Description[]
Yes, you read it correctly, this is shplo. No festive Bukharan meal is complete without Shplo. This marvelous rice dish, which generally contains onion, pieces of lamb and/or chicken, carrot slices, and raisins, is one of the most popular Bukharan dishes.
Ingredients[]
- 3 cups good rice, well rinsed,and soaked in cold water
- 3 large chopped onions
- 5 peeled carrots, cut into thin slices
- 2 lbs lamb, cut into cubes of about 1 inch
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
- ⅓ cup black raisins
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup oil ("or" melted lamb fat)
Directions[]
- In a large pot, try the meat until well-browned on all sides.
- Add onion and continue to fry another 5 minutes.
- Add ½ cup water, cover, and cook on small flame about half an hour.
- Remove from pot.
- Place half the carrot slices in pot.
- Add meat mixture (with liquid), salt, and pepper.
- Add remaining carrot, chickpeas, and raisins in that order.
- Sprinkle on the cumin, and place the strained rice on top.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Cover well and cook on a low flame for 45 minutes.
- Place on large tray in the reverse order as the pot: first the rice, etc.
- When available scatter pomegranate seeds on rice.