Azerbaijani pilaf is a popular national dish. True, local housewives prepare it most often on holidays. This dish is even outwardly different from the pilaf as many people imagine it.

Azerbaijani pilaf with lamb

The main difference between Azerbaijani pilaf and other varieties is in the original technology of its preparation. According to the rules, rice and filling must be done separately. Connect both parts together only at the time of serving.

Currently, about 40 recipes for this dish are known. The most popular is the option using lamb meat.

To prepare it, you need the following components:

2 glasses rice groats;
35 gram butter;
0.5 kilograms of fresh lamb;
salt;
1 onion;
pepper;
a little saffron (about 0.25 grams);
¼ teaspoon of cumin.

Pilaf is prepared in stages:

1. Soak the rice the day before. After that, rinse the cereals well, transfer to a saucepan, add water, salt a little and cook until half cooked for about 6-7 minutes. Next, the rice must be thrown into a colander and allowed to drain all the water.
2. Cook a whole piece of meat until tender, be sure to add salt, a little pepper and an onion to the pan. Cut the slightly cooled lamb into pieces at random.
3. Pour the saffron in a glass with boiling water (about 20 milliliters) and let it brew well.
4. To prevent the dish from sticking to the cauldron, local housewives use "kazmag". It is usually placed on the bottom of the container. As a kazmag, you can use ordinary dense dough or a piece of lavash. This recipe takes fresh potatoes... It needs to be cleaned and cut into circles no more than 5 millimeters thick.
5. Put the cauldron on fire.
6. Put butter on the bottom. It should warm up well.
7. Line the bottom with potato pieces and season with salt. You can move the pieces a little so that they do not stick immediately.
8. Pour some of the rice on top in a layer of 1 centimeter.
9. Spread the pieces of meat on it.
10. Cover the food with the leftover rice and pour the saffron infusion over it.
11. Simmer covered over low heat for 40 minutes. To prevent condensation from getting inside, it is better to wrap the lid with a cloth.
12. Pour melted butter over the dish and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Rice is put on the dish first, and juicy, aromatic meat is poured on top of it.

How to cook with chicken

Using a similar technology, you can also cook Azerbaijani pilaf with poultry meat.

You will need a few ingredients for this:

Part of a chicken carcass (approximately 800 grams);
3 cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil;
0.5 teaspoon dried saffron

The whole process consists of several stages:

1. Soak rice for 40 minutes in cold salted water.
2. Pour boiling water over the saffron.
3. Cut the carcass into portions.
4. Fry them on all sides over medium heat with the addition of olive oil.
5. Rinse the rice and add water again in a ratio of 1 liter to 1 glass.
6. Boil it until it is al dente, and then strain it in a colander.
7. Put the rice on top of the fried chicken and pour the saffron over it.
8. Simmer for 25 minutes over low heat, putting a towel under the lid.
9. Add butter. Continue extinguishing for about half an hour.
By tradition, it is customary to lay out such pilaf on a large oval-shaped plate. It looks very nice on the table.

With dried fruits and meat

The classic pilaf in Azerbaijan is a dish in which, in addition to rice and meat, they put a lot of onions and fruits. In taste, it differs significantly from the rest of the options. The meat becomes more tender and acquires an unusual fruity aroma, while the rice, in turn, acquires a delicate creamy taste.

The list of products will be quite large:

1 kilogram of lamb;
150 grams of butter;
7 onions;
4 potatoes;
100 grams of raisins and dried apricots;
1 bunch of cilantro and parsley;
2 cups long grain rice
1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme and turmeric;
salt;
pepper;
1 tablespoon sumac.

To cook real Azerbaijani pilaf with dried fruits and meat, you need:

1. Rinse the rice thoroughly, then add water and boil al dente. This will take 10 minutes.
2. Throw the cooked rice on a sieve and wash cold water.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices.
4. Put some butter on the bottom of a deep saucepan and melt it.
5. Line the bottom with potato slices.
6. Cover them with rice on top, drizzle with the rest of the oil and sprinkle with turmeric.
7. Place the saucepan in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for one hour.
8. Cut the meat into pieces. First, fry them in a pan, and then put them in a cauldron.
9. Add the onion chopped in half rings, chopped herbs and spices there.
10. Pour it all over with water and simmer for 40 minutes.
11. Pour boiling water over dried fruits and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the processed foods to a cauldron and simmer everything over low heat for another half hour.
12. Add salt, a little pepper and turn off the heat. Let the meat stand in this position for about 15 minutes.
When serving, rice is first laid out on a plate, and on top of it is a complex filling. You can put a couple of potato slices nearby.

