Azerbaijani Shah Plov (Rice in a Lavash Crust)
Give this showstopper a try — it will win you over! Plov baked inside a lavash crust is the pride of Azerbaijani cooking. Shah plov (literally "royal plov") is made for special occasions, weddings above all. There are countless versions, each region with its own twists, and I've combined the best parts of several: fragrant, juicy rice steeped in meat juices and spices, with fluffy grains, tender meat, and a crisp lavash shell. You can make it with beef or lamb — I went with beef — but the dried fruit is non-negotiable: dried apricots, raisins, and dried cherry plum or cranberries. They give the dish a sweet-tart edge that plays beautifully against the rice and meat. A cast-iron cauldron is ideal, but I got by with a heavy-bottomed pot with oven-safe handles.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
I used lean meat, since there's plenty of butter in the plov. Use seedless raisins. The original recipe calls for dried cherry plum for tartness; I swapped in dried cranberries and a little barberry.
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Step 2:
Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Cover with plenty of salted water, add a few saffron threads and a third of the spice blend, and cook until just barely tender — about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the variety. Drain, rinse quickly under running water, and let it drain well.
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Step 3:
Cover the raisins, cranberries, and dried apricots with boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
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Step 4:
Slice the onion: if it's small, into medium half-moons; if large, into quarter-rings.
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Step 5:
Trim the beef of any silverskin and gristle, then cut it into cubes about 1 inch (2–3 cm) on a side.
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Step 6:
Cut the dried apricots into thick strips.
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Step 7:
Finely chop the garlic with a knife.
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Step 8:
In a cauldron or heavy-bottomed pot, melt 100 g (about 7 tablespoons) of the butter. Cook the onion until translucent — you can take it to light golden, but don't let it brown too much.
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Step 9:
Remove the onion and, in the same butter, add the beef. Sear over high heat until golden brown.
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Step 10:
Return the onion to the meat, then add the dried fruit, chopped garlic, the remaining two-thirds of the spice blend, and salt. Pour in the broth and add another 50 g (about 3½ tablespoons) of clarified butter. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
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Step 11:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the remaining butter.
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Step 12:
Cut the lavash into long strips about 2 inches (5 cm) wide. For this, thin rectangular sheets work better than round ones — the longer the strips, the better.
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Step 13:
Brush the cauldron or pot generously with melted butter — bottom and sides, almost all the way up.
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Step 14:
Lay several strips across the bottom, overlapping, so they cover it and drape over the sides. Brush them with butter.
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Step 15:
Keep layering the lavash strips this way, brushing each with butter, until the entire bottom and sides of the pot are covered.
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Step 16:
Spoon a third of the rice into the lavash "nest" and drizzle with melted butter. Don't skimp on the butter, or the rice will come out dry.
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Step 17:
Add half of the meat and dried fruit, spooning some of the pan juices over it.
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Step 18:
Keep layering: another layer of rice, a drizzle of butter, then meat, then rice with butter. Fold the overhanging ends of lavash over the top and brush the surface generously with butter. Cover with the lid and bake in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 1 hour.
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Step 19:
Turn the finished shah plov out onto a board to let any excess butter drain off: cover the pot with a large board and carefully flip it — the plov in its lavash shell will slide right out.
- Serve hot, cut into wedges. A proper shah plov shouldn't behave like a pie: the rice and meat should spill out of the crisp lavash shell. Round it out with fresh herbs and a tomato-and-onion salad.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Clarified beef fat - 871 kcal/100g
- Fatty beef - 171 kcal/100g
- Lean beef - 158 kcal/100g
- Beef brisket - 217 kcal/100g
- Beef rump - 380 kcal/100g
- Beef, lean roast - 200 kcal/100g
- Beef shoulder - 137 kcal/100g
- Beef ribs - 233 kcal/100g
- Beef leg - 104 kcal/100g
- Beef tail - 184 kcal/100g
- Boiled ham - 269 kcal/100g
- Corned beef - 216 kcal/100g
- Cranberries - 26 kcal/100g
- Raw wild rice - 353 kcal/100g
- Raw brown rice - 360 kcal/100g
- Boiled brown rice - 119 kcal/100g
- Raw enriched white rice - 363 kcal/100g
- Boiled enriched white rice - 109 kcal/100g
- Raw parboiled long-grain white rice - 369 kcal/100g
- Boiled parboiled long-grain white rice - 106 kcal/100g
- Dry instant rice - 374 kcal/100g
- Instant rice, ready to eat - 109 kcal/100g
- Rice - 344 kcal/100g
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Saffron - 310 kcal/100g
- Butter 82% - 734 kcal/100g
- Unsalted premium butter - 709 kcal/100g
- Unsalted farmhouse butter - 661 kcal/100g
- Salted farmhouse butter - 652 kcal/100g
- Clarified butter - 869 kcal/100g
- Dried apricots - 215 kcal/100g
- Dried apricots (pitted) - 290 kcal/100g
- Dried peaches - 254 kcal/100g
- Raisins - 280 kcal/100g
- Golden raisins - 279 kcal/100g
- Armenian lavash - 236 kcal/100g
- Lavash - 277 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Onion - 41 kcal/100g
- Dry spice blend - 240 kcal/100g
- Broth - 15 kcal/100g
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