Home > Main Course > Beef and Pork > Beef Plov (Beef Rice Pilaf) Recipe

Beef Plov (Beef Rice Pilaf) Recipe

This Beef Rice Pilaf is the best I've tried. This recipe makes a big batch which is great since it reheats really well. Step-by-step photo instructions.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

This Beef Rice Pilaf is the best I’ve tried. I appreciate discovering recipes that are a hit with my whole family (it’s never awesome to be in the kitchen for hours and then be the only one eating what you made because you feel too guilty to toss your efforts into the waste receptacle (doesn’t that sound better than garbage can?).

This recipe makes a big batch which is great since it reheats really well. That’s my favorite way to eat it; crisped over a skillet and served with a pickle. I’m not sure why but I crave pickles with plov.

We’ve been looking for a great beef plov recipe for a L-O-N-G time! Plov is originally an Uzbek dish, but every Ukrainian I know makes and loves plov and this is more the Ukrainian version. P.S. I do have a chicken plov recipe posted here (if you wanted a quicker plov recipe).

I discovered this recipe through Olga’s Blog. Guess what, she’s a nurse too! I guess nurses make good food ;), or maybe we just happen to have a lot in common. Olga is such an inspiration. I don’t think I would have ever gotten to know her if not for blogging. Olga your recipe was deeee-licious. My husband (being Mr creativity) tossed in some coriander which added a nice floral somethin’ somethin’. It’s a new favorite in our house!

Ingredients for Beef Rice Pilaf:

1 1/2 lbs Beef chuck, beef sirloin or good quality beef stew meat
1/3 cup canola oil, or extra light olive oil (not extra virgin)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks or grated
1 tsp salt for the meat and veggies + 1 1/2 tsp salt for the rice
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
3-4 bay leaves
1 3/4 cups hot water for braising meat
3 cups long grain rice (Basmati or Jasmin rice work great!)
4 cups hot water when cooking rice
1 head of garlic
1 tsp ground coriander

beef-plov

How to Make Beef Rice Pilaf:

1. Trim beef of excess fat and sinews (aka the chewy stuff), pat the meat dry with a paper towel and chop into 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces.

beef-plov-2

2. Preheat your dutch oven (or your large soup pot with a heavy bottom), to high heat. Once it’s hot, stir in your 1/3 cup canola oil. Once oil is hot, add chopped meat and saute uncovered 7 min over high heat until meat is browned, stirring every minute or so so it doesn’t scorch to the bottom of the pan.

Note: it’s important to preheat the dutch oven first for the meat to sear over very high heat, otherwise it will juice out and become dry. 

beef-plov-6

3. Reduce heat to medium and Add chopped onion, stirring often until onion is softened (5 minutes). Stir in sliced carrots, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 3-4 bay leaves and continue to cook over medium heat 5 minutes until carrots are softened.

beef-plov-7

4. Add 1 3/4 cups hot water, cover & simmer over medium/low heat 45 min or until meat is tender.

beef-plov-8

5. Meanwhile, rinse rice until water runs clear, then drain and set aside (this gets rid of the starch so you won’t end up with a sticky rice). Did I ever tell you I love my OXO strainer? This thing is so versatile (from sifting flour, rinsing and draining, to wearing it as a helmet and chasing your toddler around the house?

beef-plov-3

6. Spread rice over the meat and add 4 cups hot water. Sprinkle the rice with 1 1/2 tsp salt (DO NOT STIR), bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and Let cook uncovered until most of the water is absorbed (10 min).

beef-plov-10

7. Cut off the base of your whole garlic head to expose the cloves. Put your head of garlic, cut side down into the center of the rice and sprinkle the top of the rice with 1 tsp ground coriander

beef-plov-9

8. Poke 7-10 holes through the rice to allow steam to escape to the surface,  reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Remove the garlic head and bay leaves and stir everything gently to combine and you’re done.

beef-plov-11

You should make it. As soon as possible. If you share my pickle cravings, add them to your shopping list for this one!

This Beef Rice Pilaf is the best I've tried. This recipe makes a big batch which is great since it reheats really well. Step-by-step photo instructions.

Beef Plov (Beef Rice Pilaf) Recipe

4.89 from 178 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
This Beef Rice Pilaf is the best I've tried. This recipe makes a big batch which is great since it reheats really well. Step-by-step photo instructions.
This recipe makes a big batch which is great since it reheats really well. That's my favorite way to eat it; crisped over a skillet and served with a pickle.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 -12
  • 1 1/2 lbs Beef chuck, beef sirloin or good quality beef stew meat
  • 1/3 cup canola oil, or extra light olive oil (not extra virgin)
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks or grated
  • 1 tsp salt for the meat and veggies + 1 1/2 tsp salt for the rice
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3-4 bay leaves
  • 1 3/4 cups hot water for braising meat
  • 3 cups long grain rice, Basmati or Jasmin rice work great!
  • 4 cups hot water when cooking rice
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 head of garlic

Instructions

  • Trim beef of excess fat and sinews (aka the chewy stuff), pat the meat dry with a paper towel and chop into 1/2" to 3/4" pieces.
  • Preheat your dutch oven (or your large soup pot with a heavy bottom), to high heat. Once it's hot, stir in your 1/3 cup canola oil. Once oil is hot, add chopped meat and saute uncovered 7 min over high heat until meat is browned, stirring every minute or so so it doesn't scorch to the bottom of the pan. Note: it's important to preheat the dutch oven first for the meat to sear over very high heat, otherwise it will juice out and become dry.
  • Reduce heat to medium and Add chopped onion, stirring often until onion is softened (5 minutes). Stir in sliced carrots, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 3-4 bay leaves and continue to cook over medium heat 5 minutes until carrots are softened.
  • Add 1 3/4 cups hot water, cover and simmer over medium/low heat 45 min or until meat is tender.
  • Meanwhile, rinse rice until water runs clear, then drain and set aside (this gets rid of the starch so you won't end up with a sticky rice).
  • Spread rice over the meat and add 4 cups hot water. Sprinkle the rice with 1 1/2 tsp salt (DO NOT STIR), bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and Let cook uncovered until most of the water is absorbed (10 min).
  • Cut off the base of your whole garlic head to expose the cloves. Put your head of garlic, cut side down into the center of the rice and sprinkle the top of the rice with 1 tsp ground coriander.
  • Poke 7-10 holes through the rice to allow steam to escape to the surface, reduce the heat to low then cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Remove the garlic head and bay leaves and stir everything gently to combine and you're done.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Beef Plov, Beef Rice Pilaf
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $12-$14

Final Final Picmonkey Hashtag banner

FREE BONUS: 5 Secrets to Be a Better Cook!

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Esther
    April 11, 2023

    This plov is really delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!! The first time I ever made it, it was perfection! However, the next few times I’ve made it, the rice doesn’t cook through all the way even though I let it cook for much longer than what the recipe calls for (probably even 15 minutes longer).. not sure how my first try came out perfect and now it’s consistently undercooked.. still tastes amazing, but the semi hard rice ruins it a bit now..

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 11, 2023

      Hi Esther, thank you for sharing. Did you change the type of rice that you used? Maybe it’s the timing that was changed or measurement of ingredients so I would just make sure that they’re all accurately followed.

      Reply

    • Dima
      September 25, 2023

      I have cooked this recipe maybe 10-15 times. It’s always great but it varies.