Shah-pilaf in azerbaijani

Local housewives prepare a special meal for the most dear guests.

"Shah-pilaf in Azerbaijani" is a dish prepared in the form of a dome with a crispy crust and a classic puff filling from meat, rice and dried fruits.

To make such a piece of culinary art, you will need:

0.4 kilograms of long grain rice;
0.6 kilograms of lamb;
1 package of pita bread (2 sheets);
2 onions;
4 cloves of garlic;
70 grams of butter and the same amount of raisins;
100 grams of dried apricots;
spices (salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, barberry and turmeric).

Pilaf is prepared step by step:

1. Put the washed rice in a cauldron mixed with thin pieces of butter. Sprinkle it with turmeric, salt, add water (1: 2) and cook until tender.
2. Cut the meat into small pieces and lightly fry them in vegetable oil in a frying pan.
3. Add diced onion... Fry for another 6-7 minutes.
4. Pour boiling water over raisins with dried apricots for only 5 minutes. After that, they need to be squeezed out, crumbled arbitrarily and added to the meat.
5. Add all prepared spices here, mix and fry for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the garlic, chopped into small pieces, and immediately remove the pan from the heat.
7. Cut lavash into strips 5 centimeters wide.
8. Line the cauldron with a fan from the inside so that the pieces of the strips hang out.
9. Put some of the rice on the bottom.
10. Cover it with a little meat.
11. Continue to lay out the layers. Until all products run out.
12. Cover the filling with the hanging ends of the lavash.
13. Put the cauldron in the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.
After that, the finished pilaf will only have to be put on a dish, cut into pieces, like a cake.

Beef recipe

You can also cook Azerbaijani pilaf with beef.

To do this, you can use the following set of ingredients:

600 grams of beef tenderloin;
1 thin pita bread;
2.5 cups rice
2 onions;
120 grams of butter;
a pinch of ground cloves;
a little cinnamon.

Pilaf cooking technology:

1. Chop the peeled onion into cubes. Fry them in oil with the addition of cinnamon and cloves.
2. Chop the meat at random into pieces. Fry them also in oil in another pan.
3. Transfer the processed meat to a saucepan.
4. Cover it with flavored fried onions.
5. Pour the food with water (750 ml), salt and simmer until the meat is tender enough.
6. Boil the rice a little in salt water. Then it should be rinsed well and filtered.
7. Cover the cauldron from the inside with lavash.
8. Pour rice on top, sprinkle with oil and bring to readiness.
When serving on a dish, rice is first poured in a slide, and then meat is placed on it. The finished dish can be poured with juice, which remains after stewing.

Cooking with milk

Sometimes Azerbaijani pilaf is prepared with the addition of milk. This option will definitely appeal to those who do not eat meat at all.

For work you will need:

0.5 cups of rice (round grain);
250 milliliters of milk;
70 grams of butter;
400 milliliters of boiled water;
1 pita bread;
60 grams of raisins;
½ teaspoon saffron tincture.

In this case, the cooking method will be different:

1. Pour milk and water into a saucepan and heat (but do not boil).
2. Pour rice there and salt. Cook until the cereals are ready.
3. Then the rice must be washed hot water, drain and sprinkle on a towel to dry for 15 minutes.
4. Soak the raisins in boiling water.
5. Treat the cauldron from the inside with oil and cover with lavash.
6. Pour dried rice with raisins into it. Simmer the food covered over low heat for at least 30 minutes.
Pour the finished pilaf in a plate with hot oil mixed with saffron tincture.

Azerbaijani khan-pilaf

There is also "khan-pilaf" in Azerbaijani cuisine. This is one of the options popular dish... It is very reminiscent of "shah-pilaf". However, instead of thin lavash, dough ("kazmag") is used, which forms a crust and prevents the filling from burning.

