Samarkand Pilaf
A bold, beautiful, flavor-packed dinner! Samarkand pilaf is made with rice, chickpeas, raisins, lamb, and a whole bouquet of fragrant spices. If you've never had authentic Central Asian pilaf, we highly recommend making this one so you can taste the difference. Here we share the secrets of this legendary dish.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
How do you make Samarkand pilaf? Start by prepping the ingredients. Any cut of meat works — boneless or bone-in. Authentic pilaf is made with lamb; if you can't get it, beef or rabbit will do. Use either round or long-grain rice, but skip parboiled rice. If you'd rather not measure out individual spices, a ready-made pilaf spice blend works too.
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Step 2:
Begin with the chickpeas. Soak them in warm water ahead of time for at least 4–5 hours, or overnight if you can. Then drain.
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Step 3:
Rinse the rice thoroughly several times until the water runs clear. This washes out the starch so the rice won't clump and cooks up light and fluffy.
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Step 4:
Rinse the meat, pat it dry, and cut it into large pieces.
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Step 5:
Peel the carrots and cut them into thick matchsticks.
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Step 6:
Peel the onion and cut it in half or into quarters.
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Step 7:
Heat the vegetable oil in a cauldron or heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and fry over high heat until deeply browned, then lift it out.
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Step 8:
Add the pieces of meat and fry them, also over high heat, until golden brown.
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Step 9:
At the end, season the meat with salt and pepper.
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Step 10:
Add a small handful of the carrots and stir. Pour in just enough water to barely cover the meat. Use hot water — cold water will make the meat tough.
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Step 11:
Next add the rest of the carrots, the rinsed and dried raisins, the cumin, the garlic (whole heads), and the chili.
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Step 12:
Add the chickpeas. Pour in a little more water if needed.
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Step 13:
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer the dish for 20 minutes.
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Step 14:
Then spread the rice on top and level it out.
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Step 15:
Pour in hot water so it completely covers the rice. Cover the pot again and cook the pilaf for 10 minutes.
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Step 16:
Gently stir just the rice layer, trying not to disturb the meat and vegetables. Cook for another 10 minutes. Then take the pot off the heat and let it rest, covered, for another 15 minutes.
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Step 17:
Spoon a layer of rice onto a serving platter. Then scoop up the meat and vegetables with a wide spoon and, flipping it over, lay it on the rice without stirring. Serve the pilaf hot. Enjoy!
- Pilaf is Uzbekistan's most famous dish, and there are countless ways to make it. Samarkand pilaf is considered the most distinctive of all — a true centerpiece for a festive table, thanks to its deep flavor and aroma.
- Rinse the meat and be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel; any leftover moisture will keep it from searing and it will steam instead.
- Tip: for rice dishes that turn out perfectly every time, read our article on choosing the right rice and the secrets to cooking it.
- Every oil is only good up to a certain temperature — its smoke point, beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds, including carcinogens. To learn how to gauge frying temperature and pick the best oil for the job (and which ones to skip altogether), read more here.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Onion - 41 kcal/100g
- Lean mutton - 169 kcal/100g
- Fatty mutton - 225 kcal/100g
- Lamb - brisket - 533 kcal/100g
- Lamb - ham - 232 kcal/100g
- Lamb chop on the bone - 380 kcal/100g
- Lamb shoulder - 284 kcal/100g
- Lamb - loin - 459 kcal/100g
- Raw wild rice - 353 kcal/100g
- Raw brown rice - 360 kcal/100g
- Boiled brown rice - 119 kcal/100g
- Fortified white rice, raw - 363 kcal/100g
- Fortified white rice, boiled - 109 kcal/100g
- Parboiled long-grain white rice, raw - 369 kcal/100g
- Parboiled long-grain white rice, boiled - 106 kcal/100g
- Instant rice, dry - 374 kcal/100g
- Instant rice, ready to eat - 109 kcal/100g
- Rice - 344 kcal/100g
- Carrots - 33 kcal/100g
- Dried carrots - 275 kcal/100g
- Boiled carrots - 25 kcal/100g
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Ground black pepper - 255 kcal/100g
- Cumin - 112 kcal/100g
- Raisins - 280 kcal/100g
- Sultanas - 279 kcal/100g
- Vegetable oil - 873 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Chickpeas - 364 kcal/100g
- Chili pepper - 40 kcal/100g
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