      Two things.

      1. The proportion of meat to rice is off. 3 cups of rice is A LOT of rice. I have been messing with the proportion and am up to about 2.5 lbs of meat to 2 cups of rice.

      2. I stopped rinsing the rice and it come out much better and cooks better.

      3. MAke sure the meat looks browned like in Natasha’s pictures. It stays more juicy this way.

      Also I like to mix beef with lamb and substitute paprika with smoked paprika It varies the flavors/textures.

      Maybe it’s my dutch oven but I’m still perfecting it.

      Great recipe overall!

      5/5

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        September 25, 2023

        Thanks a lot for sharing!

        Reply

  • Maria
    April 10, 2023

    I followed the recipe to the T and my rice was uncooked in the end. I kept having to add more and more water because the rice was still tough!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 11, 2023

      Did you make any substitutions or changes to the ingredients, timings or measurements or process? I haven’t had that happen before. Usually the grains stay together nicely and they are cooked to the right consistency. Did you maybe sub with brown rice?

      Reply

    • Mary
      August 20, 2023

      The same thing happened to me. It was terrible. My husband said never make this again. All your other recipes I’ve made have been stupendous!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        August 21, 2023

        HI Mary, the cook time for the rice is correct as written. Substituting the rice will affect the cook time and/or the amount of water needed.

        Reply

  • Jamie
    March 28, 2023

    Your recipes never dissappoint! Part way into the recipe I panicked, realizing that I was out of coriander. I did substitute curry, and it was still delicious. Soon I will make it again with the coriander as I usually don’t make a recipe for the first time and then make a substitution. Thank you again for another great recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 28, 2023

      So glad you loved it, Jamie! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂

      Reply

  • Marisa Jaross
    February 28, 2023

    My husband is ukranian and as soon as he took a bite he sat for a moment and looked at me and said this was as close to his Aunt’s as possible and he was instantly brought back to being a kid and eating her food. Like his Aunt, having people enjoy my food can fill me up without eating, it brings us closer and bonds memories. I’m thankful to have found “the” recipe for him and for our future kids so they can remember it with fondness too.

    Two questions 1) when you poke holes in the rice, are you going only rice deep and not touching the beef part? and 2) is the garlic meant to be hard and raw after putting it in the rice, mine always is and I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be mushy or not, can I add it in earlier?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 1, 2023

      Hi Marisa, I’m poking all the way through on the rice – it doesn’t have to be precise though. Also, wit the garlic, it should be soft by the time the dish is done cooking. It should be soft enough that when you squeeze the head of garlic, the cloves slide out easily.

      Reply

  • Luda
    January 4, 2023

    Hi Natasha,
    I made this plov today it tasted flavorless/a little dry. I went by the recipe, but I wonder if I over rinsed the Jasmine rice. I rinsed it 4-5 times. How many times do you recommend to rinse it? Also even though I kept the Dutch on low when you said to, some of my beef got burnt. Maybe baking it in the oven after adding the rice would help the rib eye steak not to burn? I was so excited to eat the finish product, but I unfortunately was disappointed at the end. :/

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 6, 2023

      Hi Luda, you do want to rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. That removes the starch and prevents the rice from getting too sticky. Also, make sure to add the correct amount of hot water – the proportions are important to ensure the rice cooks through without getting too dry. Lastly, the steak shouldn’t burn unless the heat is too high. It sounds like reducing the heat further might help with that. I hope those tips are helpful.

      Reply

  • Ikayla
    January 3, 2023

    I made this, it came out with uncooked and overly mushy rice. As the previous comments, I think it’s too much water as there’s already lots of liquids from all the oils used to cook the beef in. My friend is from Kurdistan, she makes it best. Maybe, I’ll just let her cook it for me and pay her for a weeks worth since I wanted to use this for meal prepping. So sad since I spent lots of money on so much beef lol

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 3, 2023

      Did you make any substitutions or changes to the ingredients, timings or measurements or process? I haven’t had that happen before. Usually the grains stay together nicely and they are cooked to the right consistency. Did you maybe sub with brown rice? If so, you might enjoy our instant pot plov better.

      Reply

    • Marina
      February 21, 2023

      Unfortunately I had the same results today .. some of the rice was over cooked and some of the rice was undercooked ..:( and then I tried to still cook the rice that was uncoooked and it ended up like каша …

      Reply

  • Katie O
    November 8, 2022

    I’ve been making a version of this recipe for several years now and its my husband’s favorite dish. I like to use lamb in mine and I like to add some heat to the dish with red pepper flakes, even though some purists will call that inauthentic. Sometimes, instead of grated carrots I will add some spicy carrot salad instead (a lot of Russian grocery stores in NY call it “Korean” Carrot salad though I don’t know that it’s origins are entirely Korean.) I make a batch ahead of time and it keeps in the fridge for a while and its a great snack on its own or really awesome addition to Plov or stir frys.

    Reply

  • Gizmo
    October 3, 2022

    I will say it’s unorthodox plov recipe for many plov making countries, but over last couple of years it become my go to recipe.
    It yields me a pot of hearty meal every time.
    Thanks you.

    P.S. Also your Beef Borsht recipe is amazing.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 3, 2022

      That’s so great! Thank you for your great review!

      Reply

  • Mary
    September 26, 2022

    I’m very sorry to say that, and I’m sure you meant well with this recipe, trying to make it more simple to cook for those who are not familiar with this dish. But it’s all wrong 🙁 It’s so far from the real Plov as it can get… You can use beef of course, but it should be lamb. No olive oil, forget about it!!! It must be lamb fat, if not available – sunflower oil, at least 200ml. Ratio is – for 1kg of rice (basmati only) you take 1,5kg of meat, 1kg of onions, 1kg of carrots. No bayleaf!! Only spices that go into plov are cumin, barberry, salt, pepper and sometimes turmeric. Onions should be cooked for a long long time, until dark brown (not burnt) – that what gives color to the rice in the end. Carrots should not be minced or grated, you need to have big chunks of them, so they are still intact after almost 2 hours of boiling. And there’s no need for additional water when you put the rice in, as you have enough of water that you added to cook meat and vegetables before. So…. Sorry, that is not plov you describe here

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 29, 2022

      Hi Mary, this is how our family makes it and I think there are as many different versions of plov as there are regions and families who make it. It sounds like you are describing an Uzbek plov. I’ve never heard of adding barberry – interesting!

      Reply

    • Liza
      October 1, 2022

      Well I tried so many different Uzbek recipes and it never worked(like similar recipes you described here Mary)I don’t know why ,maybe people from Uzbekistan have some other secret and they don’t tell us:) Any way after I tried so many recipes I was like I have to try Natasha’s recipe she’s not from Uzbekistan but all her recipes are amazing and it always works for me and my family.My husbands side is from Uzbekistan and they loved my plov (Natasha’s recepie)that I made today, too bad I don’t have an option here to post their pictures especially grandma with her thumbs up.Finally meat is so tender rice is cooked and its just delicious!I also like pickles on the side with that or some good organic tomatoes .The only question I have after I finish cooking should I keep it covered or no?

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        October 3, 2022

        I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Liza. You can keep it covered if you’d like to keep it warm.