This recipe will require:

400 grams of long grain rice;
For kazmag:
0.5 kilograms wheat flour;
150 milliliters of water;
220 grams of ghee;
10 grams of edible salt.

For filling:

0.5 kilograms ground beef;
15 dates and the same amount of dried apricots;
20 chestnuts;
250 grams of onions;
1 handful of raisins (preferably "raisins").

To cook khan-pilaf in Azerbaijani, you need to do the following:

1. First, make a kazmag. To do this, collect all the products in one container and mix thoroughly. Ready dough roll out into a layer 3 millimeters thick.
2. Grease a deep saucepan with oil from the inside. For flavor, you can add some sesame seeds.
3. Line the pan with the dough so that there are no gaps.
4. Combine minced meat with chopped onion, add a little pepper, salt and mix.
5. Put the mass in a frying pan and simmer for 45 minutes over medium heat, adding half a glass of water.
6. Once all moisture has evaporated, add oil and start frying.
7. Introduce washed dried fruits and hold on minimum heat for no more than 10 minutes.
8. Now you can start assembling the pilaf. First, pour the rice into the bottom of the pan. The thickness of this standing should be no more than 3 centimeters.
9. Put a little frying on top of it.
10. Repeat the layers several times. As a result, there should be rice on top. It must be sprinkled with oil and saffron tincture.
11. Add some water (70-80 ml) and wrap the edges of the dough. It turned out to be a kind of cake.
12. Bake it for 2 hours in the oven at 160 degrees.
On the table, such a dish looks very festive. Cut it very carefully, as the inside of the pilaf still remains crumbly.

It is difficult to imagine at least one Azerbaijani holiday without fragrant, crumbly and fatty pilaf. He is an integral part national cuisine and is considered its peak. You can find a great variety of recipes, and not only in Azerbaijan, but in general in the East. Dishes will differ in both taste and preparation method and ingredients used. One of the most famous variations is the magnificent shah - we will reveal the recipe and the secrets of its preparation in our article, but first, a few words about the history of this amazing dish.

From the history of the dish

Eastern pilaf is so ancient that historians cannot reliably establish its origin. It is assumed that the basic principles of its preparation originated in the Middle East and India in the 2-3 centuries BC. This time, in principle, coincides with the beginning of rice cultivation in the region. In China, the plant began to grow much earlier, but the technologies of how pilaf is prepared (including shah) do not fit into the Japanese or chinese food... Probably, the historical roots of the dish go back to the gastronomy of India. There are similar methods of cooking rice in the country, but they are vegetarian. The meat component of pilaf most likely appeared in ancient Persia. In favor of the Indian origin is also the tradition of dyeing rice in an appetizing yellow color using turmeric and saffron threads.

The main components of pilaf

There are thousands of recipes for cooking delicious and fragrant pilaf... However, not all of them meet the basic requirement. The dish should consist of two parts: zirvak and cereal. Shakh-pilaf in Azerbaijani (the recipe with the photo is presented below) meets these conditions. Zirvak means the meat or fish component (including ready-made minced meat in the form of meatballs), game, vegetables, dried fruits, spices. In Azerbaijan it is called "gara". The cereal part does not always consist only of rice, sometimes chickpeas, corn, mung bean, wheat, jugara, or even a mixture of these components are used. There is a lot of variability in the set of ingredients. The main secret of this oriental pilaf lies in the cooking process. There are two options - Central Asian and Iranian, the latter, in particular, adopted in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

According to one of the versions, pilaf shah is named so because of the way of serving. The finished dish resembles the crown of a medieval eastern ruler. According to another version, pilaf cooked in this way has so much good taste that is worthy of the Shah's table and the most solemn ceremonies. On ordinary days, women prepare it, but during the preparation for the holidays, men and even specially invited masters take up the work. We offer a recipe for a traditional Azerbaijani dish from famous chef... Everyone can cook it, you just need to show patience and put a particle of the soul into the process.

Shah - pilaf in azerbaijani: ingredients

By far the most delicious pilaf obtained from products that are produced in his homeland. The market is perhaps the most appropriate place to buy them. The products are mostly homemade, fresh and delicious. Main component pilaf is rice. A long-grain variety such as Basmati works best. The second important ingredient is meat. This can be lamb, beef, or chicken. The choice depends on your personal preference. Don't forget about butter, too. It will take quite a lot. In Azerbaijan, buffalo butter is often used, which has a characteristic, completely white color.

