Rice Pilaf with Beef (Plov) (VIDEO)

This beef Plov recipe is a take on traditional Uzbek rice pilaf that combines beef and rice with carrots, onions, barberries, and a mix of spices. The ultimate comfort food dish, ready in one pot for your family to enjoy. 

A few month ago I got request from my readers to publish a plov recipe. So here we go...

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What is Plov?

Plov is more than just rice and meat — it’s a one pot dish that carries stories of family, hospitality, and tradition. Each component are simply essential, each choosing careful and preparing with love the correct way. From the Soviet melting pot to Ukrainian kitchens, this Uzbek pilaf has become a symbol of comfort, celebration, and shared heritage.

Plov It’s more than a meal; it’s a centerpiece of hospitality.

When people think of the Soviet Union, food is not the first thing that comes to mind. Yet the USSR created something unusual in the kitchen: a kind of melting pot cuisine. Imagine an enormous table that stretched across Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Siberia, Baltic and beyond — every region bringing its favorite dish to share.

Soldiers, students, and workers often traveled far from home. Relocating people right after graduation is part of USSR politics. A young woman from Tashkent might end up teaching in Ukraine; a student from Georgia might study in Moscow. They brought their recipes, their spices, and their memories with them. In cafeterias, dorm kitchens, and army barracks, dishes began to mix. Slowly, some foods crossed borders of culture and became loved by millions.

That is how plov — a proud dish of Central Asia — found its way into kitchens all over the Soviet Union. Traditionally, plov is made with lamb, rice, carrots, and fragrant spices, such as barbaric, cumin, saffron, and coriander. And of course kurduk (lamb fat) is another ingredients that is staple in Central Asia where the Muslim in dominated as religion. Cooked on open fire in a heavy pot, called kazan, very much reminds a Dutch oven.

The material of the pot is really matters because it affects heat distribution, flavor, and cooking style.

But in the Soviet era, plov appeared in school cafeterias, holiday tables, and even small apartments where families adapted the recipe with whatever meat they had and cooking this Uzbek iconic outdoor dish quickly got adopted into indoor dish.

For Ukrainians like me, plov became a taste of friendship, a reminder of how cultures met in one pot. My mom would say, “This isn’t our dish, but it feels like it belongs to us now.” And she was right — plov became a bridge.

Food in the Soviet Union often had this double meaning: it was both survival and celebration. While many dishes were simplified, the ones that stayed — like plov, borscht,

chebureki

Chicken Tapaka

shashlik

Soviet Cuisine – A Story of Blending Cuisines

When I think of the food of the Soviet Union, I see not only variety, but also simplicity—sometimes even austerity. It was, in many ways, a “cheap cuisine”, born of necessity, much like what families cooked during the Great Depression in America.

Markets often had shortages. Meat, butter, or exotic spices were luxuries. People leaned on what was available—potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, beets, grains. These humble staples became the foundation of daily meals. And yet, with care and creativity, grandmothers and mothers managed to turn them into dishes full of comfort and memory. Take borshcht—built on simple vegetables, yet rich enough to feed a whole family. Or plov, where a small piece of meat could flavor an entire pot of rice and carrots. Even Olivier salad, the “luxury” of the Soviet holiday table, was remade with boiled potatoes, peas, and mayonnaise when finer ingredients weren’t possible.

Like in Depression-era America, the cuisine was not about excess—it was about making do, about stretching flavors, about celebrating even in scarcity. A jar of mayonnaise could be treasured. A bit of sausage could transform a pot of soup. Leftovers were never wasted—they were reborn as pirozhki or zapikanka (casserole type dish) the next day. And yet, from this frugality, a shared identity grew. Dishes from Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and beyond traveled and blended, until they became “Soviet” foods, carried in memory across all 15 republics. What was once a Georgian dish or a Central Asian tradition became part of the everyday table of millions.

This food might have been cheap in cost, but it was rich in something else—resilience, connection, and the quiet joy of feeding one another even when times were hard.

So when I cook plov today, I don’t just think of rice and meat. I think of that big, shared table — people from different corners of the world, all dipping their spoons into one fragrant, steaming pot.

Essential Ingredients for making Rice Pilaf with Beef (Plov)

• Meat – traditionally lamb or beef (with some fat for richness; bone-in cuts add more flavor).

• Rice – long-grain rice works best (Uzbek plov often uses devzira (red) rice, but basmati are good substitutes).

• Carrots – cut into thin matchsticks, not grated (they give sweetness and color).

• Onions – for building the umami flavor base.

• Garlic – whole bulbs for aroma.

• Oil or fat – sunflower oil refined, kurdyuk (lamb fat), beef tallow.

• Water or broth – to cook the rice.

• Salt & spices – cumin, coriander, barberries (barbaris), saffron, salt and black pepper are classic.

How to choose meat for Plov?

I made this plov with beef stew meat, which is usually a mix of cuts like chuck, round, or brisket—all excellent for slow cooking. These cuts are tougher at first but have enough marbling and connective tissue to become tender and flavorful when simmered gently with rice and vegetables.