        Reply

  • vera zonis
    September 25, 2022

    Do you have recommendations for proportions to make a smaller batch? Like how much water do you need for only one cup of rice and half the beef?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 25, 2022

      Hi Vera, I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Dasha Rose
    September 19, 2022

    Made this today. I used short grain Arborio rice as in Almaty they made it with smaller size rice grain. Used to eat this in Kazakhstan, usually with lamb. This recipe was easy and delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 19, 2022

      Yum! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dasha! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!

      Reply

    • Veeca
      June 17, 2023

      Hi! I’m from Kazakhstan also! I love when i see other ppl from Kazakhstan, i dont know many in nc.

      Reply

  • Susan K.
    September 3, 2022

    This looks great! Thank you. I’ve been looking for a recipe in English for some time. I understand this dish has close to a gazillion versions – and my Ukrainian mother in law, whose family lived in Azerbaijan for a while adds raisins and cloves as well. Also highly recommended! (She tried to explain how to make plov but mine was always a sticky mess – so I really appreciate your extra notes on this). Best, Suzie
    Slava Ukraini 💛💙

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 3, 2022

      That’s great, Susan. I’m so glad it was helpful.

      Reply

  • Mal
    July 30, 2022

    Inna

    I like the look of this meal, but what size dutch oven does it need?

    Mal

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 30, 2022

      Hi Mal, we used a large dutch oven. A 6-8 quart one would work great! We have our favorite dutch ovens listed in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.

      Reply

  • Inna
    May 24, 2022

    I have been making it for years because of consistent results. Never fails. Many thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 24, 2022

      Good to hear that, Inna! Thank you for your good comments and feedback.

      Reply

  • Kristine
    May 6, 2022

    I make plov not often enough- once a year or so. But when I do, like today, I always look specificity for this recipe. Thank you for sharing! 🙂☀️ 🍽

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 6, 2022

      Aww, that’s so great! I’m so glad to hear this is your go-to!

      Reply

  • Sam Dhana
    April 26, 2022

    This is so simple and delicious. Definitely a keeper. Both my kids had it without any trouble.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 26, 2022

      That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great!

      Reply

  • Moriah
    March 28, 2022

    I am doing a report and i need to have a food from and I think I am doing to make this, is that ok?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 28, 2022

      Go for it, I hope it becomes a success!

      Reply

  • Michelle
    January 21, 2022

    This recipe is more delicious than the sum of its parts! I never would have combined those seasonings in one dish and I’ve never cooked beef and rice in one pot before without stirring. But now this is in my family’s regular rotation. The only changes I make are to double the beef and use homemade chicken broth in place of some of the water. You are so right that leftovers crisped in a frypan are the best! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 21, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Michelle!

      Reply

  • Amanda
    January 17, 2022

    So good! My store did not have beef stew meat the other day, so I purchased pork stew meat. Followed directions otherwise exactly. Will try next time wits beef. Excellent next day with a runny fried egg on top. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 18, 2022

      Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Amanda. yes, feel free to try this recipe with beef, it is so good too!

      Reply

  • Veggie Dog
    January 15, 2022

    Delicious. My 14 year old enjoys making this dish for us, with some changes.

    Vegetarian: Uses Beyond Beef

    Rice: Changed it to long-grain brown rice. This requires more time. Also, reduce to 2 cups.

    Water: Reduced to about 2.5-3 cups

    Mushrooms: Add chopped mushrooms, even plain white mushrooms are good.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 15, 2022

      Thank you so much for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Louisa
    January 6, 2022

    Our family loves this recipe, so delicious with venison too. When out of whole meat I use mince.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 6, 2022

      Hi Louisa, I’m happy that your family loves this recipe. Thank you for the review!

      Reply

  • Evgenii
    November 5, 2021

    Very easy, straightforward and the result is delicious! Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 5, 2021

      You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Evgenii!

      Reply

  • Galia
    October 5, 2021

    The recipe is spot on. I mostly impressed with cooking time. I had a friend, who cooked it on open fire. So despite having cravings for plov, I would never dare to cook it on stove. This was a success! To note – I made it with leg of lamp and it was beautiful. The only comment – if you like to eat garlic with plov, start cooking it 5-10 minutes before adding rice. This way it’s fully cooked and soft.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 5, 2021

      Hello Galia, thank you for sharing your good comments and feedback. We also appreciate your suggestions!

      Reply

  • Damon La Force
    July 14, 2021

    This recipe has been my go-to for deliciousness for about 5 or 6 years now. I stumbled across this when I was looking for a pilaf recipe and found it to be delicious. I tried a few times to modify it a little, with some fennel or star anise, but honestly, your recipe, just the way it is, is the best. We love crisping it in a pan with some olive oil and a fresh dill pickle the next day. (who am I kidding, we eat on this for a week) Interestingly enough, pickled ginger strips are AMAZING with this!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 14, 2021

      Yum! Totally craving this now! Thank you for your lovely review, Damon! I’m glad it’s your go-to!

      Reply

    • Natalie
      March 20, 2023

      Hello! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, but first, does this dish freeze well in your experience? Also, what do you recommend to drink and to eat as side to this dish?

      Reply

  • Anissa
    June 5, 2021

    This recipe is delicious! I found your recipe on another site that said it was 410 calories/serving and the yield was 11 servings. How much is one serving?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 5, 2021

      Hi Anissa, this recipe should not be on any other site as it is original to us and it’s probably being copied somewhere without permission. It depends on how you are serving it as a main course or as a side dish.

      Reply

  • Wiley
    April 19, 2021

    Hi Natasha, I enjoyed making this meal. However, I accidentally burned the bottom of the pan both when stewing the meat for 45 minutes and then even more when cooking the rice. I have an electric stove and a 10.5 quart dutch oven… Any advice would be very appreciated!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 20, 2021

      Hi Wiley, I’m glad you enjoyed the process, but I’m sorry to hear it burned! Make sure you’re using a heavy bottom pan – like a dutch oven (it looks like you are). Each stove is made differently, and so is its heat source output. I would watch it closely and maybe set it to a slightly lower temp if you notice it keeps burning.

      Reply

  • Emma
    March 12, 2021

    Hello. I would like to try the recipe today, but instead of beef can I use pork tenderloin?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 12, 2021

      Hi Emma, yes, pork would be a very good substitute.

      Reply

  • Anna G
    March 7, 2021

    I made it today and used the same Dutch over you are using and followed the recipe, and at the end was sad to see the bottom of my dutch oven with a pretty thick layer of black burned stuff 🙁 Do you think its because the heat of my stove is more intense for low or medium?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 8, 2021

      Hi Anna, that is possible. It’s hard to say without being there but that may be the culprit.

      Reply

    • Tracee
      March 9, 2021

      Has anyone made this with riced cauliflower? If not, any ideas? I absolutely LOVE this recipe, but the diabetics in my family won’t touch it because of the rice. Thanks in advance for any help!

      Reply

  • Matt
    February 3, 2021

    I tried it. This will be in my regular meal rotation.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 4, 2021

      Great to hear that you liked this recipe, Matt! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  • Arkadiy
    December 16, 2020

    This is the first time this dish has come out the right way for me. I learned so much from your recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 16, 2020

      That is so awesome and I’m happy to hear that!

      Reply

  • Inane
    December 15, 2020

    FYI your recommended pots in your amazon list are no longer available.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 15, 2020

      Thank you for letting me know. It looks like they are currently out of stock. I’m seeing more and more of this happen as people shop online more.

