Plov
90 min · 6 people · World Dishes · Azerbaijan
Published on 4 November 2026
Plov is Azerbaijan's national dish — golden saffron basmati rice layered with tender lamb, chestnuts and dried fruits, steamed slowly in one pot until the grains are separate and fluffy. The rice and the lamb-and-fruit filling are cooked separately, then layered and steamed together, and the dish is served on a large platter with pickles, salad or fresh herbs. It is the centrepiece of weddings, Novruz and every celebration in Azerbaijan, where the pilaf is announced by the toastmaster and escorted to the table with music.
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Ingredients
- Basmati rice 3 cups (rinsed)
- soaked in salted water for 30 minutes
- Lamb 700 g
- boneless
- cut into cubes
- Chestnuts 1 cup (peeled)
- Dried apricots 1/2 cup
- pitted
- Dried sour plums 1 cup
- pitted
- Pitted dates 1/2 cup
- Golden raisins 1/2 cup
- Butter 4 tbsp
- Onion 1 medium
- sliced in half-circles
- Saffron 1/3 tsp ground threads
- dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water
- Salt 1 tbsp for soaking + 2 tbsp for boiling + 1/2 tsp for seasoning
- Ground black pepper to taste
Nutrition (approx. per serving)
922 calories · Protein 28.7 g · Fat 31.6 g · Saturated fat 14.8 g · Carbs 131.4 g · Sugar 35.5 g · Fiber 6.9 g · Sodium 730 mg
Method
- Rinse 3 cups basmati rice until the water runs clear, then soak in lukewarm water with 1 tbsp salt for 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan; fry 1 cup peeled chestnuts for 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup dried apricots, 1 cup sour plums and 1/2 cup dates and fry 3 more minutes, then add 1/2 cup golden raisins and fry 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Boil 10 cups water with 2 tbsp salt; add the drained rice in batches and boil 7-10 minutes until the grains surface and are barely done; drain.
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in the pot; arrange 700 g lamb in one layer at the bottom, season with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper; layer 1 sliced onion on top; simmer uncovered for 3 minutes without stirring. (If using lamb, boil it first for 5 minutes, skim the froth and drain.)
- Layer half the rice over the onion, arrange the dried fruits and chestnuts on top, then pile the rest of the rice into a pyramid; pour 1 tbsp melted butter over.
- Cover the pot with a clean towel and lid to trap the steam; cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Open the lid and sprinkle 1/3 tsp saffron dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water over the rice; cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes until the rice is fluffy and separate and the meat is golden.
- Serve on a large platter, scooping rice, fruits and lamb together, with pickles, salad or fresh herbs.
Chef's tip
Do not overcook the rice in the boiling step — it must be barely done when drained, because it finishes steaming in the pot. The towel under the lid absorbs the steam so the grains stay separate and fluffy instead of sticky.
Serving
Serve the plov on a large platter, mounding the golden rice high and spooning the lamb, chestnuts and dried fruits over the top. Put pickles, a simple salad and fresh herbs on the table beside it, and let everyone help themselves. At a celebration the plov is the centrepiece, so bring it to the table last and make a moment of it.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftover plov in a closed container and eat within 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered pot on low heat with a splash of water, or in the microwave, until steaming hot. Do not freeze plov — the rice dries out and the dried fruits turn leathery.
Ingredient notes
- Soak the rice for the full 30 minutes and parboil it only until the grains surface and are barely done. Rice that is fully cooked in the boiling water turns to mush during the long steam.
- Use real saffron threads, ground and dissolved in hot water. Turmeric gives a golden colour but none of saffron's aroma, and plov without saffron is not plov.
- Peel the chestnuts while they are still warm from the pan — the skins come off easily then, and they turn stubborn once cold. Frozen peeled chestnuts work well if fresh ones are hard to find.
- Keep the towel under the lid and the heat low for the whole steaming time. The towel soaks up the steam so it cannot drip back onto the rice, and low heat lets the lamb cook through without scorching the bottom.
Variations
- Shah Plov: line the pot with lavash bread, layer in the rice and the lamb-and-fruit filling, fold the lavash over the top and bake until crisp. The lavash turns into a golden, crunchy crown that is cut open at the table.
- Toyuq Plov (chicken plov): replace the lamb with the same weight of chicken pieces. Chicken needs no pre-boiling — just layer it in the pot the same way and steam as usual.
- Qazmaq crust: before layering, spread a thin sheet of dough or a round of lavash over the buttered bottom of the pot. It crisps into a golden crust that is served in pieces alongside the rice — the classic festive touch.
Common mistakes
- Boiling the rice until fully cooked. It must be barely done when drained, because it cooks for another hour in the steam — fully cooked rice turns to mush.
- Stirring the layers while the plov steams. Stirring breaks the rice grains and drags the lamb fat through the rice; the layers must stay undisturbed until serving.
- Skipping the towel under the lid. Without it, steam condenses on the lid and drips back onto the rice, leaving the top layer wet and sticky.
- Frying the raisins for more than a minute. Raisins scorch quickly in hot butter and turn hard and bitter — add them last, fry for one minute only, and take the pan off the heat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make Plov ahead of time?
Yes. Cook the plov fully, cool it, and refrigerate it in a closed container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered pot on low heat with a splash of water until steaming hot. Make it the same day for the fluffiest rice, but it reheats well.
Can I use chicken instead of lamb?
Yes — that is Toyuq Plov, one of the most common versions in Azerbaijan. Use the same weight of chicken pieces and skip the 5-minute pre-boil, since chicken cooks faster than lamb. Layer and steam exactly the same way.
What are dried sour plums, and what can I use instead?
Dried sour plums are tart dried plums (aloo bukhara), a classic sour note in Azerbaijani plov. If you cannot find them, use the same amount of dried cranberries, or extra prunes with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Why is my Plov rice sticky instead of fluffy?
Sticky rice usually means the rice was overcooked in the boiling step, the lid had no towel under it, or the layers were stirred during steaming. Drain the rice while it is barely done, keep the towel under the lid, and do not stir until serving.
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