Azerbaijani Shah Plov

Our recipe of the month is Azerbaijani Plov, one of the country’s most celebrated dishes and a centerpiece of festive meals and special occasions. This version, Shah Plov, encloses saffron rice, lamb, and dried fruit in a crisp, golden shell of buttered lavash.

Shah Plov

Azerbaijan is a country of about 10 million people in the South Caucasus, bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, and the Caspian Sea. Its landscape is remarkably varied, ranging from the high peaks of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus to dry semi-desert lowlands, fertile river valleys, forests, and the Caspian coast. This environmental diversity supports very different regional ways of life, agriculture, and food traditions. Its capital, Baku, is an old Caspian trading city and today a major center of the region’s oil and gas industry. Most of the population speaks Azerbaijani, a Turkic language closely related to Turkish, and although the population is predominantly Muslim, Azerbaijan is a strongly secular society. Formerly part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan became an independent republic in 1991.

Plov is one of the defining dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine and an important part of many ceremonial and festive meals. For centuries, Azerbaijan has been a crossroads linking east and west. Enormous quantities of goods traveled the trade routes that eventually became known as the Silk Roads, and much of that trade involved food and culinary ingredients. Livestock, wheat, barley, grapes (and raisins), and saffron, probably first domesticated in Greece, flowed eastward, while rice, pepper, peaches, and many spices traveled westward. Chestnuts, by contrast, are native to the Caucasus and surrounding regions, while onions have ancient roots in western and Central Asia. Shah Plov is thus an amalgamation of ingredients borne on centuries of east-west trade, with a few home-grown ones thrown in for good measure.

Cook's Notes:

Lavash is a Middle Eastern flatbread. The rice, lamb, fruit and nut mixture is wrapped in sheets of lavash before it is baked.

For best results, the basmati rice should be soaked in cool water for 30 to 60 minutes before it is cooked.

Lavash is the preferred and authentic flatbread used to make the crust. Flour tortillas, which are much thicker than lavash, can be substituted if necessary. Balboa Market is a good source for lavash and many of the other ingredients used in this recipe.

Chestnuts are a common addition and work particularly well with lamb and dried fruit. Sliced almonds or walnuts may also be used. Prunes can be added or can replace some of the raisins or apricots. Lamb is most common, but beef or even chicken can be used instead.

The lamb and onions can be cooked in an Instant Pot (or similar device) to cut down on the cooking time. About 12 minutes at high pressure is sufficient for 1-inch pieces of lamb.

When stewing the lamb, the final result should be moist, not soupy.

The rice completes cooking when the Shah Plov is baked, so do not cook it until done before assembling the dish.

Ingredients:

3 cups basmati rice
1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup dried apricots, halved or quartered
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional salt for cooking the rice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 large sheets lavash
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
1/2 cup shelled walnuts
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 cup hot water
Water, as needed

Preparation:

Rinse the basmati rice repeatedly in cold water until the water runs nearly clear. Soak the rice for 30 to 60 minutes, then drain.
Place the saffron threads in 1/4 cup hot water and allow them to steep while preparing the rest of the dish.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches to avoid steaming them instead of browning them.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced onions. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until softened and beginning to turn golden.
Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.
Add about 3/4 cup water to the pot. Cover and simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the lamb is tender. Add more water if necessary.
Stir the dried apricots, raisins, and walnuts into the lamb mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, just long enough to soften the fruit slightly, then remove from the heat.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice and cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain the rice thoroughly. Mix the saffron infusion through the rice. Don't overmix; it should have streaks of saffron coloring.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Generously butter the inside of a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other deep ovenproof pot.
Brush the lavash lightly with melted butter. Arrange the sheets in the pot one at a time so that they overlap across the bottom and sides, leaving substantial portions hanging over the rim. Make sure there are no uncovered gaps.
Spread about one-third of the rice over the bottom of the lavash-lined pot.
Spread half of the lamb and fruit mixture over the center of the rice layer.
Add another third of the rice, followed by the remaining lamb mixture.
Finish with the remaining rice.
Fold the overhanging lavash inward, overlapping the pieces to completely cover the rice. If necessary, place a circular piece of buttered lavash over the center to close any gaps. Brush the top with additional melted butter.
Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the cover and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the lavash is deeply golden and crisp.
Remove the Shah Plov from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Place a large serving platter upside down over the pot. Holding the platter and pot firmly together, invert them so that the Plov releases onto the platter as a crisp golden dome.
Bring the whole Shah Plov to the table and cut it into wedges. A serrated bread knife works well for this.