Uzbeki Style Mantoo

Uzbeki Style Palow

This lamb-rich, Uzbek-style palow is typical dish served by northern Afghans to mark festive occasions.

Despite the complexity of this dish, its one of the most delicious and most common dish found in many Uzbek homes as the main course.

Palow is eaten for lunch or dinner and many people have the leftovers for breakfast too. 

Ingredients:

3 cups basmati rice

2 pounds lamb shank, (you could also use chicken or beef to make this dish, but lamb is the best)

1cup olive oil ( I know thats a lot of oil but its good oil and it makes a big differences.)

1 medium chopped onion

1 tomato chopped small

2 large carrots chopped into 1/4 inch long strips 

1 cup raisins

11/2 Tbsp of salt

1 Tbsp of ground cumin

Have a jug of warm water ready to cook the meat and the rice. I will explain the amount in the preparation part.

Preparation:

Wash the rice in several changes with warm water in a medium bowl until the rice water is almost clear. Soak the rice in warm water with one tablespoon of salt few hours in advance.

It's best if you salt the lamb the night before or even couple of hours before cooking. This method takes way any smell form the meat and gives it a nice flavor to the meat.

Wash your salted meat with warm water and put it in the sieve for the water to drain completely.

Meanwhile you can chop up your onion and tomato. After that heat up your 5 to 6 quart wide heavy pot over medium heat than put your oil and add the meat.

Stir occasionally to slightly brown all sides of the meat. Once that happens then you could add your chopped onions and brown them then add the chopped tomatoes with 1/2 Tbsp of salt and pinch of ground cumin. Don't forget to stir occasionally.

Once the tomatoes are fried the oil will separate then add water until the meat is under the water and bring to simmer. Cover pot and reduce heat to low, then braise lamb, stir occasionally, until meat is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the meat. Add the carrots and the raisins, cook for 5 minutes or until the carrots are half done. And it cooks faster if the lid is on and just let it simmer not boil.  If you need to add some water so the bottom of the pan does not burn.

Add the drained rice on top of the carrots and the raisins, and 1 tbsp of salt. Add enough hot water but not boiling water of over the rice so it covers the rice by 1 inch (3 1/2 to 4 cups) and put the lid on and bring to a boil, over medium high heat. Once the rice has resurfaced, gently move around just the rice layer to kind of fluff it and sprinkle the grind cumin and cover it again so most of the water has been absorbed but make sure that there is still enough liquid at the bottom by taking the opposite end of the wooden spoon and making holes in the rice so you could see if there is enough liquid bubbling.

If there is enough liquid left, cover up the holes by gently move the rice around and then smooth it out and cover it with a paper towel and put the lid, make sure the paper towel is not sticking out of the pan.

Take the pan and put it in 350 degrees pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes. Fluff rice, in large platter take the rice layer out and than the carrots, raisins and the tender lamb. Just like the picture.
This is dish will be great with some chopped red onions, tomatoes and cilantro, seasoned with salt and freshly squeezed lemon juice. And enjoy! :)

Note:
Don't be discouraged if it doesn't come out right the first time you make it. Even though I grow up seeing my mom make this delicious palaw almost everyday, but when tried making it myself it would not come out like my moms. It would be too sticky.

But once I got familiar, it not only came perfect but it also become very easy to make. Once you get the hang of it you could make variations, for example I sometimes add cubed quince, granny smith apples or my favorite in the winter time is to add cubbed turnips.

Saffron & Barberry Rice

This dish does not only look so good but it also tastes really good. Its rich with almonds, pistachios, small raisins and barberries. When you eat it, your mouth gets filled with the sweetness form the raisins combined with the tart flavor from the barberries and nutty flavor from the pistachios and almonds. And the beautiful aroma form the saffron fills your nostrils.                                                       

Barberries are loaded with vitamin C, its good for the heart and great for the liver.

Ingredients:
3 cups basmati rice
3 table spoons olive oil or butter (2 for the bottom and 1 for the top of the rice)
3 Tbs salt
10 to 11 cups water
1 large potato sliced
Pinch of saffron powder

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5) and water

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