How to cook a shah shah in Azerbaijani style: a recipe with a photo

It is difficult to imagine at least one Azerbaijani holiday without fragrant, friable and fat pilaf. It is an integral part of the national cuisine and is considered its top. Recipes for cooking pilaf can be found in a great variety, not only in Azerbaijan, but in general in the East. Dishes will differ in taste, as well as in the method of preparation used ingredients. One of the most famous variations is the magnificent Shah in Azerbaijani style. The recipe and the secrets of its preparation will be revealed in our article, but first a few words about the history of this amazing dish.

From the history of the dish

Eastern pilaf is so ancient that historians can not establish its origin reliably. It is assumed that the basic principles of its preparation originated in the Middle East and India in the 2-3 centuries BC. This time, in principle, coincides with the beginning of cultivation in the region of rice. In China, the plant began to grow much earlier, but the technology of how pilaf is cooked (the shah as well), do not fit into Japanese or Chinese cuisine. Probably, the historical roots of the dish go to the gastronomy of India. In the country there are similar ways of cooking rice, but they are vegetarian. Meat component of pilaf appeared, most likely, in ancient Persia. In favor of Indian origin, the tradition of tinting rice in a delicious yellow color with the help of turmeric and saffron threads also speaks.

The main components of pilaf

There are thousands of recipes for cooking delicious and fragrant pilaf. However, not all of them meet the basic requirement. The dish should consist of two parts: zirvak and cereals. Shah-pilau in Azerbaijani (the recipe with the photo is presented below) corresponds to these conditions. By zirvak means meat or fish component (including ready-made meat in the form of meatballs), game, vegetables, dried fruits, spices. In Azerbaijan it is called "Gara". The cereal does not always consist only of rice, sometimes using chickpeas, corn, mung beans, wheat, jugar or even a mixture of the listed components. In the set of ingredients there is great variability. The main secret of this Eastern pilaf is in the cooking process. There are two options - Central Asian and Iranian, the latter, in particular, adopted in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Plov Shah is one of the versions named so because of the way of filing. The prepared dish resembles the crown of a medieval eastern ruler. According to another version, pilaf cooked in this way has such good taste that it is worthy of the Shah's table and the most solemn ceremonies. On ordinary days, it is prepared by women, but during the preparation for the holidays, men and even specially invited masters are taken for the cause. We offer a recipe for a traditional Azerbaijani dish from a famous chef. Prepare it under the power of everyone, you just need to show patience and invest in the process of a particle of the soul.

Shah - pilaf in Azerbaijani style: ingredients

Undoubtedly, the most delicious pilaf comes from products that are produced in its homeland. The market, perhaps, is the most suitable place for their purchase. The products there are mostly home made, fresh and very tasty. The main component of pilaf is rice. The long-grain variety, for example, basmati, is the best choice. The second important component is meat. It can be lamb, beef or chicken. The choice depends on your personal preferences. Do not forget also about butter. It will take quite a bit. In Azerbaijan, often used buffalo butter, which has a characteristic, absolutely white color.

In order to cook a shah in Azerbaijani style (photo according to the text), you will need another extremely original ingredient - an iron horseshoe. For what? Read on - and learn one ancient secret.

So, the necessary ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 500 g;
• Butter - 500 g;
• Meat - 500 g;
• Onion sharp - 300 g;
• Walnuts - 500 g;
• Pomegranate juice - 1 glass (can be wrung out from ripe fresh fruit);
• Puree from cherry plum - 1 table spoon;
• Lavash - 5 pieces;
• Saffron to taste.

Stage number 1. Cooking rice

Beforehand, before starting to prepare the groats, soak a few strains of saffron in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for one hour at least.

Rinsing rice before cooking it is a process that has become practically axiomatic for us. In this case, in order to cook a shah, it is not necessary to do this. In a large saucepan bring to boil a sufficient amount of water - 2-3 liters., Add salt and put in the dry rice. Brew croup until half-ready, in time it will take about 5-10 minutes. Remember, you only lightly steamed it, but do not cook it. Then discard the rice in a colander.

Stage number 2. Meat preparation

Meat (chicken, beef, lamb) must be boiled beforehand, in order for it to be soft. This should be done within 2-2.5 hours. It's a rather long process, so it's better to do it in advance.

Sharp onions scroll through the meat grinder and squeeze from the juice to dry. In a heated frying pan with a small amount of butter, fry it over low heat.

Step number 3. What is a horseshoe for?

This is another secret of how to cook shah-pilaf in the best traditions of the East. The use of metal objects (in this case horseshoe, which is very symbolic) was practiced by the ancestors of modern Eastern peoples for a long time. This served as a kind of natural source of free and accessible to the body of iron. Now the horseshoe is used more for entourage.

Combine pomegranate juice with acid paste from the plum and mix thoroughly until smooth. Horseshoe strongly reddish on fire. Then use forceps to dip it into pomegranate juice. Ideally, the procedure should be repeated three times.

Stage number 4. Meat preparation

In a frying pan, combine the onion, chopped meat, crushed walnuts, pomegranate juice, cut into large pieces. Stir all the ingredients, and in the middle, put the same horseshoe. Simmer the meat for 10-15 minutes. It should acquire a dark, almost black color.

