Hotan Date Polu
“Lamb pilaf cooked with sweet Hotan dates instead of raisins — the southern oasis variant, sweeter and fragrant with date caramel.”
Where it comes from
Hotan, the southern oasis on the Silk Road's jade route, has its own polu tradition that swaps the Turpan raisins for the city's famous large red dates. Lamb is browned in fat with onion; carrots layered on top; the dates are scattered before the rice goes on. As the polu steams, the date sugars caramelize slightly and perfume the rice. The result is sweeter than other Uyghur pilafs but still meat-anchored. Eaten with quartered tomatoes and a glass of jasmine tea.
On the plate
Rice cooked in lamb fat with carrots and dark Hotan dates — the dates dissolve slightly during the cook, leaving sweet pockets in the rice. Pistachios scattered on top for crunch.
How it works
Hotan dates, dried in the desert sun, have a sugar content over 70% — three times that of grape raisins. The sugars caramelize in the rice during the dum, giving the dish a rich brown undertone that grape-based pulao can't achieve.
Variations
Hotan southern version uses local dates; Kashgar western version skips dates entirely; Aksu northern version uses raisins instead — three oases, three sweeteners.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
5 steps · Show ↓84 min active · 36 min waiting
How it's made
5 steps · Show ↓- 124 min
Cube 500g lamb shoulder into 4cm chunks. Heat 60ml oil + 30g lamb fat in a heavy pot. Brown lamb 6 min; remove.
- 224 min
Add 2 sliced onions; brown 8 min in the fat. Return lamb. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coarse pepper, ½ tsp coriander.
- 324 min
Cut 400g carrots into batons; spread over lamb. Don't stir. Scatter 100g large pitted red dates (Chinese jujube) on top.
- 424 min
Wash 400g long-grain rice; spread evenly over the dates. Pour 650ml boiling water down the side of the pot.
- 524 min
Cover; cook on low heat 25 min. Rest 10 min off heat. Open: gently lift onto a serving platter, dates and carrots crowning the rice. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Serve with quartered tomatoes.