      Reply

  • Tom
    November 18, 2020

    Great and easy recipe. In adition I added half cup fresh chopped dill and parsley, yumm

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 18, 2020

      Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!

      Reply

  • G
    November 12, 2020

    Hi. Cuisine: Central Asian, Asian and other cultures but Plov is not Russian cuisine

    Reply

    • KB
      November 12, 2020

      Can you point to a definitive and well-researched source that supports this claim? I like learning about food and cultural history.

      Reply

      • tom
        November 18, 2020

        I support this claim and instead of beef mutton is used

        Reply

      • MK
        January 7, 2021

        Like the above poster said, it orignates specifically from Uzbekistan, and has spread all through out Central Asia before being brought to Russia. Think about how the Brits took curry back with them from India. Same thing

        Reply

    • Diana Ganchenko
      February 9, 2021

      Lol, if you really want to get technical about rice pilaf…it actually originated from Iran, Middle East, Eastern Europe! But then again, countless countries/cuisines have similar dishes just with different twists.

      Reply

    • Kasey
      January 22, 2022

      Sorry, but this is country food in Russia. I lived there and often ate it at a tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere in Siberia. Perhaps it’s because we were in the part of Russian near Mongolia, but this is the plov we had there. No need to correct someone in this way. It’s bad manners and unnecessary, since the food is indeed made and eaten in Russia, especially in the rural areas.

      Reply

  • Andy
    November 8, 2020

    So good. Followed recipe exactly. Excellent thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 8, 2020

      Yay excellent! Thank you so much, Andy.

      Reply

  • Patricia
    October 22, 2020

    Do you use ground cumin or cumin seeds?

    Also, I made the recipe exactly as you did but the rice came out like kasha. Do yo know what could have gone wrong?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 22, 2020

      Hi Patricia, we used cumin powder for this recipe. We have an image of it in the recipe post. I hope that is helpful. If you ended up cooking the rice longer in the end it would cause it to become mushier, you also don’t want to mix it during the cooking processes or it could get mushier. What kind of rice did you use and did you rinse it well before using?

      Reply

  • Arabella
    October 5, 2020

    Dear Natasha,
    Which cut of lamb would you suggest for this recipe, and do I cook it exactly the same way as the beef?
    Thank you,
    A

    Reply

  • Nicole
    October 4, 2020

    Hi Natasha, Great recipe. Thank you, i’ve tried many from your website and I love them. I have a question, if I use only one cup of rice, what would the ratio of water be for the rice itself?
    Thank You.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      October 5, 2020

      Hi Nicole, I haven’t tested that but I would scale it down proportionally.

      Reply

  • Patricia
    October 4, 2020

    What size Dutch oven do you use?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 5, 2020

      Hi Patricia, we used a large dutch oven. A 6-8 quart one would work great! We have our favorite dutch ovens listed in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.

      Reply

  • Julie
    August 25, 2020

    As expats, we lived in Central Asia for ten years. We were missing our plov! I followed your recipe exactly and when my daughters took their first bite, my youngest said, “It’s like we’re back in Kyrgyzstan!!”

    I made this dish in my big metal Chinese wok. It’s was a great substitute for a kazan!

    Thank you for sharing such an authentic recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 25, 2020

      Wow, it’s so great to reminisce some good memories and good food makes us do that! Thanks for sharing that with us, Julie.

      Reply

  • LouC
    August 9, 2020

    So tasty & super easy. This is a staple in our house. I have been making this with Venison mince, so good 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 9, 2020

      So great to hear that! Thanks for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • OlgaB
    August 2, 2020

    Don’t forget to mention that authentic Uzbek plov is made with lamb. The dish was easy to make and stretched a few ingredients into a hearty meal that lasted for days. The recipe has spread all over the former USSR and people have adapted it to whatever meat they had on hand. It has always been one of our favorites.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 2, 2020

      Yes, thanks for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Oxana
    July 21, 2020

    I lived many years in Dubai and was missing the Uzbek pilaf from a restaurant I used to eat almost every day, and thanks to this authentic recipe I got my pilaf as I wanted! Just DELICIOUS!
    I only added mooore coriander seed powder and loots of chopped garlic (left it in the rice). I just can’t stop eating!

    Thanks Natasha! Love your cooking skills and recipes you share!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 21, 2020

      I’m so glad you discovered our recipe Oxana! Thank you for that great review!

      Reply

  • Victoria
    June 23, 2020

    If I made a triple batch of the Plov, does the cooking time stay the same or longer? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 23, 2020

      Hi Victoria, each step may take longer since there will be more to cook.

      Reply

  • Hanifa
    June 16, 2020

    Thank you so much for making this! As an Uzbek, I feel really happy that you put in the time to recreate this amazing food. Every time we have a family gathering, there is absolutely no doubt that plov (called Osh in Uzbek) will be served because its unanimously the number-one, most important dish here! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 16, 2020

      Awesome and you are very welcome of course. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Carmen
    June 11, 2020

    Can I use a regular pot if I don’t have a Dutch oven?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 11, 2020

      Hi Carmen, it is best in a dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot to avoid burning. It should work but be mindful with stirring and making sure to not burn the bottom layer. I hope you love this recipe.

      Reply

  • Jess
    June 5, 2020

    The plov is amazing! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. My consistency was sticky. I’ve ate it in other places where the rice falls apart. I used jasmine rice. Do you know how to adjust for that result?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 5, 2020

      Did you possibly stir it too much? I’m not sure why it would turn out sticky.

      Reply

    • Alina
      June 19, 2021

      You could try using basmati. Typically that’s the rice to go to if you like your plov that way 🙂

      Reply

  • Riv
    May 13, 2020

    Amazing. I didn’t have bay leaves so I used oregano. Used brown rice. Just amazing. My husband was obsessed with this dish. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 13, 2020

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Riv!

      Reply

  • Theresa Pergola
    May 1, 2020

    As the mother of three teenage boys, I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! Not only is it easy and delicious, it is a hearty one-pot meal that I very much appreciate. The first time I made it my boys went crazy for it. It’s now a regular part of the rotation.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 1, 2020

      That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!

      Reply

  • Yulia
    April 11, 2020

    Just tried this recipe today. It was the best plov I’ve made in my life. I even bought and Dutch oven for that. I also added some dried barberies and a little bit of fennel seeds – so so good!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 11, 2020

      That sounds like a good idea. Thank you for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe a great feedback!

      Reply

  • Angela Antonyuk
    March 5, 2020

    Why does my plov take 3 times as long to cook? I do exactly what the recipe says and it takes so much longer to cook in the Dutch oven

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 5, 2020

      Hi Angela, if you are using brown rice, it will take significantly longer to cook. I can’t think of any other reason for that unless the heat is too low.

      Reply

      • Michael
        May 5, 2022

        I followed the steps to a t. and my rice turned out half mushy half uncooked :/ I used basmati

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          May 6, 2022

          Hi Michael, I’m sorry to hear that. I have not had that experience. Did you by chance use brown basmati rice? If so, that would take longer to cook. I would look through the recipe notes again and see if there is anything you missed or mismeasured. I hope you try this recipe again with better results.

          Reply

  • KyLee
    January 6, 2020

    My entire family LOVED this recipe. The only thing we will change for the next time is to add broth instead of water when doing the rice. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 7, 2020

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, KyLee!

