Oshi Siyoh (Оши сиёҳ) — Bukhara-Style Dark Pilaf

• 500 glong-grain white rice (Use a firm pilaf rice; aged basmati is a practical substitute.)
• 600 gboneless beef shoulder (Halal-certified, trimmed of external fat and cut into 3 cm cubes.)
• 3onions (Approximately 400 g total after peeling; slice into 3 mm half-moons.)
• 5carrots (Approximately 500 g total after peeling; cut into batons approximately 5 cm long and 5 mm thick.)
• 75 mlsunflower oil (A neutral, high-heat cooking oil.)
• 2 tspcumin seeds
• 10 gfine salt
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 1500 mlwater (For soaking; drain and discard before cooking.)
• 900 mlboiling water (Use 500 ml for the meat base and 400 ml when adding the rice.)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the rice in a bowl under running cold water, draining repeatedly until the runoff is substantially clearer. Cover with the measured 1500 ml water and soak for 30 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

2. 2

   Pat the beef dry and prepare the onions and carrots to the dimensions given in the ingredient notes. Set a heavy 5–6 liter kazan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and heat the oil for approximately 2 minutes, until shimmering but not smoking.

3. 3

   Add the onions and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until a deep chestnut brown. Reduce the heat to medium as they darken; the aim is pronounced browning, not blackened edges or an acrid smell.

4. 4

   Add the beef and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning regularly so the exposed surfaces brown. Stir the onions up from the bottom during cooking to prevent them from scorching beneath the meat.

5. 5

   Add the carrot batons and cook for 7–8 minutes, folding them through the meat without crushing them. Rub the cumin seeds between your palms, then add them with the salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Carefully pour in 500 ml boiling water and scrape up the browned deposits with a wooden spoon. Bring this meat-and-vegetable base, commonly called zirvak, to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Drain the soaked rice thoroughly and spread it evenly over the meat and vegetables without stirring the layers together. Slowly pour the remaining 400 ml boiling water over the back of a spoon so the rice layer stays level.

8. 8

   Raise the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until the visible surface water has disappeared and steam holes appear. Taste 3 grains from the upper layer; they should be swollen but retain a small firm center, rather than a dry, chalky core.

9. 9

   If the rice is still distinctly hard and the bottom sounds like it is frying, pour 50 ml of the reserved boiling water around the perimeter and cook for 2 minutes before checking again. Repeat only as needed, using no more than the reserved 150 ml, and do not stir the rice into the meat.

10. 10

    Gently mound the rice toward the center and make 5 steam channels down through the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and steam for 20 minutes.

11. 11

    Turn off the heat and leave the covered pilaf undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fold the rice, carrots, onions, and beef together gently, lifting from the bottom, then transfer to a warm communal platter and serve immediately.