Plov is a rice pilaf with meat, carrots, onions and spices, tender chunks of meat and fluffy rice with lots of aromatic flavors.
Plov is traditionally made with lamb and is cooked in a huge cooking vessel over an open fire. It is a skill that is passed down through generations and is perfect for holidays and gatherings with lots of people.
Of course, Plov is also prepared on a humble and ordinary stovetop too. It is a beloved dinner and is a reliable staple menu option. It is delicious served immediately, but also reheats very well too, so I tend to make a big batch so I can have a day off from cooking the next day.
Anyway, Plov is a rice pilaf with meat, carrots, onions and spices. It's absolutely delicious - tender chunks of meat, fluffy rice with lots of aromatic flavors given by onions, carrots and garlic. It also has several great spices to kick it up a notch.
Ingredients:
1 ½ - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into ½ inch pieces
¼-1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and julienned into matchsticks, or shredded
1 ½-1 ¾ cups water, for braising
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2-4 dry bay leaves
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons paprika
3 cups long grain rice
1 garlic head
4 cups water, hot, when cooking the rice
Instructions:
Cut the beef, about 1 ½ lbs, into ¾-1/2 inch chunks. It really depends on how big you like your meat. I like it medium sized, so that's the size I use.
Traditionally, lamb is used in Plov. I prefer the taste of beef. You can also use chicken, but if you do, use dark meat, not chicken breast.
Blot the meat dry using a paper towel.
Why? Because the meat needs to sear (get really nicely brown). If you put it in wet, first of all it will splatter in the hot oil and second of all, it will start to steam instead of sear. The golden brown meat will give an awesome flavor to the whole dish.
Using a dutch oven or a large pot, heat about ¼-1/3 cup of oil over high heat until it's smoking hot.
You should have enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the dutch oven.
Add the meat to the oil, and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the meat has a deep golden brown color. 
Reduce the heat to medium and add the two chopped onions to the dutch oven. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, until the onions are tender and slightly golden. 
Add the shredded or julienned carrots, stir to combine and season with salt, pepper, dry bay leaf, paprika and cumin.
Instead of shredding the carrots, you can julienne the carrots or cut them into strips. It's really up to you.
The cumin and paprika will add a lovely golden color to the Plov. They are both very aromatic and punch some real flavor into the finished dish.
Cover the beef, onions and carrots with about 1 ½ -1 ¾ cups of water, enough to barely cover them. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, until the beef is tender.
Don't skip this step, since the meat will be rubbery and chewy if you don't give it enough time to cook into tender and moist chunks.
Meanwhile, if you want an extra precaution, rinse the rice in water, until the water runs clear. I place the rice in a fine mesh sieve and place it over a bowl, fill it with water, rinse, pour out and repeat about 5 times.
The point is to get rid of an extra starch that is on the rice. Starch will make the rice sticky, and for this dish we are trying to achieve fluffy rice, where each granule is separate.
When I use basmati rice, it cooks a little bit quicker than regular long grain white rice. If you use the plain long grain rice, cover it with boiling water and let it stand it in while the beef, onions and carrots are simmering.
This will help to ensure that the rice cooks all the way through. Basmati doesn't need the extra soaking in hot water, otherwise it will overcook and turn into mush. I don't even rinse basmati rice or steep it in hot water either. 
When the beef is tender, drain the water from the rice (if you're soaking it) and place the rice on top of the the beef, onions and carrots. DON'T mix them together. Spread the rice out evenly, and pour in about 4 cups of hot, or boiling water. Season with salt.
Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high heat and keep cooking it, uncovered, until most of the water is absorbed. 
Insert a whole garlic head into the rice, make a few holes in the rice, to help the water cook out faster, (I use the handle of a long wooden spoon to create the holes, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes, just until the rice is cooked through.
At this point, take out the roasted garlic and mix the whole dish, to incorporate the beef, onion, and carrots with the rice.
You can press some of the roasted garlic through a garlic press and add it to the rice, or used the roasted garlic in flavored butters, Garlic Bread, etc. 
Plov freezes very well too, so you can make a large batch and freeze the extra portions.
To reheat, thaw the Plov, and heat it up, either in the microwave or in a skillet. I like adding a little bit of grated cheese to leftover Plov when I'm reheating it in a skillet. The cheese melts, and becomes a little crisp in some places and adds creaminess and crispness to the dish.
Plov
Plov is a rice pilaf with meat, carrots, onions and spices, tender chunks of meat and fluffy rice with lots of aromatic flavors.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Total Time: 145 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Course
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 lbs beef chuck (cut into ½ inch pieces)
- ¼-⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 3-4 carrots (peeled and julienned into matchsticks, or shredded)
- 1 ½-1 ¾ cups water (for braising)
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2-4 dry bay leaves
- 1-2 teaspoons cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons paprika
- 3 cups long grain rice
- 1 garlic head
- 4 cups water (hot, when cooking the rice)
Instructions
- Cut the beef, about 1 ½ lbs, into ¾-1/2 inch chunks. Blot the meat dry using a paper towel.
- Using a dutch oven or a large pot, heat about ¼-1/3 cup of oil over high heat until it's smoking hot. You should have enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the dutch oven.
- Add the meat to the oil, and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the meat has a deep golden brown color.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the 2 chopped onions to the dutch oven. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, until the onions are tender and slightly golden.
- Add the shredded carrots, stir to combine and season with salt, pepper, dry bay leaf, paprika and cumin. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the carrots also become tender. Instead of shredding the carrots, you can julienne the carrots or cut them into sticks, as thick or thin as you like.