      Reply

  • Alice
    December 14, 2019

    Natasha, I am curious – why use a whole garlic head like that? (Instead of some cloves thrown in the beginning and blended with the dish during cooking.) And what do you do with the whole head after you remove it from the pot? Discarding it seems wasteful to me…

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 14, 2019

      Hi Alice, we don’t discard the garlic but love the cloves in our bowls with the rice. The flavor of the garlic mellows out by then and they are melt in your mouth delicious! It infuses the whole dish with wonderful garlic flavor to have the whole head in there. I hope you give it a try!

      Reply

    • Hanifa
      June 16, 2020

      Hello Alice! I’m actually from Uzbekistan and what we usually do is, after it’s finished, we peel the garlic and it eat it together with the rice. It’s nice and soft and they taste delicious together! If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you could discard it, but trust me, it tastes much better with it!

      Reply

      • Hanifa
        June 22, 2020

        Oops, sorry for that! 😅 I didn’t notice there was already a reply.

        Reply

  • Megan
    December 12, 2019

    Can I make this in a crockpot?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 12, 2019

      Hi Megan, I haven’t tried to make it in a crock pot/ slow cooker but I would be concerned about the lack of heat control in a slow cooker and it might make the rice mushy in the end. Without testing it myself, I can’t really make a recommendation for it. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

      Reply

    • linda
      May 5, 2022

      if you fry everything in a pot you can then throw it all into a rice cooker for the steaming part … works great!

      Reply

  • Fabio
    December 1, 2019

    Easy, tasty, enjoyable by the most mouths…

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 2, 2019

      Thank you for tha great review, Fabio!

      Reply

  • sveta barron
    November 12, 2019

    Natasha,why did you say to cut a garlic ,if you didn’t cut your own?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 13, 2019

      Hi Sveta, we have a photo on step 7 with the garlic cut including this instruction “That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!” Is this what you are referring to?

      Reply

      • sveta
        November 13, 2019

        I cut garlic, like you said to do and then spotted uncut garlic in your pot.Cut or not, maid it last night and its sooo good.Followed your recipe to the dot.Thank you!Cant wait to make next thing!

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          November 13, 2019

          The cut part is what’s facing down and touching the rice emitting flavor. The non-cut part is facing up. I hope that helps.

          Reply

          • Karen B
            January 11, 2020

            Maybe you should change the instructions to read “Cut the bottom end off the garlic the garlic inside and insert it cut side down into the rice.” It says in the instructions to cut the “head” of the garlic.

          • Natasha
            January 12, 2020

            Hi Karen, thank you for pointing that out. I clarified the instructions.

  • Sophia
    November 11, 2019

    My mother is Ukrainian and her plov has always been a family favorite. Today, after following your recipe, my husband told me that my plov skills have surpassed my mothers. I think it’s safe to say your recipe is authentic and delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 11, 2019

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    October 29, 2019

    The best pilaf recipe ever! I could never cooked it right. But I followed the recipe ( except I omitted spices, only used salt and pepper), and it turned out DELICIOUS thank you, Natasha!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 29, 2019

      That’s just awesome, Tanya! Thank you for that great review!

      Reply

  • Aliona
    October 1, 2019

    It turned out great, my son loved it. Kid’s comment: best rice ever!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 2, 2019

      That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!

      Reply

  • Madina Sabri
    September 24, 2019

    Natasha! You are my go to for food yummy dishes to impress my family! Lol!
    This was absolutely delicious! I used lamb shoulder. I added 1 tbs cumin seeds, 1 tbs coriander, 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tsp turmeric. Other than that, followed your directions.

    I am trying to make it with buckwheat next week! Can’t wait!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 24, 2019

      That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Harvey Greenthorne
    September 18, 2019

    Super tasty. Put my own spin on it, since I’m just a poor college kid, but oh man is it an awesome food prep for the week. Make a whole pot and it lasts anywhere from 3 days to a week and a half! You literally cannot mess this recipe up, it’s pretty easy to make if you have time to watch the pot, and you can do class work while you wait. It smells so good, it makes my whole apartment complex smell like grandmas house haha!
    I use brown rice, as it’s a bit firmer and I like it that way for this kind of dish. Even using the lowest grade ingredients and equipment it comes out so well!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 18, 2019

      Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Haryey! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Viktoriya
    September 11, 2019

    Can you use calrose rice as a substitute for the jasmine rice or basmati rice? And also question I was told to use 2 cups of water per cup of rice is that different with each type of grain?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 11, 2019

      Hi Viktoriya, that should still work well with a medium-grain rice like Calrose. Just keep in mind medium grain rice ends up stickier than long grain rice and can cook a little faster than Jasmine.

      Reply

  • Olga
    September 5, 2019

    When I seared the beef I preheated my Dutch oven but the beef still juiced out. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 5, 2019

      Hi Olga, I have had that happen before when adding too much beef all at once, but no worries, with the lengthy cooking time, the beef was still very tender.

      Reply

      • Margarita Senina
        October 21, 2019

        Can you add raisins to this recipe? And if so, when would you add them in?

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          October 21, 2019

          Hi Margarita, I haven’t tested that to advise but some of our readers have mentioned adding them.

          Reply

        • Vladimir
          November 24, 2021

          Have been following this recipe for a few time now. I recommend adding 1 cup of raisins at step 4.

          Reply

  • Priscilla
    September 3, 2019

    I have loved Russia since my first visit 4 years ago, and this wonderful recipe brought me back to sweet memories with a friend from Kyrgyzstan who visited Russia while I was there. Thank you for sharing, and know that my entire Colombian family loved this dish as well!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 3, 2019

      That’s so awesome Priscilla! Thank you for sharing that with me.I love that food can bring people together and bring back sweet memories!

      Reply

  • Dipak
    August 30, 2019

    I have been using this great recipe for 3 years now and tonight I made Plov but instead of beef I used leg of mutton (the shin) and it was very good. I can highly recommend giving it a go

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 30, 2019

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • Arkady
    July 10, 2019

    Great recipe – I’ve been using it for a number of years. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 10, 2019

      That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Arkady!

      Reply

  • Andrea
    June 26, 2019

    Hi Natasha! I have to say the rice came out AMAZING much better than my regular rice. However, my chicken needed a little bit more flavor and my rice needed a little bit more salt. Everything else was amazing!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 26, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Andrea! Thank you for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Marina
    April 26, 2019

    Hi Natasha! I’ve made this Plov recipe a handful of times and I LOVE it! So I decided to make it for my baby shower, I’m have about 25 guests. So I’m here to ask you how would I make this recipe so that it would be enough for 25 people? Thank you in advance

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 26, 2019

      Hi Marina, I think it might be enough to do 1 1/2 times the recipe or double the recipe if you have a large enough pot but it will probably take longer to cook it since it’s more rice and less surface area.

      Reply

  • Lydia
    April 5, 2019

    This was excellent! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 5, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that Lydia!

      Reply

    • Marina
      April 27, 2019

      I have a 7 qt Dutch oven, would that work for 1 1/2 more for the recipe?

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        April 27, 2019

        Hi Marina, This recipe calls for a large pot so that should work fine. There will be more surface area with a large pot so keeping the lid shut and watching it should work just fine.

        Reply

  • Anastasia Pereskokova
    February 23, 2019

    When do you think the best time would be in the cooking process to add dried fruits such as prunes, raisins, etc?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 23, 2019

      Hi Anastasia, I think it would be best to add that towards the end.