• Chuck (shoulder): the classic choice, juicy and full of flavor.

• Brisket: adds richness, though a bit more fatty.

• Short ribs (boneless or bone-in): very tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

• Round (top or bottom): leaner, but fine if cut into larger cubes and cooked slowly. And that's what I used in this video.

👉 Avoid lean meat such as sirloin steaks like sirloin or tenderloin—they don’t have enough fat to stay moist in plov.

What Rice is best for Plov?

Traditionally, plov is made with a type of red rice that was common in Central Asia. Its slightly earthy flavor and firm texture made it perfect for soaking up the rich juices of meat and vegetables. Today, however, red rice can be hard to find, and for many home cooks like me, convenience matters.

For that reason, I often use white basmati rice instead. Its long grains stay separate, it cooks evenly, and it absorbs flavors beautifully—giving you that classic plov texture without extra fuss.

Why I Choose White Basmati for Plov?

Some cooks like to use brown rice because it’s higher in fiber and considered healthier. And that’s true—it does have more nutrients than white rice. However, brown rice also contains higher levels of arsenic, a naturally occurring element that can be harmful if consumed regularly over time.

For plov, I prefer white organic basmati rice. It’s light, fluffy, and absorbs all the rich flavors of the meat and vegetables perfectly.

What is Barberries?

Barberries, or barbaris as they’re called in Central Asia, are small, bright red berries that add a tart, zesty pop to plov. They perfectly balance the richness of the meat and the sweetness of the carrots, giving the dish a flavor that’s both vibrant and traditional. Beyond taste, their natural acidity interacts with the rice, helping to release a bit of starch and creating a subtle coating that keeps each grain separate and fluffy—one of the secrets to a perfect plov.

How to Substitute Barberries?

If you can’t find barberries, you can use:

• Dried cranberries (unsweetened) – for tartness.

• Dried red currants – similar tangy bite.

• A small splash of lemon juice – added at the end, to mimic that bright acidity.

  
  

Traditional Touches depending on the region (optional)

• Chickpeas – sometimes added for extra heartiness.

• Dried fruits – raisins or apricots, prunes for sweetness.

What is Zirvak?

Zirvak is the flavorful base of plov. It’s created by slowly sautéing meat, onions, and carrots in oil or fat (I used ghee in the video, though traditionally kurduk—lamb fat—is preferred) until deeply browned and aromatic. At this stage, spices like cumin, coriander, barberries, and black pepper are added, infusing the dish with its signature depth of flavor.

The zirvak is the heart of the dish—it’s what gives plov its deep, savory flavor. Once the zirvak is ready, rice is layered on top and cooked together, so it absorbs all the juices, fats, and aromas, resulting in a perfectly balanced, flavorful pilaf.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Author: Inna of innichkachef.com 

Served: 12 generous portions

Ingredients for the Plov:

• 1&1/2 lb. (680 grams) white basmati rice

• 1&1/2 lb-2 lb. beef or lamb meat (I used stew beef in the video)

• 1 lb. carrots

• 1 lb. onions

• 1 bulb of garlic

• 1/2 cup animal fat such as (kurduk, beef tallow or Ghee)

• 2-3 teaspoons cumin whole

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)

• 2-3 teaspoons barberries

• 1/4 teaspoon saffron (dissolve in 2 tablespoons of water, optional)

• 4 teaspoons pink salt

• 6-8 bay leaves

• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

browned pieces of meat

cooked pieces of meat on a platter

sauté onions

sauté carrots

washing rive with y hand

whole pot with rice and one bulb of garlic in the middle

closing pot with a lid blue color

bowl of rice pilaf with carrots and beef

me holding a bowl with rice pilaf

1. Prepare the rice

   • Rinse rice several times until water runs clear.

   • Soak in warm salted water for 30 minutes. Drain before cooking.

2. Brown the meat

   • Heat ghee or fat of your choice in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (best is a kazan if you have one).

   • Fry dried pieces of meat until golden-brown. Remove and set aside.

3. Cook onions & carrots

   • In the same oil, sauté onions until deep golden.

   • Add carrots, stir-fry 7–10 minutes until slightly softened.

4. Build zirvak (the base)

   • Return meat to pot.

   • Add cumin and other spices and salt.

   • Pour in water just to cover.

   • Cover with lid.

   • Simmer uncovered 30-45 minutes until meat is tender and broth is rich.

5. Add the rice

   • Spread drained rice evenly over the meat and carrots. Do not stir.

   • Add boiling water slowly so it covers the rice by about 2 inches.

   • Stick the bulb of garlic in the middle of the pot and bay leaves.

6. Steam the plov

   • Reduce heat to very low.

   • Cover tightly and steam 20–25 minutes.

7. Rest and Serve

   • Let rice just sit for 20-30 minutes. Then fluff rice gently.

   • Arrange meat and carrots on top of the rice.

   • Place garlic bulb in the center for serving.

     ENJOY!!!