- Cover the beef, onions and carrots with about 1 ½ -1 ¾ cups of water, enough to barely cover them. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, until the beef is tender.
- Meanwhile, if you want an extra precaution, rinse the rice in water, until the water runs clear.
- When I use basmati rice, it cooks a little bit quicker than regular long grain white rice. If you use the plain long grain rice, cover it with boiling water and let it stand it in while the beef, onions and carrots are simmering. This will help to ensure that the rice cooks all the way through. I don't rinse basmati rice or steep it in hot water either.
- When the beef is tender, drain the water from the rice and place the rice on top of the the beef, onions and carrots. DON'T mix them together.
- Spread the rice out evenly, and pour in about 4 cups of hot, or boiling water. It should cover the rice by about an 1 -1 ½ inches. Season with salt. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, high heat and keep cooking it, uncovered, until most of the water is absorbed.
- Insert a whole garlic head into the rice, make a few holes in the rice, to help the water cook out faster, (I use the handle of a long wooden spoon to create the holes), cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes, just until the rice is cooked through.
- At this point, take out the roasted garlic and mix the whole dish, to incorporate the beef, onion, and carrots with the rice. You can press some of the roasted garlic through a garlic press and add it to the rice, or used the roasted garlic in flavored butters, garlic bread, etc.
- Plov freezes very well too, so you can make a large batch and freeze the extra portions. To reheat, thaw the Plov, and heat it up, either in the microwave or in a skillet. I like adding a little bit of grated cheese to leftover Plov when I'm reheating it in a skillet. The cheese melts, and becomes a little crisp in some places and adds creaminess and crispness to the dish.
Super excited to try this recipe! I’ve made several of your other ones and they turned out great. I want to make this for a group of friends, any suggestions on side items or desserts which would go well with this z?
It turned out great, my son loved it. Kid’s comment: best rice ever!
That's great, Roger. So glad you enjoyed it.
OMG. I can't believe this food make me starving, I have to try it tonight. Thanks for sharing
This was AMAZING. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used a bone-in beef shank with most of the meat cut up for that extra deep beefy flavor. Plov is definitely a comfort food staple!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Susan:). That's wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to write.
That's so so amazing, i really love this recipe. I'll try it tonight for my family. Thanks for your sharing
Hi! I love plov and have made it several times, but no matter what I do, the rice turns out sticky! I am going to make it for a party and I don’t want sticky rice. I am going to use basmati rice. So should I not rinse it at all? It sounds like maybe I shouldn’t. Could you help me?? Thanks!
Hi Kristin,
I don't rinse rice, but it's up to you.
This recipe should create really fluffy rice that isn't sticky at all. Keep a close eye on it once you add the rice, to make sure it doesn't over cook. As long as it doesn't overcook and you don't mess around with it, it should be great. I wish you all the best!
Plov is NOT a Russian or a Slavic dish... It just isn't!!!! It comes from Central Asia, that for some 70 years was part of Soviet Union, but was never Russian or Slavic. I don't mean to be mean, I just really needed to make this clarification, because my culture and ancestry are very important to me.
I think it's great that you feel so much love for your culture, Julia.
Nowhere did I say that Russians or Slavic people came up with the recipe, I merely said that we cook it, which is very true. Every Slavic person I know cooks Plov on a regular basis. And I did write that it originated in the Uzbek kitchen, which is the best that I know and based on the research that I did. I guess I should just refrain from writing anything about a recipes origin, just write about how delicious it is.
Loved your recipe! Thank you for great step by step instructions and tips. My family enjoyed this recipe a lot.
That's wonderful, Victoria. I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it.
Olga,
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. My husband, was born in Uzbekistan and left the country at the age of 8. But he still remembers his father and grandpa cooking plov together. I followed your recipe exactly, and it cake out amazing! My husband said it’s the closest in taste to the original as he remembers it. Thanks a million!
That's so awesome, Tali! I am so happy that your husband enjoyed a taste of his childhood:). What a huge compliment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I love hearing from people who made the recipe.
Secretly love this recipe for plov more than the version my mom makes.... lol! but don't tell her! :))))))
Thanks for sharing with us! I've made it so many times now since you've first shared it. Everyone always wants seconds and this time my son asked to take it for lunch to school the next day! THATS when you know the recipe is a keeper! 🙂
This is my GO-TO Plov recipe! It comes out incredibly tender and the rice grains fall apart on the plate - perfection. People - don't skimp on the spice, it really "makes" the plov taste like plov! On another note, Olga, hope you and your family are well. Praying God keeps you in His hands.
Just tried making this for the first time.... love it!
First time trying this recipe out and it was a success! thank you for sharing!
Plus, I'm stoked that i can freeze it for days where i just don't feel like cooking or when i need a quick dinner prepped for hubby! May God Bless you!
I have been looking for a good plov recipe since I returned from Minsk in 2009. We stayed in the home of a wonderful couple and she made the most incredible traditional foods (including plov and borscht). I have been trying to re-create those wonderful dishes ever since. Do you have any other traditional favorites you would like to share?
Hi David! I'm so happy to hear that you spent some time in the city of my birth:). That's so cool.
I'm thrilled that you were happy with this recipe. It is a favorite in our family.
I have a whole section on the blog that is in the Category "Russian Recipes". Even though not all of them may be traditional, authentic Russian recipes, these are the flavors that I grew up with and have been enjoyed in our family. I hope you find some that will appeal to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thank you for such easy to follow recipes 🙂
You're welcome, Vita. Enjoy.