Plov is an Eastern European rice pilaf dish, commonly identified for its aromatic cumin smell and beautiful orange hue. Some versions include raisins and can differ in meats but this recipe stays basic. The main ingredients are rice, lots of carrots and onions, a handful of spices and beef. The church chef’s secret to his plov was using Lawry’s seasoned salt. However, don’t pass on this recipe if you don’t have the spice it can easily be opt with additional salt and paprika. This is my staple plov recipe now, even though the very first post on this blog back in 2015 was PLOV. This is simply the way plov should taste!
Ingredients
2 lbs beef stew meat (cut into 2-inch chunks)
2 onions diced
4 carrots julienned
1/2 cup canola oil
3 cups Jasmine Rice rinsed
4 cups water
1 head garlic sliced crosswise
SPICES
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Lawrys Seasoned Salt
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
Instructions
In a heavy dutch oven pot, sear the meat and drain any excess foam. Rinse if necessary. Pour 4 cups of water over the beef and simmer for 1 hour until tender.
Remove beef and drain the water into a measuring cup. Add additional water to make 4 cups of water in total. Set aside.
Wipe clean pot and add oil, carrots and onion. Sauté for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Bring the beef pieces back into the pot and add spices. Mix thoroughly.
Top with rice and a head of garlic. Pour reserved water from the beef over the rice and lightly shake to avoid any stirring. Bring everything to a light boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes covered.
Notes
NOTE: If not using Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, increase the salt and paprika by 1 teaspoon each.
TO USE OTHER MEATS: If using pork or lamb follow the instructions as directed. If using chicken skip the 1 hour simmering and simply add raw chicken pieces to the carrots and onions when sautéing.