clay pot chicken recipe<\/a>, you might have a feeling of deja vu when looking at this lamb pilaf. They even have a very similar cooking method. You need to cook the meat first, then steam the meat and rice in one pot until they are cooked through, just right, at the same time. The meat is cooked until tender and moist. And the rice is soaked with tons of flavor from the meat juices. Not the healthiest type of cuisine, but addictively delicious.<\/p>\nHowever, the origins of these two dishes are millions of miles away. The clay pot chicken is Cantonese, while the lamb pilaf here is from Xinjiang province, an autonomous region located in the extreme western part of China.<\/p>\n
If you google lamb pilaf, the results will show Turkish and Persian versions, which is not surprising. Xinjiang province is also known as Chinese Turkestan and has a lot in common with the countries of the Middle East and central Asia, in terms of culture, cuisine, language, and religion.<\/p>\n
![\"Lamb](\"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/1501_Uygur-Lamb-Pilaf-Polo_002.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
While this recipe includes the signature ingredient cumin, you will also find typical Chinese spices, such as ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorn.<\/p>\n
When I cooked this Uyghur style dish, I made a few twists myself, to align it more with the northern Chinese style. I did take care to keep it authentically close to the real Uyghur style, and suppressed my impulse to add soy sauce and cooking wine. However, I skipped the raisins and apricots in order to make the dish more savory. In this way it is closer to the lamb pilaf that my grandma used to cook.<\/p>\n
The seasonings in the recipe might look simple, but you will be surprised how rich the flavor is, especially the rice. One thing to remember – this dish is not on the healthy side of the spectrum, because the rice soaks up a lot of grease from the lamb ribs. A lot! But it is also infused with tons of flavor from the lamb, cumin, and pepper, creating a sensational feast. The onion and carrot are cooked until almost melted, giving them a buttery texture. They all come together beautifully with the tender lamb, harmonizing into an addictive flavor that you just cannot stop eating.<\/p>\n
![\"Lamb](\"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/1501_Uygur-Lamb-Pilaf-Polo_003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
I know this is not an especially summer-y dish, but I wanted to share it anyway.<\/p>\n
It is the type of dish you\u2019ll want to cook when you have plenty of time, and cook while drinking a glass of wine and enjoying the aroma in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
With a huge plate of this pilaf, don\u2019t worry about the leftovers, even if you\u2019re only cooking for two. Just like with a pot of curry, it gets even better after spending a night in the fridge. No matter whether you reheat the leftovers on the stove to create a nice charred fried rice or dump them hastily into a bowl to be microwaved, the flavor of the rice will be heavenly.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re feeling adventurous and would like to try something new, isn\u2019t this recipe a great choice?<\/p>\n
![\"Lamb](\"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/1501_Uygur-Lamb-Pilaf-Polo_004.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\r\n
Chinese Cooking Made Easy<\/h2>
Are you new to this website? This free email series is a great place to start. I\u2019ll walk you through a few of my most popular recipes and show you how and why they work. You\u2019ll quickly start to cook better Chinese food in your own kitchen.<\/p>\n
![\"Lamb](\"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/1501_Uygur-Lamb-Pilaf-Polo_001.jpg\")
<\/p>\n