What to Buy1. 500g of good beef, preferably without sinew but with some marbling of fat - shoulder or chuck works well
2. 600g onions (3 large onions)
3. 600g carrots (5 large)
4. Garlic, a whole head
5. 400g "Persian" rice, though any long-grain white rice works (that's about half a bag, or two cups)
6. Pilaf seasoning (1 pack, 30g, for example Vegeta for Pilaf, or you could use "Pilaf Seasoning Mix", or 0.5 teaspoon of cumin/zira (an Uzbek spice) - you can skip it too
7. 2 teaspoons salt, a teaspoon of black pepper,
8. 9 tablespoons sunflower oil
How to Make It1. Peel the carrots and onion, and cut the carrots into matchsticks - you can cut them into three lengthwise pieces, then into slabs, and then into strips. Cut the onion into six pieces, then crosswise
2. Cut the meat into cubes about three centimeters
3. Let's start with the meat - it's best to braise it a bit before making the pilaf
4. Pour in only 7!!! tablespoons of oil and heat it in the pot, add the meat and fry until it gets a brown crust, then wait for the liquid to cook out of the meat - about 10 minutes, stirring; by the end you should have meat and oil, with no liquid left; keep the heat high at first, then lower it slightly
5. Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pot with the meat, heat until very hot along with the meat, stirring, for no more than a minute
6. Meanwhile, boil water in the kettle
7. Without lowering the heat, add the onion and carrots, and fry for about 10 or 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion turns translucent and the carrots are soft - keep stirring the whole time so nothing burns
8. Now add a quarter of the pack of pilaf seasoning, salt (1 teaspoon) and pepper (half a teaspoon), and half a teaspoon of zira.
9. Lower the heat by a third, mix well and level everything into an even layer
10. Sprinkle the rice on top in an even layer, do not stir!!! Sprinkle another quarter pack of pilaf seasoning on top, push the garlic into the center, and carefully pour in hot water so it covers the rice by about two finger-widths (2 cm)
11. Cover with a lid - tall or regular, like a dome
12. Keep it covered the whole time, don't open it!!! Cook on low heat. Watch for water bubbling up through the rice without boiling hard, and so for 30 minutes; after thirty minutes the water will be absorbed into the rice, vegetables and meat (you can check if the rice on top is done). It's ready, :-)
Let it rest for another 10 minutes, then you can mix it all together well and gently, bringing the bottom of the pot up to the top.
2. 600g onions (3 large onions)
3. 600g carrots (5 large)
4. Garlic, a whole head
5. 400g "Persian" rice, though any long-grain white rice works (that's about half a bag, or two cups)
6. Pilaf seasoning (1 pack, 30g, for example Vegeta for Pilaf, or you could use "Pilaf Seasoning Mix", or 0.5 teaspoon of cumin/zira (an Uzbek spice) - you can skip it too
7. 2 teaspoons salt, a teaspoon of black pepper,
8. 9 tablespoons sunflower oil
How to Make It1. Peel the carrots and onion, and cut the carrots into matchsticks - you can cut them into three lengthwise pieces, then into slabs, and then into strips. Cut the onion into six pieces, then crosswise
2. Cut the meat into cubes about three centimeters
3. Let's start with the meat - it's best to braise it a bit before making the pilaf
4. Pour in only 7!!! tablespoons of oil and heat it in the pot, add the meat and fry until it gets a brown crust, then wait for the liquid to cook out of the meat - about 10 minutes, stirring; by the end you should have meat and oil, with no liquid left; keep the heat high at first, then lower it slightly
5. Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pot with the meat, heat until very hot along with the meat, stirring, for no more than a minute
6. Meanwhile, boil water in the kettle
7. Without lowering the heat, add the onion and carrots, and fry for about 10 or 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion turns translucent and the carrots are soft - keep stirring the whole time so nothing burns
8. Now add a quarter of the pack of pilaf seasoning, salt (1 teaspoon) and pepper (half a teaspoon), and half a teaspoon of zira.
9. Lower the heat by a third, mix well and level everything into an even layer
10. Sprinkle the rice on top in an even layer, do not stir!!! Sprinkle another quarter pack of pilaf seasoning on top, push the garlic into the center, and carefully pour in hot water so it covers the rice by about two finger-widths (2 cm)
11. Cover with a lid - tall or regular, like a dome
12. Keep it covered the whole time, don't open it!!! Cook on low heat. Watch for water bubbling up through the rice without boiling hard, and so for 30 minutes; after thirty minutes the water will be absorbed into the rice, vegetables and meat (you can check if the rice on top is done). It's ready, :-)
Let it rest for another 10 minutes, then you can mix it all together well and gently, bringing the bottom of the pot up to the top.