      Reply

      • Natalya
        January 24, 2020

        I love this dish! I followed it to the T it seems, But past two times, half of rice is cooked and half isn’t. Do you have any idea what I might be doing wrong?! Please help!

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          January 25, 2020

          Hi Natalya, That is unusual. It’s difficult to say without being there but I’ll do my best to help: Did you make sure to cover while cooking (both during the meat cooking and after adding the garlic to the rice steps?) Also, did you rinse the rice to get rid of extra starch?

          Reply

          • Candice
            August 6, 2020

            This keeps happening to mine, too. The rice on top stays undercooked. I made the a start Pot versión with brown rice and it was perfect and I loved it, but this original version is my husband’s favorite. I just wish I could figure out how to get the rice fully cooked on top. Maybe I’m waiting a little too long to add the garlic and cover it?

  • Oksana
    February 20, 2019

    Will it turn out the same if I put it in the oven instead of cooking it on the stove top? And what are the temperature and time adjustments?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      February 20, 2019

      Hi Oksana, I haven’t tried this in the oven so I won’t be able to make any specific recommendations but a couple of readers reported great results in the oven rather than the stovetop, although no one has shared specific temp or bake times.

      Reply

  • Tanya
    February 13, 2019

    Hi, love this recipe I made it a few times and it is delicious! Only problem is it’ a bit time consuming, and tips for making it in the crockpot?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 13, 2019

      Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried to make it in a crock pot/ slow cooker but I would be concerned about the lack of heat control in a slow cooker and it might make the rice mushy in the end. Without testing it myself, I can’t really make a recommendation for it. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

      Reply

  • Siobhan
    February 7, 2019

    I love this recipe, but I was wondering if you can use chicken instead of beef? Is there any step I would need to change in the recipe? Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 8, 2019

      Hi Siobhan! Beef works best in this recipe, but I think chicken would work and chicken thigh meat would probably be better than chicken breast in this recipe.

      Reply

  • Bill
    February 5, 2019

    Hey I just tried this plov recipe and it turned out bland. Really want to retry as this was pretty good otherwise. What do you think did it and what would you suggest next time I do? Should I add the spices later on? I followed the recipe step for step.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 5, 2019

      Hi Bill, is it possible that you may have omitted any of the seasonings, particularly the salt: “1 tsp salt for the meat and veggies + 1 1/2 tsp salt for the rice”? Did you possibly use kosher salt? If you use kosher salt, you need to use more than regular table salt or find sea salt since the granules are larger. You could sprinkle it with some salt at the very end and stir that in if it tastes underseasoned. For a more uniform seasoning at the end, you can salt a little bit of chicken broth and stir that in. That way the salt dissolves in the broth and will blend better.

      Reply

  • Yana
    February 5, 2019

    Hi Natasha. Is there any way you can remove your video popups? Everytime I go on any recipe a video pops up and starts playing and talking, and I have to press close all the time. It’s really annoying, especially if I have babies sleeping or music playing on my phone parallel with your videos. Thanks!

    I love your plov recipe. I use it all the time, and I make it very often.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      February 6, 2019

      Hi Yana, they definitely should not be playing auto-sound on! Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. I sent your feedback to our tech team and they will follow up. Thanks again!

      Reply

  • Jenny
    January 11, 2019

    Can I use a london broil instead of sirloin or stew >

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 11, 2019

      Hi Jenny, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe

      Reply

  • vera bentley
    December 16, 2018

    i made this for dinner tonite & it went down a treat, thanx natasha. i dont remember how mum made hers & i must say this was excellent!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 16, 2018

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • YELENA STERINA
    December 15, 2018

    Natasha’s recipe of Beef plov is superb-nothing needs to be altered, except, perhaps spices-coriander and such.
    But, what’s most important is Natasha’s extremely detailed instructions in preparations and cooking methods and technics, supported by excellent pictures and photos. I have made this recipe and both my hobby and I have enjoyed it tremendously ! Thank you so much, Natasha, and Happy Winter 2018 Holidays to you and Family !

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 15, 2018

      Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Yelena :). I’m all smiles! 🙂

      Reply

  • Amy Urban
    November 12, 2018

    I’m looking for a large batch, will this recipe double easily? (Wondering how much it expands in the pot, and whether the rice will cook properly.)

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 12, 2018

      Yes can definitely double it. You may need to cook the meat in batches however. If you have a large enough this should work. But yes the rice does expand quite a bit

      Reply

      • Amy Urban
        November 16, 2018

        Thanks! Trying it tonight. Can’t wait.

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          November 16, 2018

          I look forward to hearing how you like it!!

          Reply

  • Tracy
    November 6, 2018

    are there any adjustments if you make this in the LeCreuset 8 quart dutch oven ?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 6, 2018

      Hi Tracy This recipe calls for a large pot so that should work fine. There will be more surface area with a large pot so keeping the lid shut and watching it should work just fine.

      Reply

  • Noylen Shahray
    October 30, 2018

    My Plov came out perfect 👌🏼 I don’t have a Dutch oven so I made it in my regular pot. I only had 2 1/4 cups of rice. I think that’s enough for the amount of meat, I would do 2 cups next time. And also I would add more amount of the spices next time to make it more flavorie*… I followed the instructions as they indicate and it came out perfect 👌🏼

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 31, 2018

      Thank you for your feedback Noylen! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Kayla S
    October 10, 2018

    This was AMAZING. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used a bone-in beef shank with most of the meat cut up for that extra deep beefy flavor. Plov is definitely a comfort food staple!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 11, 2018

      Thank you so much for your amazing feedback, Kayla! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Susan
    October 5, 2018

    Very good. Thank you for the very clear instructions. I will make this often.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 5, 2018

      I look forward to hearing how you like it!

      Reply

  • Catherine Purcell
    September 25, 2018

    Love your site. I followed this recipe to the letter and my rice also came out only partially-cooked (crunchy rice = sad face). Can you tell me what I might have done wrong? I noticed a few other people had this problem.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 25, 2018

      Hi Catherine, in troubleshooting with others, the type of rice used made the difference in the result. Check the notes above about the correct type of rice for this recipe. Brown rice is slightly more firm than white rice with a little bite to it, but should not be “crunchy”

      Reply

  • dil
    May 31, 2018

    The taste was wonderful, but unfortunately my jasmine rice came out chalky. Next time I’ll try with basmati rice, hopefully I’ll get better results. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 1, 2018

      Hi dil, I haven’t had that experience with the rice coming out chalky. It does help to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Overcooking rice can also affect the texture. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Jason Pierce
    May 21, 2018

    Just discovered your blog. I am a Baptist pastor married for the past twenty-one years to a Russian, whom I met while living in Kazakhstan as a missionary. My mother-in-law puts prunes, apricots and raisins in her plov. Thoughts?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 21, 2018

      Hi Jason, I’d love to hear more about her recipe! That sounds wonderful!

      Reply

    • Anonymous
      May 30, 2018

      We are Baptist Russians from Kazakhstan, Chimkent living in western Massachusetts! Our church is big and more than half are russians from kazakhstan. Our church is called Russian Evangelical Baptist Church, and it’s in the city of Westfield. Sorry just got exited when I read that comment. By the way I made natashas plov so much that I lost count! I sometimes also add canned garbanzo beans at the end. Yes, our people here also put raisins in their plov too.

