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Azerbaijani Plov

Azerbaijani Plov

Similar to Machboos, this dish will delight you with its Middle Eastern spices and its sweet note. Enjoy this vegan version of one of the best Azerbaijani dishes.

Step-by-step instructions in images

machboos

  • 4 people
  • 30 minutes
  • 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4-5 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 140 g of halved dates, preferably madjool
  • 140 g of dried abricots
  • 400 g basmati rice
  • 1 L boiling water
  • olive oil

Vegan chicken mixture

  • 400 g of plant-based chicken(1)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp paprika powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Spices for the rice

  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • Safran threads
  • 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
  • 1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions

  1. Mix the plant-based chicken with 1 tbsp of olive oil, ground coriander, and paprika powder. Heat up 1–2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the vegan chicken until it becomes crispy.
  2. Soak the basmati rice in cold water for at least 15 minutes, then rinse and drain it.
  3. Peel and cut the carrots into slices, dice the onions, thinly slice the garlic, and halve the dried dates and apricots. Set everything aside.
  4. Heat up 4–5 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot and fry the onions for about 10 minutes until they start to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
  5. Add the carrots, halved dates, dried apricots, and all the rice spices — ground coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron threads, and vegetable bouillon powder — and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring well.
  6. Add the drained rice and the fried vegan chicken to the pot, pour over with about 1 liter of boiling water, and add the chopped parsley if using. Cover and let it simmer for 15–20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Add more water if needed. The dish is now ready to be served.

Notes

  • (1)I use planted chicken.
  • Optionally, you can also add or use dried prunes instead of abricots or dates.

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