Uzbek Chicken Plov

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meat Browned in the Rice Pot

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.

   Stove
4. 4
   Add the carrot and fry 5 minutes, stirring.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
5. 5
   Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, salt and black pepper and stir.

   Stove
6. 6
   Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until the chicken pieces start to soften.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.

To assemble

1. 7
   Spread the rice in an even layer over the chicken pieces, without stirring, and bring to a boil.

   Stove
2. 8
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 20–25 minutes without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid
3. 9
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
4. 10
   Turn the pot out onto a serving platter and serve.