      Reply

  • Tanya
    May 2, 2018

    Hi Natasha, amazing recipe, first made it in regular pot but now invested in the dutch oven that you have pictured for giveaway however a bit confused, when buying it the representative at store told me to never heat on high heat and if I do so it voids the warranty, so now i am not sure regarding how to cook the beef for the plot. any thoughts?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 2, 2018

      Hi Tanya, that is interest – I hadn’t heard that before but you could also do medium/high heat and wait for the pot to get hot. You just want to ensure a good sear on the beef without it juicing out.

      Reply

  • Anna
    April 27, 2018

    Hi Natasha! Thank you for the recipe. I have to make it ahead and take with me to my friend’s house. How do you recommend to reheat it? Should I maybe undercook it and finish cooking there?
    Thank you.
    Anna.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 27, 2018

      Hi Anna, I would cook it completely and reheat it on a skillet. The rice will get crispy on the skillet and it reheats really well.

      Reply

  • Chantelle
    April 16, 2018

    Girlfriend this is the bomb! I personally love these sorts of dishes, but my fam bam, are a little meh over rice and onions etc, but they loved this dish and so did I ! Holy moly, we are have gotten three days out of it too.This is now on the meal planner. Thank you xxx ps I’m going to try your garlic lemon chicken parmi this week.

    Reply

    • Chantelle
      April 16, 2018

      Kiev not parmi 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ I need coffee 🤣

      Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 16, 2018

      My pleasure Chantelle! I’m happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does. Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Zhanna
    April 13, 2018

    Hi Natasha,

    I love your recipes!
    Quick question. I’m making this by doubling the recipe for a party. I’d love to be able to bake the prov in the oven to make room on the stove top for other things I’m making. Can you please recommend the best degrees to bake a double-batch and for how long?
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 13, 2018

      Hi Zhanna, I honestly have not tried doubling and baking this – we always cook plov either on the stove or in the pressure cooker. I won’t be able to provide any specific instructions for baking.

      Reply

  • Amy
    April 10, 2018

    Hi Natasha, we are excited to try this tonight. My recipe from my Russian mom (host mom when I lived there) calls for a plate to go on the top of it all as it cooks the last 15 minutes, not sure why, do you know the purpose of that. I am so excited to try the new spicings, mine only had salt and pepper and bay leaves. I feel like I can get lost in all your recipes and it will take me to taste heaven.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 10, 2018

      HI Amy, I’m not sure what that would be for unless there wasn’t a tight fitting lid available? I love making this in a dutch oven because the lid sits on tightly sealing in the moisture and flavor 🙂

      Reply

  • Eileen
    March 16, 2018

    This dinner recipe is amazing! We like it so much because it’s so different from anything we’ve ever had. This is simple, with simple flavors that come together like magic. We’ve made this twice in a 10 day period in the instant pot. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 17, 2018

      You’re welcome Eileen! I’m glad you enjoy this unique recipe. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Liliya
    March 11, 2018

    Hi Natasha
    I made this delicious recipe numerous times
    I want to try making it in creuset Dutch oven
    What oil do you use when you make this recipe ? And why you say not to use extra virgin oil

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 11, 2018

      Hi Liliya, extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point and generally is not intended for high heat cooking or browning meats because it starts smoking/burning quickly. I almost always use extra light olive oil for nearly all of my cooking and even baking! I purchase the big jugs of “Extra light” at Costco.

      Reply

  • Larisa
    March 5, 2018

    The best plov recipe out there! The directions are so easy to follow. Natasha thank you for finally teaching me to make plov! You’re the best!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 5, 2018

      You’re welcome Larisa! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Anonymous
    February 20, 2018

    What ratio of water and brown balsamic rice do you recommend? From what I gather from the recipe and comments you’re using white rice correct? Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 20, 2018

      Hi, I am using a long grain white rice here and haven’t tested it with brown rice so I am not able to make specific recommendations for that. I use a short grain brown rice on my instant pot plov recipe which is really good if you happen to have an instant pot.

      Reply

  • Katya
    February 13, 2018

    Hey Natasha,

    I gotta say I love this recipe. It was my first time making it and its so yummy. I did cook it with brown jasmine rice and adjusted the cooking times and it came out perfect! I am now waiting for my hubby to come home and try this goodness 😉

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 14, 2018

      Hello Katya! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe, hopefully your husband likes it just as much! Thanks for sharing your great review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Maggie Nguyen
    February 12, 2018

    Hi Natasha,
    I made this a few nights ago, and the flavors are great! I added some pepper flakes and Sriracha , and served with some pickled cabbage. The rice was mushier than I’d like it to be, I used Nishiki rice since it was the only rice I had & did rinse it for a long time, but it’s naturally stickier than other rice so it may be why. Also, I recall using the rice cup provided with rice cooker, which actually doesn’t equal to a full measuring cup (and I measure water using the regular cup). Do you think Nishiki rice could work (with proper measurements?) Or should I just grab a bag of long grain/ basmati rice next time? Also, how did you keep the head of garlic together after cutting off the top? Many thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 12, 2018

      Hi Maggie, it sounds like both are probably the culprit – using a stickier rice (which may have a different recommended cook time – I’m not very familiar with Nishiki rice) and also the rice measuring cup isn’t going to give you an accurate measure in this recipe. I suggest using brown rice in this recipe. The note on rice at the top should help. Also, with the garlic, if you cut closer to the root, it stays together easier. If some of the cloves come out, it won’t adversely affect the recipe, just let them be 🙂

      Reply

  • Galina
    February 10, 2018

    Hi Natasha, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong., I’ve done this 2 times already and both times the rice becomes mushy and lots of rice is still crunchy. It’s like half of it is overcooked and the rest is raw. I used jasmine rice. Rinsed it before too. I’m so confused.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 11, 2018

      Hi Galina, I haven’t had that occur, but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. My first thought is – are you covering the pot with a tight fitting lid in step 4? Also be sure to use white jasmine rice (not brown, which would take much longer to cook). I hope that helps! Oh also, are you measuring the rice with a dry ingredients measuring cup and water with the liquid cup (to ensure your proportions of rice to water are correct).

      Reply

  • Vitaliya Chern
    February 5, 2018

    Getting ready to make this and just realized I have no garlic. Will it be ok without ? Can I add maybe some garlic salt ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 5, 2018

      Hi Vitaliya, the garlic does add really great flavor and I hope you try it again in the future with fresh garlic. I think you could still make it work with garlic salt, just keep in mind garlic salt is half garlic powder and half salt so you would need to adjust the total salt added so it doesn’t end up too salty. Maybe just add garlic powder to taste if you have that?

      Reply

  • Rita
    February 1, 2018

    Thank you Natasha for this delicious recipe! The kids loved it!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 2, 2018

      You’re welcome Rita! I’m glad your whole family loves the family. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    January 21, 2018

    Very similar to how my mom always made it. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 21, 2018

      My pleasure Tanya, I’m glad you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  • Liliya
    January 3, 2018

    Hi Natasha
    I made this recipe couple times with beef in regular pot and it was very good
    I bought a Le Creuset Dutch oven today and I will make plot in it but I want to try it with lamb meat this time
    Do I need to cook it longer then beef or is it same lengths of time

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 3, 2018

      Hi Liliya, I always do this with beef but I imagine it would be about the same amount of time with lamb.

