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Azerbaijani Plov

Name: Azerbaijani Plov
Total time: 2h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Azerbaijan
Ingredients: 3 cups basmati rice, soaked 1 hour in salted water; Pinch saffron in 3 tbsp warm water; 150g butter or ghee; 1 lavash sheet for gazmag (or extra dough); 700g lamb, cubed; 200g cooked chestnuts; 1 onion, 100g dried apricots, 50g raisins; 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, pepper

Saffron rice with a crisp golden gazmag crust, served with lamb-and-chestnut stew alongside in the Baku tradition.

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2h 6 servings Hard

Ingredients

• 3 cups basmati rice, soaked 1 hour in salted water
• Pinch saffron in 3 tbsp warm water
• 150g butter or ghee
• 1 lavash sheet for gazmag (or extra dough)
• 700g lamb, cubed
• 200g cooked chestnuts
• 1 onion, 100g dried apricots, 50g raisins
• 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, pepper

Method

Step 1 of 520%

Boil rice 5 minutes in salted water until just al dente, drain.

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1
Boil rice 5 minutes in salted water until just al dente, drain.
2
Melt butter in heavy pot, lay in lavash for the crispy gazmag base, mound rice on top in a pyramid.
3
Drizzle with saffron water, wrap lid in a cloth, steam on low 45 minutes — do not lift.
4
For the stew: brown lamb with onion, add apricots, raisins, chestnuts, cinnamon and 1 cup water. Simmer 1 hour.
5
Spoon rice onto a platter, break the gazmag into shards on top, serve stew alongside.