Royal Azerbaijani Pilaf in Lavash

Try this noble dish — it will conquer you! Pilaf in lavash is the pride of Azerbaijani cuisine. Shah pilaf (royal pilaf) is prepared on special occasions, in particular for weddings. Of course, there are a lot of recipes for this pilaf; each region of the country has its own nuances and subtleties. I combined interesting aspects of several recipes, and the result was a fragrant, juicy pilaf soaked in meat juice and spices with a crispy lavash crust, crumbly rice and soft meat. You can prepare it from beef or lamb, I chose the first option, but, in any case, the required ingredient is dried fruits: dried apricots, raisins, dried cherry plum or cranberries. They give the dish a sweet and sour taste and harmonize perfectly with rice and meat. It is best to cook Shah pilaf in a cast iron cauldron, but I made do with a thick-bottomed pan with heat-resistant handles that can be placed in the oven.
cook time: 2h 30 min
Ruby Colston
Royal Azerbaijani Pilaf in Lavash

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

259
Calories
12g
Fat
29g
Carbs
9g
Protein

Ingredients (6 portions)

Basic:

Garlic 4 clove
Salt to taste
Butter (melted) 350 g
Bouillon (meat or chicken) 300 ml
Rice (long grain variety (basmati) 500 g
Raisin 150 g
Beef (spatula) 700 g
Bulb onions 200 g
Dry spices (pilaf mixture) to taste
Saffron (several stamens) to taste
Cranberry (dried) 100 g
Dried apricots 150 g
Lavash thin (thin rectangular sheet) 400 g

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
I took lean meat, because there is enough oil in the pilaf. Raisins need to be seedless. The original recipe uses dried cherry plum, which adds sourness; instead, I took dried cranberries and barberries.

Step 2

Step 2
Rinse the rice thoroughly in water until it becomes completely transparent. Pour in plenty of salted water, add a few saffron stamens and 1/3 of the pilaf spices, cook until half cooked (5-8 minutes depending on the variety). Then drain the water, quickly rinse the rice under running water, and let it drain well.

Step 3

Step 3
Pour boiling water over raisins, cranberries and dried apricots for 1-2 minutes, then drain the water and dry the dried fruits.

Step 4

Step 4
Cut the onion: if small — into half rings of medium thickness, if large — into quarter rings.

Step 5

Step 5
Clean the meat from films and cartilage, if any. Cut into cubes with a side of approximately 2-3 cm.

Step 6

Step 6
Cut dried apricots into thick strips.

Step 7

Step 7
Chop the garlic with a knife.

Step 8

Step 8
Melt 100 g of butter in a cauldron or saucepan/pan with a thick bottom. Fry the onion until translucent. You can bring it to a golden color, but do not fry it too much.

Step 9

Step 9
Remove the onion from the pan, add the meat to the remaining oil and fry over high heat until golden brown.

Step 10

Step 10
Return the fried onion to the meat, add dried fruits, chopped garlic, 2/3 of the spices, salt, pour in the broth and add another 50 g of melted butter. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

Step 11

Step 11
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Step 12

Step 12
Cut the pita bread into long strips 5 cm thick. For these purposes, it is better to choose thin pita bread in the shape of rectangular sheets rather than round ones, because the longer the strips are, the better.

Step 13

Step 13
Generously grease a cauldron or pan with melted butter: the bottom and walls almost to the top.

Step 14

Step 14
Place several strips overlapping so that they cover the bottom and hang over the sides of the pan. Grease them with oil.

Step 15

Step 15
Continue laying out strips of pita bread in the same way, periodically brushing them with oil, until the entire bottom and walls of the pan are covered.

Step 16

Step 16
Place a third of the rice into the resulting “nest” and pour melted butter over it. Do not skimp on oil so that the rice does not end up dry.

Step 17

Step 17
Place half of the meat with dried fruits, pouring meat juice from the pan over it.

Step 18

Step 18
Continue layering: another layer of rice, pour oil, then meat, rice with oil. Cover the contents of the pan with the remaining ends of the pita bread and generously grease its surface with oil. Cover the dish with a lid and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 1 hour.

Step 19

Step 19
The finished shah pilaf should be placed on a board to drain excess oil, if any. To do this, cover the pan with a large board and carefully turn it over: the pilaf in the pita bread will easily slip out of the pan.

Additional rubrics

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