In order to cook shah - pilaf in Azerbaijani (photo from the text), you will need one more extremely original ingredient- iron horseshoe. For what? Read on - and you will learn one ancient secret.

So, the required ingredients:

• basmati rice - 500 g;
• butter - 500 g;
• meat - 500 g;
• hot onions - 300 g;
• walnuts- 500 g;
• pomegranate juice- 1 glass (can be squeezed out of ripe fresh fruit);
• cherry plum puree - 1 tablespoon;
• pita bread - 5 pcs.;
• saffron to taste.

Stage 1. Cooking rice

Before starting to cook the grits, soak a few strands of saffron in a cup of boiling water and let it brew for at least one hour.

Rinsing rice before boiling it is a process that has become almost an axiom for us. In this case, in order to cook pilaf shah, you do not need to do this. In a large saucepan, bring enough water - 2-3 liters - to a boil, add salt and dry rice. Boil the cereal until half cooked, in time it will take about 5-10 minutes. Remember that you are only steaming it lightly, not cooking it. Then place the rice in a colander.

Stage 2. Meat preparation

Meat (chicken, beef, lamb) must first be boiled in order for it to be soft. This should be done within 2-2.5 hours. Quite a long process, so it's best to do it beforehand.

Scroll spicy onions through a meat grinder and squeeze dry from the juice. In a preheated frying pan with a small amount of butter, fry it over low heat.

Step # 3. What is a horseshoe for?

This is another secret of how to cook shah pilaf in best traditions East. The use of metal objects (in this case, horseshoes, which is very symbolic) when preparing food was practiced by the ancestors of modern eastern peoples for a very long time. This served as a kind of natural source of free and available iron for the body. Now the horseshoe is used more for entourage.

Combine pomegranate juice with sour cherry plum paste and mix thoroughly until smooth. Heat the horseshoe to red on the fire. Then, using tongs, dip it into the pomegranate juice. Ideally, the procedure should be repeated three times.

Stage 4. Cooking meat

In a frying pan, combine the onion, chopped in large pieces boiled meat, crushed walnuts, pomegranate juice. Stir all the ingredients, and put the same horseshoe in the middle. Simmer the meat over low heat for 10-15 minutes. It should take on a dark, almost black color.

Stage 5. Baking rice

In order to cook pilaf shah, it is best to take a small rounded lavash, which is sold in a package of several pieces. In this case, you will need 5-6 pcs. Dip the lavash in pre-melted butter and gently overlap in the cauldron, gradually closing the bottom and walls of the dishes, as shown in the photo above. Then sprinkle the cooked rice in layers, pouring saffron infusion and oil over it. Close the top with the edges of the pita bread. It is preferable to use a conical cauldron, then the finished dish will even more resemble the crown of the shah. Put the rice laid in this way into the oven or oven for 35-40 minutes at 200 degrees.

Stage 6. How to serve the dish

From the photo we presented in the article) has one more feature. In Azerbaijan, meat and cereal components are not mixed at the cooking stage. This is done only during the meal. The finished pilaf is taken out of the oven, transferred to a large serving dish and the toasted crust is carefully cut. Aromatic, juicy and soft meat is spread around the "crown". The dish looks very impressive and luxurious. Let's say the option with portioned serving, as, for example, in the photo below. For beauty, dried fruits are used when serving.

Pilaf shah: recipe in a slow cooker

Shah-pilaf is a dish that differs not only in its special ingredient composition, but also in its preparation method. Is it possible to do without a special cast-iron cauldron in this matter? This is a rhetorical question. Pilaf and a cast-iron cauldron are a duet, without which it is impossible to get a traditional and truly delicious dish.

However, now almost every housewife has a slow cooker. A miracle technique that hides a huge functionality. The principle of its operation in many ways reminds everyone of the familiar oven, since the bowl is heated evenly from all sides. In the case when there is a great desire to cook shah-pilaf, but there is no cauldron, a slow cooker will come in handy. How to do this - we will tell you below. The recipe is slightly different from the one above in terms of ingredients, but no less interesting.

