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Turkmenistan · Main dish
Turkmen Palaw
Local name: Palaw
A Turkmen pilaf of lamb, carrots and rice cooked in a kazan, with fluffy, separate grains.
- Servings4
- Prep50 min
- Cooking1 h 38 min
- Total time2 h 28 min
- DifficultyMedium
About this dish
Palaw is one of Turkmenistan's most loved main dishes. It is cooked for guests, holidays, weddings and memorial meals, and also for everyday family dinners. It is usually made in a kazan (cast-iron cauldron) and served on a large platter.
In the Turkmen version, meat, onions and carrots are fried in oil first, then the rice is added on top and steamed in the mixture. This keeps the grains separate. Spices are used modestly, and the main flavour comes from the meat and carrots.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.
Meat and zirvak
Rice
Method
Rinse the rice in cold water several times until the water runs clear, then soak it in warm salted water for 30 minutes.
Cut the meat into 4-5 cm pieces, slice the onions into half rings and cut the carrots into thick sticks.
Heat a kazan or a wide heavy-bottomed pot, add the oil and heat it for 3 minutes until it begins to smoke lightly.
Add the meat and brown it over high heat on all sides for about 10 minutes.
Add the onions and fry, stirring, until golden, about 8 minutes.
Add the carrots and fry for 10 more minutes until they start to soften.
Add the cumin, pepper and salt, pour in 200 ml hot water, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes; this base is called zirvak.
Drain the rice and spread it evenly over the zirvak without stirring. Pour in the remaining 500 ml hot water gently over the back of a spoon and set the whole garlic head in the centre.
Turn up the heat and boil for about 12 minutes until the water has dropped to the level of the rice.
Gather the rice into a mound, poke a few holes with a spoon handle, cover tightly and steam over the lowest heat for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
Gently toss the palaw from bottom to top, lay the meat and garlic on top and serve hot on a platter.
💡 Tips
- Rinse and soak the rice well; this is the basis of fluffy pilaf.
- Do not stir after adding the rice to the zirvak or it turns mushy.
- Taste the liquid for salt before the rice goes in, as it is hard to fix later.
- Avoid lifting the lid during steaming so the steam stays in.
- Cut the carrots thick so they hold their shape during the long cooking.
🛒 Can't find it abroad?
- Lamb — Use beef cubes, and cook the zirvak 15 minutes longer.
- Sunflower oil — Any neutral vegetable oil works; a spoonful of rendered lamb fat adds a more traditional flavour.
- Long-grain rice — Basmati rice works well; reduce the soaking time to 20 minutes.
This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.
