Eastern Home Kitchen

Eastern European Recipes

Oven-Baked Plov with Beef

Beef browned with onion and carrot, rice layered on top, water poured over and the whole thing left uncovered in the oven until every grain is separate.

Oven-baked plov with beef and carrot, the rice grains separate and golden

https://easternhomekitchen.com/recipes/oven-baked-plov/

Prep
20 mins
Cook
55 mins
Resting
1 hr
Total
2 hr 15 mins
Yield
6 servings
Cuisine
Eastern European

Plov made on the hob needs watching. Made in the oven it does not: the heat comes from every side, the rice steams evenly, and there is no hot spot scorching the base while the top is still hard.

Two habits decide whether the rice is fluffy or gluey. Rinse it until the water runs clear, then soak it for an hour. And do not stir it once the water goes in — plov is layered, not mixed.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings · the hour is soaking time for the rice

  • 370 g2 cups long-grain rice
  • 400 g14 oz beef, chuck or shin, cut small
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 4 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, left whole and unpeeled
  • salt, black peppercorns and cumin, to taste

Instructions

  1. Set out the rice, beef, carrots, onion and garlic.

    Rice, beef, carrots, onion and garlic laid out

  2. Rinse the rice under running water several times, until the water runs clear rather than milky, then cover it with cold water and leave it for an hour.

  3. Cut the beef into small pieces, about 2 cm.

    Beef cut into small cubes

  4. Brown the beef in the oil in a heavy ovenproof pot for about 10 minutes, in batches if the pot is crowded.

    Beef browning in oil in a heavy pot

  5. Finely chop the onion and coarsely grate the carrots.

    Chopped onion and coarsely grated carrot

  6. Add the onion to the meat and fry for 5 minutes, then the carrot, and cook until the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelise. Season with salt.

    Onion and carrot cooking down with the browned beef

  7. Drain the rice and spread it over the meat and vegetables in an even layer without stirring. Pour in enough water to sit 8 to 10 mm above the rice. Put it into a 180°C oven, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

  8. After about 15 minutes, push the whole garlic cloves down into the rice and add the cumin, peppercorns and a little more salt.

    Whole garlic cloves and spices pushed into the surface of the rice

  9. It is done when the water is gone and the grains are tender. Let it stand 10 minutes, then fold the meat up through the rice from the bottom.

    Finished plov, rice folded through with beef and carrot

Notes & tips

  • Rinse and soak the rice. This is the difference between separate grains and porridge, and it cannot be skipped.
  • 8 to 10 mm of water above the rice, measured with a finger, works regardless of pot size.
  • Leave it uncovered. A lid traps steam and the top layer goes sticky.
  • Do not stir while it bakes. Fold it together only at the end.

Substitutions

  • Beef — Lamb shoulder is the more traditional choice; chicken thighs work with the browning cut to 5 minutes.
  • Long-grain rice — Basmati, with the soak reduced to 30 minutes. Avoid short-grain and risotto rice — they are bred to go creamy.
  • Cumin — A pinch of barberries or a few dried apricots for the sweet-sour note some regions use.

Storage & freezing

In the fridge
3 days in a covered container.
In the freezer
2 months. Freeze in portions; the rice holds up better than you would expect.
Reheating
Sprinkle over a tablespoon of water and cover, then microwave or warm in a low oven so it steams rather than dries.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my plov sticky?

Either the rice was not rinsed enough, or it was stirred during cooking. Rinsing removes loose surface starch; stirring knocks more of it off the grains. Both end up as glue.

Can I make plov without an oven?

Yes — the traditional method is a heavy covered pot over the lowest possible heat for 25 minutes, off the heat to rest for 10. The oven version is simply harder to burn.

Does the garlic go in whole?

Whole and unpeeled, pushed into the rice partway through. It steams inside its skin and turns sweet and soft; you squeeze it out at the table.