East meets the Mediterranean in this traditional sweet and savory casserole, known as Plov of Uzbekistan, with carrots, apricots, lamb, rice and vodka.
PLOV With Tradition And History
Food is the greatest voice of tradition. What once was… can often be preserved and shared to later generations through the stories and preparation of traditional foods.
Along the silk road, once the ancient trading route between China and the Mediterranean, sits the small nation of Uzbekistan. It is from this region of the world that Plov comes from.
Rich in traditions, myths and legends, it is also rich in spices, fruits and grazing livestock. Plov is steeped in history, as so many traditional foods tell the stories from various parts of the world.
The Beauty Of Plov
Plov is not a quick supper, it’s a dish that asks you to slow down, to let aroma and patience do part of the work. Originating along the ancient Silk Road, plov is a humble yet ceremonial rice dish, built from everyday ingredients and elevated through time, tradition, and technique. Carrots soften into sweetness, onions melt into richness, spices bloom in hot oil, and rice gently steams above it all, absorbing the story beneath.
Across Central Asia, plov is cooked for gatherings both large and intimate, weddings, holidays, moments when food is meant to be shared and remembered. It is often made in a single pot, layered rather than stirred, trusting heat and time to do what hands should not. This version is adapted for the home kitchen, respectful of tradition but forgiving in practice, an invitation rather than a rulebook.
Serve it family-style, with nothing more than a spoon and good company. Plov is generous like that.
Eastern European Mix Of Flavors
Since plov shares a common ancestor with Persia, I took the liberties from my Middle Eastern heritage to bring a twist of flavors we like in a rice and meat dish.
Often throughout Mediterranean rice and meat dishes, goat or lamb are the meat of choice and dried fruits are added to the simmering cauldron to bring sweetness to heated spices and tenderize the meat.
Traditional One Pot Meal
This traditionally Uzbek ‘one pot’ meal is both sweet and savory. Various types of meat can be used but in my recipe, as in many of my Mediterranean dishes, I use lamb.
Since this dish comes from a part of the world traditionally also known for its Vodka, I did add a shot of that to my Plov recipe too.
Please forgive me Uzbekis, if adding vodka to my recipe if it isn’t traditional to your recipe, but it does work beautifully to extract the sweetness from the carrots and apricots to the richness of the caramelized onions and lamb.Â
Ingredients Needed
Think: deeply satisfying, aromatic, slightly oily in the best way, and meant to be shared. A dish that feeds many and tells a story of trade routes, family, and tradition.
- Carrots chopped into slender matchsticks, are essential to plov. As they cook, they soften and sweeten, melting into the dish and lending both color and a quiet earthiness that balances the richness of the meat.
- Onion chopped and ready to caramelize forms the backbone of flavor. Slow-cooked in oil, it deepens and darkens, creating a savory foundation that everything else builds upon.
- Olive oil for both flavor and caramelizing the onions and gives the finished dish its signature richness.
- Lamb, beef or goat each bring their own character. Lamb is traditional and deeply aromatic, beef hearty and familiar, goat lean and bold. Choose what feels right for your table.
- Salt and Pepper to taste added with intention, sharpen and round out the flavors, ensuring nothing is lost beneath the rice.
- Dried Apricots thinly sliced introduce a gentle sweetness, small bursts of brightness that echo the Silk Road’s history of fruit, spice, and trade.
- Vodka for a splash of tradition. It cooks off quickly, lifting flavor and helping to deglaze the pot, leaving behind warmth rather than bite.
- Rice cooked plain or with broth is the soul of plov. It absorbs everything beneath it, oil, spice, meat, and memory, becoming far more than a simple grain.
- Chili pepper flakes for a bit of heat not to overwhelm, but to wake the palate and balance the dish’s natural richness.
Equipment Needed
To make plov at home, you don’t need anything fancy, just a few reliable companions in the kitchen.
- Large saute pan with a lid, or (traditionally), a cast iron pan with a lid will be your main stage, where meat, carrots, and onions mingle and caramelize, building the dish’s deep, layered flavor.
- Rice cooker or stovetop 2 quart pot with a lid handles the rice, the humble hero that soaks up all the richness beneath it.
- Cutting board, chopping knife and vegetable peeler to prep your ingredients with care.
- Shot glass comes in handy for a splash or two of vodka, because tradition, and a little ceremony, go a long way.
- Measuring utensils keep everything balanced, ensuring the flavors come together harmoniously.
How To Make Plov
An easy recipe that comes together in under an hour, including the preparation time.
Rice is cooked in advance, so it can be done while chopping ingredients or leftover rice tucked away in the fridge.
Carrots are cut into matchsticks, the apricots into thin strips, onions chopped and the meat cut into bite size cubes.
Once the plov ingredients are chopped the cooking goes quickly. Caramelize the onions, carrots and apricots until golden brown edges form on the onions.
Drizzle in a shot of vodka, add the meat and cooked rice and the dish cooks a short time before it is ready to serve.
PLOV Eastern European Casserole
Equipment
- Large cast iron pan with lid
Ingredients
- 1 lb Carrots
- 1 Large onion
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 lbs Lamb of beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Apricots
- 1 shot Vodka
- 2 cups Rice
- Chili pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Cook the rice while chopping and preparing the ingredients.
- Cut the carrots into matchsticks. Chop the onions. Cut the apricots into thin strips. Cut the lamb (or beef), into bite size cubes.
- Season the meat with salt, pepper and chili flakes and set aside.
- With a little oil in a hot pan, caramelize the onions. Add the carrots and apricots and caramelize with the onions.
- Spread the vegetables to the sides of the pan and add the meat in the center. Toss and allow to cook about 10 minutes, covered.
- Add cooked rice, toss and cover. Cook 5 minutes. Serve.
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.