Ingredients for pilaf with dried fruits

As mentioned above, the composition of the ingredients can vary significantly depending on the recipe. The above was presented traditional version including minimal set products, spices and spices.

In one of the regions of Azerbaijan, shah-pilaf (photo above) is prepared contrary to the principle of separating cereal and meat components. Here it is customary to lay out the ingredients in the cauldron, alternating them, so during the baking process they are saturated with the smell and taste of each other.

Now we suggest you try pilaf with dried fruits. Prunes, dried apricots, raisins - all this is very popular not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the East in general. Dried fruits retain their aroma and taste, moreover, it becomes even richer. IN traditional cuisine such a dish is usually called turshchi-kaurma-pilaf. In this case, chestnuts are optional and may be absent. So, in order to cook traditional Azerbaijani (5 servings), you will need:

• basmati rice - 500 g;
• fatty lamb - 500 g;
• butter - 500 g;
• onions - 300 g;
• cherry plum paste - 3 tablespoons;
• chestnuts - 200 g;
• dried apricots - 150 g;
• raisins - 300 g;
• lavash - 8-10 pcs.;
• pepper, saffron, salt - to taste.

Step # 1

Boil rice in salted water until half cooked for 5-10 minutes. Then fold the cereal in a colander and let the excess moisture drain. Cut the meat into large pieces and boil until soft. The broth can then be used to make soup.

Prepare the onion in the same way as indicated in the previous recipe. Namely, peel and scroll through a meat grinder. Then squeeze the juice and fry in a pan with a little butter over low heat.

Cut the finished boiled meat into portions. Add it, dried fruit, cherry plum paste and chestnuts to the onions. Bring the mixture to the desired harmonious taste with salt and pepper, heat for 10-15 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally, not allowing it to burn.

Step # 2

Melt the butter. Dip sheets of thin pita bread into it one by one. Then put them in an overlap in the multicooker bowl, closing the walls and bottom. Place about 1/3 part of the cooked rice on the bottom, sprinkle with pre-cooked saffron water, add 1/2 part of the meat mixture. Next, cover it all up with another piece of rice. Top with a little saffron water and butter. Spoon the leftover meat and cover with a third portion of the rice. Cover the pilaf with lavash on top, thereby creating something like a basket.

Turn the multicooker to Bake mode and cook for 50 minutes. During this time, the rice will completely steam out, but remain crumbly. Finally, place a small piece of butter on top of the pilaf, close the lid and let it "rest".

Serve the pilaf shah, the recipe for which is presented, whole on a wide flat dish so that each guest can put as much as needed. In Azerbaijan, the dish is placed on the table not very hot, but only warm (so that the butter does not freeze). It is traditionally eaten with hands, without stirring rice and meat on a plate.

Lavash for pilaf

For pilaf shah, as you already understood, lavash is required. You can certainly buy it at any grocery store. However, if you set out to cook a delicious dish with your own hands from start to finish, then you may need Thin unleavened dough cakes not as difficult to prepare as it might seem at first glance. They are traditionally cooked in the oven, but in modern conditions, a frying pan with non-stick coating or even the usual cast iron.

In order to make pita bread, you will need approximately 700 g of flour, 300 g of water and salt to taste. Knead a tough dough from the indicated ingredients, divide it into parts and roll out a very thin (no more than 2 mm thick) cake out of each. Fry it in a dry hot skillet without adding butter.

15.03.2018

Want to surprise your loved ones and guests original dish? Then cook pilaf in pita bread in the oven. It will amaze you not only with its unusual presentation and appetizing appearance - its taste is beyond praise!

How to cook Padishah pilaf correctly?

This dish has a unique aroma and amazing taste. It includes bread cake- thin Armenian lavash... That is why some housewives call such a dish "Armenian pilaf in lavash", but this is a component Azerbaijani cuisine... Its recipe was invented by the Azerbaijani culinary specialist Shah-Huseyn Kerimov.

Cooking a dish will take time - at least an hour and a half for preparation and the process itself will take 1 hour and 10 minutes heat treatment... But the result is worth it! You will get real cooking masterpiece that will decorate any festive table.

