Oshi palov
Non-vegetarian
Оши палов · Oshi palov
Tajik pilaf of lamb, sweet carrots and chickpeas steamed with rice in one heavy pot, crowned with whole heads of garlic and a few raisins. Cooked for guests, weddings and Friday lunches.
Oshi palov is a Tajik rice dish, ready in about 2 hours 20 minutes and made with lamb shoulder, carrot and long-grain white rice. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 h 40 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 2 h 20 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 697
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a heavy pot until very hot. Brown the lamb well on all sides.
- 12 min
- high heat
- Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Hot oil spits when meat goes in — add it carefully, piece by piece.
How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels Step 2
Add the onions (opens in a new tab) and fry until golden. Lay the carrots (opens in a new tab) on top and leave for a few minutes, then stir and fry until they soften.
- 12 min
- medium-high heat
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels Step 3
Add the chickpeas (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), coriander, salt and boiling water. Simmer gently, uncovered, to make a rich base (zirvak).
- 40 min
- low heat
Step 4
Drain the rice and spread it evenly over the meat without stirring. Add just enough boiling water to cover by 1 cm. Push in the garlic (opens in a new tab) heads and scatter over the raisins (opens in a new tab) and barberries.
- 5 min
- high heat
Step 5
Boil hard until the water has disappeared below the surface of the rice. Pile the rice into a dome, poke a few holes with a spoon handle, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat.
- 25 min
- low heat
Step 6
Rest for 10 minutes, then mix the rice gently with the meat and carrots (opens in a new tab) and serve on a large platter topped with the meat and garlic (opens in a new tab).
- 10 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedPlov is shared across Central Asia; Tajik and Uzbek versions are closely related and both claim it as a national dish.Also popular in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Pan-fried, Steamed, Simmered
- Taste
- savoury, rich, aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet
- Diet
- No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-proteinWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein - Good for
- One-pot · Festive & celebration
- Cook more with
- Lamb shoulder · Carrot · Long-grain white rice · Onion · Chickpeas · Cumin
- Techniques
- Pan-frying · Deep-frying · Boiling · Simmering · Steaming
Allergens
- May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
697 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 438 g · recipe makes 8
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 13%
- Carbohydrate 44%
- Fat 43%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 697 kcal | 159 kcal |
| Protein | 23 g | 5.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 76.6 g | 17.5 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 70.5 g | 16.1 g |
| Sugars | 6.7 g | 1.5 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 6.1 g | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 33.3 g | 7.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 10 g | 2.3 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 53 mg | 12 mg |
| Sodium | 928 mg | 212 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.3 g | 0.5 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 718 mg
- Calcium
- 113 mg
- Iron
- 5.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 744 µg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.6 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- —
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: raisins, dried barberries.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Never stir once the rice goes in — it steams in layers above the meat.
Common mistakes
- Adding too much water at the rice stage gives a mushy plov.
Serve with
- Serve with a sliced tomato and onion salad, flatbread and green tea.
Food safety
- Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; reheat only once.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Reheating
- Reheat covered with a splash of water over low heat or in a microwave until piping hot.
Variations
- Oshi sabo: Palov wrapped in grape leaves before steaming, a Tajik festive variation.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Lamb shoulder, cut into 4 cm pieces700 g
- Carrot, cut into long thick matchsticks700 g
- Chickpeas, drained1 can · 240 g
- Long-grain white rice, rinsed until clear and soaked 30 minutes550 g
- Raisins, rinsed (optional)40 g
- Dried barberries, picked over and rinsed (optional)1 tbsp · 6.7 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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