Originating in ancient India, plov (or pilaf) is a traditional dish in Central Asia. It is highly popular in post-Soviet countries, especially the Uzbek-style plov. As a kid, I ate a lot of it. Although meat is a key ingredient in plov, I did veganise it without losing its authentic flavour. The recipe is pretty basic. You can also add raisins, nuts, chili pepper and substitute TVP with seitan, baked tofu, tempeh or chickpeas.
Rinse the rice a couple of times, cover it with fresh water, and leave it to soak for 30 minutes.
Bring 1/2 litre of vegetable stock to boil and cook TVP pieces for 10-15 minutes. Drain and squeeze the water.
Heat a big shallow pan over medium to high heat. Add oil and TVP and fry until it’s golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan. Add more oil if needed, followed by onions. Sauté the onions until they are browned. Add carrots, TVP, cumin, turmeric, barberries, salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
Drain the rice and spread it evenly on top of the sautéed mixture. Push the garlic head down through the rice layer in the middle. Pour hot vegetable stock carefully. It should be at a level 1 cm (0.4 inch) above the surface of the rice. Cook without a lid for 15 minutes. The liquid on top should be absorbed. Cover with a lid, turn the heat low, and cook until the rice is done.
When rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let it sit for another half an hour. Remove the garlic, stir well and serve.
PrintVegan plov (Rice pilaf)
Veganised Uzbek-style plov (Rice pilaf)
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Uzbekistan
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup long-grain parboiled rice
- vegetable stock
- 50g TVP pieces*
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 whole garlic head
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp dried barberries
- oil for cooking
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice a couple of times, cover it with fresh water, and leave it to soak for 30 minutes.
- Bring 1/2 litre of vegetable stock to boil and cook TVP pieces for 10-15 minutes. Drain and squeeze the water.
- Heat a big shallow pan over medium to high heat. Add oil and TVP and fry until it’s golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan. Add more oil if needed, followed by onions. Sauté the onions until they are browned. Add carrots, TVP, cumin, turmeric, barberries, salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
- Drain the rice and spread it evenly on top of the sautéed mixture. Push the garlic head down through the rice layer in the middle. Pour hot vegetable stock carefully. It should be at a level 1 cm (0.4 inch) above the surface of the rice. Cook without a lid for 15 minutes. The liquid on top should be absorbed. Cover with a lid, lower the heat, and cook until the rice is done.
- When rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let it sit for another half an hour. Remove the garlic, stir well and serve.
Notes
You can substitute TVP (textured vegetable protein or soy meat) with any other protein like seitan, baked tofu, tempeh or chickpeas.
Nutrition
- Calories: 401.5
- Sugar: 6.2g
- Sodium: 888mg
- Fat: 10.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 61.9g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 14.6g
Find it online: https://www.slavicvegan.com/2018/11/27/vegan-plov-rice-pilaf/
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