      Reply

  • Tasha
    December 13, 2017

    Hi Natasha quick question,

    I just made this pilaf and I used brown basmati rice is that maybe why after it was done cooking the rice felt crunchy and not cooked through all the way? Because I made sure to check that the water absorbed, which it did! I’m so sad it didnt work our for me even though the meat and everything else is just so tasty! Please give me some advice.. Thanks girl!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 13, 2017

      Hi Tasha 😬. You will need to add more water and cook it longer since brown rice can take up to twice as long to cook depending on the type you’re using. If the rice tastes undercooked, you can just add more water and continue cooking until the texture is to your liking.

      Reply

  • Mia
    December 5, 2017

    I made this last night and everyone loved it! I did do one modification, I added 2C of quinoa and 2C of hot water. Turned out really great. I’m not very good about adding salt to my meals, but followed your recipe and it was very flavorful. This is true comfort food.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 5, 2017

      I’m happy to hear the recipe is such a success! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!

      Reply

  • Mohammed Ahmed
    November 30, 2017

    I made this last night. It was amazing thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 30, 2017

      You’re welcome Mohammed! I’m glad you love it, thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Vic Sullivan
    November 5, 2017

    Made a superb Pork Fillet pilaf from the Redmond recipe book using the pilaf program in our new RMC-M90E multi-cooker. Was thinking of modifying the Redmond recipe but aware the ratio of rice to water (and total weight of recipe) was critical to success. Rather too much rice and not enough meat for the carnivores in our family!
    Almost tempted to restore our French cast iron casserole dish to its former glory and try your recipe in that.
    May have a try to modify your recipe to make it similar to that for the pork fillet.
    Appreciate any ideas or suggestions 🙂
    thanks
    Have rated the recipe five for excitement and challenge together with other comments

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 5, 2017

      Hi Vic, I haven’t tried this recipe in a multi-cooker so I can’t really advise on modifications for that. Do you enjoy using your multi-cooker? It’s something I’d like to try out in the future! 🙂

      Reply

      • Vic Sullivan
        November 5, 2017

        Thanks Natasha – before attempting to make your beef recipe I am trying this pork recipe with extra pork.

        The larger ingredient volumes are for my 5 litre model against the smaller amounts on the Redmond website that seem to be for a smaller model.

        Ingredients for Pork Pilaf – http://multicooker.com/ci/receipts/pork_pilaf/
        Pork (fillet) 500 250 g
        Polished rice 500 200 g
        Carrots 200 250 g
        Onions 200 200 g
        Garlic 15 20 g
        Vegetable oil 70 20 mL
        Water 700 250 mL
        Salt
        Spices

        On the spice side I added two tablespoons of Pataks Jalfrezi paste and one desert spoon of Geta Lime and Chili Chutney! Honestly it was quite subtle!

        Fresh pilaf that is not a rice pudding is a delight to eat. I am increasing the pork by about 250 gms and suspect this may give the need for slight extension of the cooking time but must avoid overcooked rice!

        Learning curve….. three English medium eggs equal five American ones. Cake making in the multi- cooker was from very runny doughs until I weighted the eggs to check. With runny doughs use self raising flour plus the baking powder in the recipe. You don’t get a sponge or even the promised cake but a tasty pudding instead.

        We got the multi-cooker as our slow cooker was just 3 litre capacity with simple on/off hi-lo switch.

        Multi-cooker temperature control superb and better than main ovens. Makes splendid yoghurt. Almost tempted to make bread again as the yoghurt setting would be fine for proving dough.

        Reply

  • Natasha R.
    October 25, 2017

    This plov recipe is ok. Not the best one I’ve had, it’s a bit bland. But all the other recipes I’ve made here have been amazing. My favorite website!
    I followed the recipe entirely but my rice came out half under-cooked & half mushy. Not exactly sure why, but I suspect that my cast iron pot was too big.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 25, 2017

      Hi Natasha, thank you for writing in. It could be due to a number of things – hopefully this helps! 🙂 Maybe a different variety of rice was used, possibly not having a a tight fitting lid, or cooking over too high of heat which would cause the water to dissolve too quickly? The larger pot size might possibly do it since there is more surface area but if there is a tight fitting lid, it should be ok.

      Reply

  • Anna
    October 4, 2017

    So I’ve got company coming for dinner on Friday but no time to cook. I’m thinking of preparing this on Thursday and reheat on Friday. What would you say is the best way to reheat so it doesn’t lose its freshness and dry out?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 5, 2017

      Hi Anna, I love reheating plov on a skillet, adding more oil as needed to keep it moist. I love when the rice gets a little crispy on the pan 🙂

      Reply

  • Alex
    September 24, 2017

    I have yet to try this recipe, but I have some Russian friends who make plov but aren’t willing to give up their recipe. Although I know they use garbanzo beans instead of onions. Could you use pickled carrots instead of adding pickles?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 25, 2017

      Hi Alex! That is so unfortunate that they won’t share with you. Bummer!! I haven’t seen garbanzo beens used – sounds interesting but I can’t imagine they add more flavor than onion. Hmmm… With the pickles, I just serve them on the side but I think any pickled vegetable would probably taste good with plov. These marinated tomatoes are completely amazing with plov 😉

      Reply

      • Vera
        October 24, 2017

        You’ve never heard of garbanzo beans in Plov? To me Plov isn’t plov without lots of garbanzo beans and garlic, the Beans give it a nutty flavor, a lot of people put raisins into it too which is gross to me, anyway thank you for this recipe, it looks super easy to make. I will be adding the Garbanzo beans to it and more garlic.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          October 24, 2017

          I’ll have to try adding garbanzo beans next time! Do you use canned garbanzo beans? Also, do you add the whole garlic head with the ends trimmed or do you chop and add it? Thank you Vera for sharing your version!

          Reply

  • Faye
    September 11, 2017

    This was most excellent! Made it the other day and could not wait for dinner the next day so we could have it again as it was soooo delicious!!
    My dad used to make plov all the time and his is very good, and this matches it.
    The only thing I have to say is that you do not have to throw the garlic away. You can squeeze the garlic into the plov and it will give an additional delicious flavour. Kind of like a roasted garlic would. I will in fact add another whole head of garlic next time as I know my dad always cooked with 2-3 garlic heads.
    In addition, for some reason, despite washing my rice over and over, the dish still came out with more of a sticky rice consistency..which in fact I enjoyed, but my husband is a fan of the traditional version.
    I rinsed the rice at least 5 times and thought the water was pretty clear. Any suggestions of how to remedy the rice situation for the future?
    Will definitely make this recipe again!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2017

      Hi Faye, I’m so happy you loved the recipe!! I think you would also appreciate our buckwheat beef plov and you’re absolutely right about the garlic – we started keeping it in the dish later on when we figured out how absolutely delicious it is!

      Reply

  • Barbarainnc
    September 2, 2017

    Made this tonight. It was so good. Froze 4 cartons for later. I used a 10 oz bag of matchstick carrots, alot easier than cutting them up. I made non, last night. So we had a delicious meal. Thanks for posting your recipe. 😊 😊 😊

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 2, 2017

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your tip and great review with other readers!

      Reply

Read more comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

Leave a comment

Recipe Rating




As Featured On

FREE BONUS: 5 Secrets to Be a Better Cook!

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.