plov | World Food

This recipe is not mine. It is an adapted and combined version of the recipes I found on Russian websites.

INGREDIENTS

Lavash, enough to cover the bottom, sides and the top of a dutch oven. This flat bread can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and any Russian or Middle Asian food markets.
4 cups of white, long grain rice (I prefer jasmine or basmati)
1/2 cup of butter
1 tbsp of salt
1 pinch of saffron (optional)
1/2 lb of dried apricots
1/3 lb of raisins

Put saffron in a small bowl and add 1/4 cup of hot water. Let if soak to infuse the water.

Add 4.5 cups of water to a medium pan and bring it to boil. Meanwhile wash and drain rice. Add salt to the boiling water and then add the rice. Gently stir the rice to eliminate lumps and make it cook evenly. Cook rice until half done. Ideally it should be soft on outside but hard inside. Take the rice of the stove, put into colander and wash it with hot water (I bring a some water to boil to avoid tap water). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 355F. Add butter to a small pan until melted (you can use a microwave for that). Butter the bottom and sides of the dutch oven. Arrange lavash so it covers the bottom and sides of the pan. Part of the lavash should overlap the sides of the pan so later it can be arranged on the top of rice. Add rice, drizzle it with 3/4 of the butter and add saffron. Cover rice with the lavash from the sides. Brush the remaining butter the top of the lavash. Put in the oven for about 1 hour. It is ready when the crust is golden brown and crusty.