Stage number 5. Roasting of rice

In order to make a pilaf shah, it is best to take a small round lavash, which is sold in a package of several pieces. In this case, you need 5-6 pieces. Lavash dipped in pre-melted butter and gently lapped in the lap, gradually closing the bottom and walls of dishes, as shown in the photo above. Then layer the cooked rice with the layers, sprinkling it with saffron infusion and butter. Top cover with lavash. It is preferable to use conical shaped cauldron, then the finished dish will even more resemble the shah's crown. Stacked rice in this way, send to the oven or oven for 35-40 minutes at 200 degrees.

Stage number 6. How to serve a dish

Shah-pilov (the recipe with the photo we presented in the article) has one more feature. Meat and cereal constituents in Azerbaijan do not mix at the preparation stage. This is done only during the meal. Ready pilaf is taken from the oven, shifted to a large serving dish and gently cut the toasty crust. Around the "crown" lay a fragrant, juicy and soft meat. The dish looks very impressive and luxurious. Suppose the option with a serving portion, as, for example, in the photo below. For beauty when serving, dried fruits are used.

Plov Shah: recipe in multivark

Shah-pilau is a dish that is distinguished not only by its special ingredient composition, but also by the way it is cooked. Is it possible to do without this special cast-iron cauldron? A question from the rhetorical. Plov and cast-iron cauldron are a duet, without which it is impossible to get a traditional and truly delicious dish.

However, now almost every housewife has a multivarker. Miracle technology, which hides a huge functionality. The principle of its operation in many ways resembles all the familiar oven, as the heating of the bowl occurs evenly from all sides. In the event that there is a huge desire to cook shah-pilaf, but there is no kazan, you will need a multivarker. How to do it - we'll tell you below. The recipe is slightly different from the above for the ingredients, but no less interesting.

Ingredients for pilaf with dried fruits

As already mentioned above, the composition of the ingredients may vary significantly depending on the formulation. Above was presented a traditional option, which includes a minimum set of products, spices and spices.

In one of the regions of Azerbaijan, the shah-pilau (photo above) is prepared in spite of the principle of separation of cereals and meat components. Here it is customary to spread the ingredients into the cauldron alternating them, so in the process of baking they are soaked in the smell and taste of each other.

Now we suggest you try the pilaf with dried fruits. Prunes, dried apricots, raisins - all this is very popular not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the whole in the East. Dried fruits retain their flavor and taste, moreover, it becomes even more intense. In the traditional cuisine, this dish is commonly called turkey-kaurma-plov. Chestnuts in this case are not an obligatory component and may be absent. So, in order to prepare traditional Azerbaijani shah-pilov in a multivariate (5 servings), you will need:

• Basmati rice - 500 g;
• Fat lamb - 500 g;
• Butter - 500 g;
• Onion - 300 g;
• Paste from cherry plum - 3 tablespoons;
• Chestnuts - 200 g;
• Dried apricots - 150 g;
• Raisins - 300 g;
• Lavash - 8-10 pieces;
• Pepper, saffron, salt - to taste.

Step # 1

Rice boil in salted water until half-ready for 5-10 minutes. Then discard the groats in a colander and allow excess moisture to drain. Cut the meat into large pieces and boil until soft. The broth can be used later for soup.

Onion is prepared in the same way as was indicated in the previous recipe. Namely, clean and scroll through the meat grinder. Then squeeze the juice and fry in a pan with a small amount of butter on low heat.

Finished boiled meat cut into small portions. Add it, dried fruits, plum blossom pasta and chestnuts to onions. Mixture bring to the desired harmonious taste with salt and pepper, heat for 10-15 minutes on very low heat, periodically mixing, not letting burn.

Step # 2

Melt the butter. Dip in it alternately sheets of thin lavash. Then put them in a bowl overlapping, closing the walls and the bottom. At the bottom, put about 1/3 of the boiled rice, sprinkle with pre-prepared saffron water, lay out ½ of the meat mixture. Next, close it all with another piece of rice. From above, pour a little saffron water and butter. Lay out the remains of meat and cover with a third piece of rice. Top cover the pilau with lavash, thus creating something like a basket.

Turn the multivarker on the "Baking" mode and cook for 50 minutes. During this time the rice will finally decay, but remains friable. Finally, put a small piece of oil on the top of the plov, close the lid and let it "rest".

Pilaf Shah, whose recipe is presented, serve entirely on a wide flat dish so that each guest can put himself as much as necessary. In Azerbaijan, the dish is placed on the table not very hot, but only warm (so that the butter is not frozen). Eat it traditionally with your hands, without stirring on a plate of rice and meat.

Pita bread for pilaf

For plov shah, as you already understood, you need pita bread. Of course, it can be bought at any grocery store. However, if you set out to cook a delicious dish with your own hand from beginning to end, then perhaps you will need a lavash recipe at home. Thin cakes made from fresh dough are not as difficult to prepare as it might seem at first glance. They are traditionally cooked in a stove, but in modern conditions a frying pan with non-stick coating or even ordinary cast iron is quite suitable.

In order to cook lavash, you will need approximately 700 g of flour, 300 g of water and salt to taste. Knead out of these ingredients a steep dough, divide it into parts and from each roll a very thin (no more than 2 mm thick) cake. Fry it in a dry hot frying pan without adding butter.