National Dish Azerbaijan: Plov (Recipe)
In this article
Plov in Azerbaijan is built differently from its Central Asian cousins. The rice is parboiled, drained, and steamed separately from the meat, then the two meet on the plate. Underneath sits qazmaq, a crisp golden layer of dough or rice that everyone competes for.
About Plov
Azerbaijan claims more than forty varieties of plov, and the defining feature is that separation: rice cooked apart from the topping, so each grain stays distinct. Uzbek plov, by contrast, cooks everything together. Both are called plov and Azerbaijanis will tell you at length which is correct.
The version below is the simpler one-pot method, which is what most households make on a weeknight.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 200 g long-grain rice
- 150 g lamb or beef
- 1 onion
- 2–3 carrots
- 3–4 cloves of garlic
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs (parsley or coriander, for example), to garnish
Shopping for the ingredients
Long-grain rice, rinsed until the water runs clear, is what keeps the grains separate. Basmati works well. Lamb shoulder beats leg for this, since it stays tender. Buy saffron if you can stretch to it: a pinch steeped in warm water and poured over the finished rice is what makes an Azerbaijani plov look and smell right.
Preparing the dish
Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until it runs clear, then let it drain. This removes the surface starch that would otherwise glue the grains together. Cut the carrots into batons rather than dice, so they hold their shape.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or deep pan.
- Add the chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
- Add the diced meat and brown it well on all sides.
- Add the carrots and cook for a few minutes until they soften.
- Tip the rinsed rice into the pot and stir everything together so the grains take up the flavours.
- Pour in the water (roughly a 1:1.5 ratio) and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the plov cook gently until the water has been fully absorbed.
- Add the spices and set the whole garlic cloves on top of the rice.
- Cover the pot with a lid and leave the plov to rest for a few minutes so the flavours settle.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh herbs.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Rice, meat and vegetables contain no gluten and no dairy, so this version needs no adaptation. The one thing to watch is qazmaq made from flatbread dough, which does contain wheat; the rice-and-egg version of qazmaq is gluten-free.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Chickpeas and dried fruit in place of the meat make shirin plov, the sweet plov served at weddings, which is a real dish rather than a substitution. Chestnuts, apricots and raisins all belong. Use oil rather than butter and it is vegan.
More tips and tricks
Rinse the rice properly. Everything else is recoverable; gluey rice is not. Wrap the pot lid in a tea towel before covering, so condensation soaks into the cloth instead of dripping back onto the rice. And leave it to stand off the heat for ten minutes before serving, which finishes the steaming.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Saffron water poured over a portion of the rice gives the two-tone effect served at celebrations. Dried barberries add sourness. Chicken makes toyuq plov, and doing the crisp bottom layer properly gives you qazmaq plov.
Ingredient substitutions
Beef or chicken replace lamb directly. Butter or ghee in place of oil is richer and more traditional. Basmati, jasmine and any long-grain rice all work; short-grain does not.
Drink pairing ideas
Black tea in armudu glasses, drunk with the meal and after it, is the Azerbaijani constant. Ayran suits the lamb. A local red such as Madrasa handles the richness.
Serving and presentation ideas
Mound the rice on a platter, arrange the meat and carrots over it, and set the qazmaq around the edge in pieces. Herbs and a bowl of pickles on the side. This is a dish for the middle of the table, not for individual plates.
A bit of history
Plov travelled the Silk Road and every country along it made it its own. The Azerbaijani branch, with its separated rice and its dozens of named variants, developed under Persian influence and remains the centrepiece of weddings and Novruz. It anchors Azerbaijani cuisine alongside Dolma and Qutab.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Plov
Azerbaijani plov keeps the rice separate from the meat and puts a crisp qazmaq layer underneath. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, wrap the lid in a cloth, and let it stand before serving.