Ingredients:

• thin pita sheets (ready-made);
• long grain rice - 4 cups;
• ghee butter - 300 g;
• lamb (boneless pulp) - 1 kg;
• turnip onions - 400 g;
• turmeric powder, saffron - one pinch at a time;
• dried apricots, cherry plums, barberry, raisins, chestnuts - 150 g each;
• salt;
• water - 5 liters.

On a note! The number of lavash sheets depends on the size of the cake. If you take a rectangular long one, you will need about 5-6 sheets. If you use a round one (about the size of a dessert plate), then the number of sheets will need to be increased two to three times.

Preparation:

1. Pour the rice with cold water and salt (1 tablespoon per liter of liquid) for a couple of hours.
   
2. Brew a pinch of saffron with 50 ml of boiling water. The spice should be infused for 20 minutes, then strain the water.
   
3. Cut the lavash into strips up to 5 cm in size. Their length should be twice the height of the mold.
   
4. Wash the meat, cut into medium pieces (about 3 x 3 cm), fry in vegetable oil.
   
5. Cut the onion into half rings. Fry it until golden brown.
   
6. Place the fried onions in the meat. Add raisins, barberry. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes over low heat.
7. Boil water in a saucepan, add salt.
8. Drain the rice water. Rinse it at least 7 times.
9. Pour rice into boiling water. Cook without cooking.
   
10. Drain the water. Pour boiling water over the rice. Put in it a piece of butter, saffron, turmeric, diluted in 2 tables. spoons of boiling water.
11. It's time to turn on the oven! It should heat up to 180 °.
12. Take a baking dish, saucepan, or cauldron. Lubricate the walls well with melted butter.
13. Line the bottom and all walls of the form with pieces of pita bread, leaving no gaps. Place them overlapping one another so that they lie in two layers. Coat the space between them with oil. The edges of the pita bread should hang from the sides of the dish.
    


14. Put dried apricots, raisins on top of it.
15. Spread a layer of mutton on top.
16. Cover the meat with a layer of rice, then add dried fruits.
17. Alternate between these ingredients, but always end with rice.
18. Start sealing pilaf. Fold all the free edges of the pita bread alternately on the pilaf, "wrapping" it. Grease the top of the product with melted butter.
    
19. Send pilaf to a preheated oven. He must spend one hour there.
20. Turn the finished shah-ash onto a beautiful plate, cut with a sharp knife.

On a note! Royal food - shah pilaf in lavash is definitely not eaten alone, so the amount of ingredients in the recipe is indicated based on a large company. If there are few eaters, then the weight of the components can be reduced.

Shah ash for beginners: a simplified recipe

This complex multicomponent dish cannot be made quickly. . But the recipe can be slightly modified. If you are interested in the question of how to cook pilaf in pita bread from more familiar ingredients, we advise you to move a little away from classic recipe and use the adapted version.

Ingredients:

• Armenian lavash - 4-5 pieces;
• rice "Basmati" (it does not require such a long soaking) - 1 kg;
• veal or chicken from the thighs (breast will not work) - 800 g;
• olive oil - 3 tablespoons spoons;
• butter - 1 pack (about 50 grams will be used for coating the mold, the rest for pilaf and for pouring lavash);
• carrots - 2 things;
• onions - 5 pieces;
• garlic - 4 cloves;
• dried fruits - raisins, pitted dates, dried apricots (100 g each);
• salt;
• water, turmeric.

Preparation:

On a note! If pilaf in pita bread in the oven is cooked correctly, then the rice will be crumbly. This is what makes it different from the rice cake.

A Turkish proverb says "There are as many types of pilaf as there are cities in the Muslim world." Being the main national dish for the cuisines of most eastern countries (Uzbek, Armenian, Tajik, Turkish, Arab, etc.), it is prepared differently everywhere. For example, Azerbaijani pilaf is distinguished by a completely different cooking technology, according to which the cereal is cooked in a separate bowl and only then is combined with the rest of the ingredients.

Shah-pilaf is not just rice with meat, but a real culinary masterpiece, the pride of Azerbaijani cuisine! The dish got its name for a reason. In eastern countries, the supreme ruler is called shah, and the shape of the shah-pilaf resembles his crown. The dish is usually prepared for solemn feasts and served to the most dear and respected guests.

