Shah Plov (Week 76, Azerbaijan)

Written by Published on in Global Vegan Challenge, Main Course

This recipe is a part of my Global Vegan Challenge where each week I research and develop a recipe from a different country in the world. Many of these recipes are veganized based off their omnivore counterparts. While not all of these recipes are a one for one what you’ll find in their country, I hope you’ll still find them delicious!

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe isn’t complicated, but is is a lot of steps. To save time, don’t cook linearly, and instead multitask as much as possible.

  • You’ll want a glass baking dish for this to ensure your lavash doesn’t burn in the baking process, and so you can see when it’s golden and know when to take it out. you can use metal, but it’s harder to get a gauge if it’s properly crisping up.

  • Pay close attention to your rice to ensure it doesn’t overcook when boiling. You only want to cook it until you can easily break it with your fingers. It should still be a little chewy, but much firmer than al dente. It’ll fully cook when it steams in the oven. That’ll help the rice to ‘fall like rain’.

    • Vegan Shah Plov

    Details

    Servings

    8 to 10 servings

    Prep time

    30 minutes

    Cooking time

    90 minutes

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    Ingredients

    • Beefless Beef

    • 4 ounces Soy Curls

    • 4 cups Vegetable Broth (I used beefless beef flavored)

    • 2 Sweet Onions, small

    • 1 Omani Dried Lime

    • 5 tablespoons Vegan Butter

    • 1 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos

    • 1 tablespoon Cumin, ground

    • 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, ground

    • 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt

    • 1 teaspoon Coriander, ground

    • Rice

    • 2 cups Basmati Rice

    • 1 Omani Dried Lime

    • 2 large pinches Saffron

    • 1 cup Hot Water

    • 1 tablespoon Salt

    • Fruit

    • 5.2 ounces Chestnuts, cooked

    • 1/2 cup Apricots, dried

    • 1/2 cup Plums, dried

    • 1 ounce Golden Raisins

    • 1/4 cup Beefless Beef Marinade (will be prepped as part of ‘beef’ above)

    • 4 tablespoons Vegan Butter

    • 1 teaspoon Salt

    • Other

    • 18 ounces Lavash

    • 1 cup Vegan Butter, melted

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    Directions

    • Beefless Beef
    • Add vegetable broth to a medium pot. Add cumin, corriander, dried lime, Braggs Liquid Aminos, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer then turn off / remove from heat.
    • Place soy curls in a large bowl and pour over hot broth. Set aside and allow to absorb liquid for about 30 minutes.
    • Slice onions into thin crescents. Set aside.
    • Heat up a pan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons vegan butter. Add onions and a 1/2 tsp salt. Sauté til’ caramelized, about 15 to 25 minutes.
    • Once caramelized, add in beefless beef (save marinade separately), salt, and remaining butter. Increase heat to medium high and sauté til browned. Once cooked place on low.
    • Rice
    • Add rice to a bowl and rinse until water isn’t cloudy anymore. Once water runs clear allow to soak for 15 minutes then drain.
    • Fill medium sided pot half full of water and add salt. Bring water to a rolling boil then add rice. Boil rice for 5-7 minutes, until just firm enough to break between your fingers.
    • Once boiling is complete, drain rice. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
    • In a small pot, add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil then immediately remove from heat. Add saffron and omani lime to a small bowl and pour over lime and saffron. Cover bowl with a plate and set aside until ready for assembly.
    • Fruit
    • Slice chestnuts, plums, and apricots in half. Set aside.
    • Heat up a pan on medium heat. Add butter, chestnuts, plums, apricots, and salt. Sauté.
    • Add beefless marinade. Continue to sauté until liquid is absorbed. Once fully cooked, fold into beefless beef mixture.
    • Assembly
    • Preheat oven to 350F.
    • Get a large, clear glass baking dish (round if possible). Brush melted vegan butter all over the bowl. Take a piece of lavash (cut into smaller pieces if needed), brushing butter on each side. Use lavash to entirely line the bowl. Make sure to have some lavash coming over the edges to folder over the rice later.
    • Add half the rice to the bottom of the lavash bowl, spreading evenly. Remove lime from saffron water, squeezing the excess liquid out. Drizzle half of the saffron water over your rice.
    • Add beefless beef and fruit mixture, spreading evenly.
    • Add remaining rice, spreading evenly. Drizzle remaining saffron water over rice.
    • Fold lavash over the rice mixture, completely encasing the rice in the lavash. Place lid on top and place in oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lavash is golden brown.
    • When golden, remove from oven. Uncover baking dish and place a serving platter on top. Carefully flip plov upside down onto serving tray. Slice into it with a serrated knife, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

    Quick thoughts with post recipe development on stream….

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