Put these two components in any case, at the end they can be thrown out.
7. We put in the cauldron ribs fried at the beginning. As everything boils, reduce the heat to a minimum. Leave the cauldron open for 40 minutes. Water will gradually boil away, and the broth will become transparent. Now increase the heat to the maximum, put the salt. Try it - the broth should be slightly salted.
8. Cooking pilaf in a cauldron approaches the most important moment - laying of rice. It must be traced and poured into meat. Even out. Pour 1 liter of boiling water. Fire is the maximum. Everything should boil quickly, the oil will float up. Rice does not interfere. Wait until the water boils in half, reduce the heat. Hold it a little longer, then set the minimum heat level, close the cauldron with a lid and cook pilaf until ready.
9. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the dish with the rest of the cumin, and let it brew for another 20 minutes. Open the lid, loosen the rice, remove the peppers and garlic. Mix everything. Put the pilaf in a slide on a large round dish, put the garlic on top. Delicious pilaf in a cauldron is ready!