The treat not only has unusual name, but also looks completely different from traditional pilaf... Juicy and at the same time crumbly, saturated with aromas of spices and meat juice, the rice is hidden inside the "gazmakh" - a crispy lavash crust. Pieces of meat literally melt in your mouth, and dried fruits leave an original sweet and sour aftertaste.

Rice for pilaf

In eastern countries a good cook only those who have friable rice in pilaf are considered. Even if the pilaf turns out to be delicious, but the rice is boiled, the skill of the cook will be greatly questioned.

Experienced cooks know that certain types of rice are needed for perfect pilaf. For shah pilaf in Azerbaijani style, ordinary groats are not suitable, preference should be given to basmati rice. It absorbs liquid well, is saturated with the aroma of spices, meat and vegetables and does not stick together during cooking.

Extensive plantations of this rice are located in India and Pakistan, and it is these countries that are its main suppliers. Literally translated from Hindi, the name "Basmati" means "full of flavor." Long, slightly curved grains retain their appearance after prolonged simmering, and even having increased by 2-3 times, they do not boil down into porridge. The groats have an incomparable, incomparable, light nutty aroma, which makes the taste of pilaf unforgettable.

How to cook rice for Azerbaijani pilaf with dried fruits and meat? Put a pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil and add rice thoroughly washed and cleaned of all debris. Stir so that the grains do not stick together, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, not fully cooked. The groats should be soft and not at the same time. The recommended proportions of water and rice are 1 liter per 250 g of cereal.

Cooking shah pilaf

Ingredients:

• Long grain rice - 400 g;
• Chicken breast - 700 g;
• Lavash - 2 pcs;
• Onions - 1 pc;
• Carrots - 1 pc;
• Dried apricots and raisins - 70 g each;
• Figs, dates, prunes - 6-8 pcs each;
• Garlic - 5 - 6 cloves;
• Spices for pilaf, salt - to taste;
• Butter.

You can experiment with dried fruits for pilaf in Azerbaijani style. Cherry plum fruits and pomegranate seeds will help to make the taste more saturated with a slight sourness.

How to cook Azerbaijani pilaf:

1. Rinse the rice thoroughly using a fine sieve, soak in warm water for half an hour.
2. Boil water, boil rice in it with the addition of turmeric.
3. Wash dried fruits, cut into small cubes, put in a bowl and pour over hot water to get a little soaked.
4. Prepare saffron infusion, which will give the finished pilaf a more beautiful color and pleasant aroma. To do this, pour 1-2 stigmas with boiling water and, covered with a lid, leave for 10-15 minutes.
5. Cut sheets of thin pita bread into strips of about 5 cm wide.
6. Place a frying pan on the stove and add a little olive oil.
7. Chicken breast wash, cut into small pieces.
8. Peel the carrots, cut into thin strips. Remove the husk from the onion and garlic, cut the onion into cubes and chop the garlic.
9. Without waiting for the oil to get very hot, put the onion in it and fry until a beautiful golden brown.
10. Remove the onion and fry the chicken in the remaining oil, then put the carrots to it, return the onion and, stirring, keep all the ingredients over medium heat for 5 minutes.
11. Drain excess water from dried fruits and transfer them to a pan with meat and vegetables. Add chopped garlic and remove from heat.
12. Melt the butter in a saucepan and grease the walls of the cauldron with it.
13. Following original recipe Azerbaijani pilaf, it is necessary to line the dishes with strips of lavash so that their ends hang outward, and each strip overlaps the previous one. They need to completely cover the inner surface of the pan. Grease the pita bread with melted butter so that when baking it becomes golden brown.
14. Put 1/3 of the rice in a cauldron, level, pour with saffron infusion, put govurma (gravy) on top. And so, layer by layer, alternate rice / saffron chicken infusion / with dried fruits.
15. Pour the top layer of rice with melted butter and cover with the hanging ends of the pita bread, turning them clockwise. Cut off the excess.
16. Close the cauldron with a lid and place in an oven preheated to 150 ° C for 40 minutes, then increase the temperature to 180 C and hold for another 15-20 minutes.

The royal Azerbaijani shah-pilaf with dried fruits is served hot, cutting lavash into equal sectors immediately before the start of the meal. Perfectly complement such a treat - a light vegetable salad from fresh tomatoes with onions and herbs.

