Our national cuisine is rich in hearty dishes. Meat and meat products are an indispensable part of our diet. It is no coincidence that in most of our national dishes, meat and meat products are among the main ingredients. Examples of meat-based dishes include piti, bozbas, qutab, noodles, shah pilaf, khengel, kufte, and more. In this blog, we will talk about how to prepare a delicious and affordable shah pilaf at home.
In general, when cooking, we pay attention not only to the quality and freshness of the ingredients, but also to their reasonable price. All the ingredients needed for shah pilaf can be found at discounted prices in Araz’s catalog.
Ingredients for Shah Pilaf:
For the crust (qazmaq):
Preparation:
First, roast the peeled chestnuts in a pan with a little salt. Then fry the chopped onions in butter until golden. Pre-boil the meat, then fry it in a pan, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the fried onions to the meat and mix. Sauté the raisins, dried apricots, and sour plums with butter in another pan.
Prepare the crust: rub the flour with butter, add the eggs, sour cream, and salt, then knead the dough until soft. Divide the dough into one small and one large portion. Roll the larger one into a flat layer slightly thicker than phyllo dough. Place it inside a greased pot.
Cook the rice in another pot. Drain it while still slightly undercooked and add turmeric or brewed saffron. In the dough-lined pot, layer some rice, then chestnuts. Add more rice, followed by meat and the sautéed dried fruits. Continue layering rice, raisins, and dried apricots. Add a final layer of rice, drizzle with butter, and cover with the smaller rolled dough, sealing the edges.
Place into a preheated oven at 180–200°C and let it steam. When served, shah pilaf is cut from the top and portioned with a spoon.
Though its preparation may be a bit challenging, the taste of this exquisite dish is truly fit for kings. Bon appétit!