Carefully passed down from generation to generation, the secrets of the national Azerbaijani cuisine have been preserved to this day. And although each region of the country has its own type of Azerbaijani shah pilaf, it can still be distinguished general principles cooking.

In order for the rice to acquire a pleasant yellowish tint, it is worth pouring it with saffron infusion before cooking. You can replace this expensive spice with a more budgetary turmeric by adding a pinch to the water in which the cereal will be cooked.

In Azerbaijan, shah pilaf is mainly made with chicken and turns out to be low-fat and very juicy. In principle, instead of poultry, you can take lamb or veal. The choice depends on personal preference, the main thing is that the product is fresh.

The best utensil for making any pilaf is a cauldron, but in this case any round, thick-walled saucepan, cast iron pan, or baking dish without a handle that can be placed in a hot oven will do. You can also cook pilaf in Azerbaijani style with meat in a multicooker on the "Pilaf" or "Baking" mode. To achieve a beautiful golden brown crust, 40 minutes after the start of cooking, the treat should be turned over and left for another 20 minutes.

This Azerbaijani pilaf recipe is easy to adapt to your requirements. lean table, and it will definitely be appreciated by those with a sweet tooth. By removing meat, onions and carrots from the ingredients, and adding honey or sugar syrup, you can make sweet pilaf in Azerbaijani style.

Shah pilaf is incredibly tasty pilaf, which, unlike traditional recipes are prepared using a different technology. In this recipe, I will tell you how to cook shah pilaf in pita bread. There is also a recipe in unleavened dough... All ingredients must be prepared in advance. Boil parboiled rice until tender, fry the meat and mix with spices, sauté vegetables in vegetable oil, soak raisins in tea. Then we pack all this beauty in pita bread and bake in the oven. As you can see, there are no special difficulties in preparing shah-pilaf, I will tell you about some of the nuances and secrets in detailed description to the recipe.

Asians cook shah-pilaf on holidays - in the center of the table on a large platter there is a pilaf in the form of a hat. This dish is specially marinated with various fresh vegetables- onions, tomatoes, cucumbers. Delicious, simply delicious!

• Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Servings: 6

Ingredients for shah-pilaf in lavash

• 1 thin pita bread;
• 500 g of meat;
• 210 g parboiled rice;
• 120 g onions;
• 6 cloves of garlic;
• 150 g carrots;
• 70 g seedless raisins;
• 10 g barberry;
• 5 g sweet smoked paprika;
• 3 g of ground red pepper;
• 2 g Imeretian saffron;
• 120 g butter;
• vegetable oil, salt, pepper.

Method of cooking shah-pilaf in lavash

Pour 250 ml of water into a saucepan, add rice, add 30 g of butter and salt. After boiling, close the lid, cook for 12 minutes for small fire, and steam for another 10 minutes, covering the pan with a towel.

Pour 2-3 tablespoons into the pan sunflower oil, throw meat, diced into the heated oil. Usually shah-pilaf in pita bread is cooked with lamb or veal. I am of the opinion that the meat that is most popular in your latitudes is appropriate. Nothing terrible will happen to the recipe if pilaf with pork is cooked in central Russia. It will be just as tasty to learn, rest assured!

Finely chop onions and garlic, add to the meat, fry all together for several minutes.

Add raisins soaked in tea, barberry, Imeretian saffron and ground red pepper to the fried meat, salt.

Put the meat out of the pan on a plate. Put carrots cut into cubes in the same pan, fry until soft for several minutes, sprinkle with salt and sweet paprika.

Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan. Thin lavash cut into wide strips.

Lubricate them with a thin layer of melted butter and fan them into a cast-iron pan.

Divide the finished rice in half, put one part on the bottom of the pan, pour with butter.

Then lay out the browned carrots, distribute in an even layer.

We add meat with spices, we also level.

We wrap the edges of the lavash with an overlap, pour with oil. Cover the pan with a lid.

Cooking shah-pilaf in lavash for 50 minutes-1 hour in an oven heated to 170 degrees.

We immediately turn the finished shah-pilaf onto a plate and serve hot.

Bon Appetit! Be sure to pickle the onions in vinegar for a great addition to your meal.