Azerbaijani

Shah Plov

“A festive showpiece in which saffron rice, lamb, dried fruit and nuts are packed inside a crown of overlapping lavash, then baked until the bread shell turns deep golden and crisp before being dramatically unveiled at the table.”

Hard1 hour

Where it comes from

Shah plov (the 'king of pilafs') is a celebrated festive plov of Azerbaijan, baked inside a lavash crust crown; it is one of the most iconic dishes of the Baku table and appears in Azerbaijani cuisine references.

On the plate

Your knife cracks through a shatteringly crisp, butter-soaked bread shell into fluffy saffron rice studded with sweet apricots, raisins and tender lamb. Each bite balances the buttery crunch of the crust against soft, fragrant grains and bursts of dried fruit.

How it works

The lavash crown acts as both a baking vessel and a crust, sealing in steam so the rice stays moist while the butter-brushed bread crisps and browns against the hot pot walls.

Variations

shah plov with fisinjan walnut-pomegranate sauce, version with chicken instead of lamb, individual mini crowns, version with sweet milk-soaked dough crust

On the Palate

Ingredients

Serves 6

How it's made

8 steps · Show ↓

50 min active · 60 min waiting

1
15 min
Parboil long-grain rice in salted water until half-cooked, then drain.
2
15 min
Brown chunks of lamb with onion, then add chestnuts, dried apricots, raisins and a little saffron water.
3
8 min
Brush a deep pot generously with melted butter and line it with overlapping sheets of lavash to form a crown.
4
5 min
Layer the parboiled rice and the lamb-fruit mixture inside the lavash-lined pot.
5
3 min
Fold the overhanging lavash over the top and brush with more saffron butter.
6
55 min
Cover and bake in a moderate oven until the bread shell is deep golden and crisp.
7
5 min
Rest briefly, then invert the pot onto a platter to reveal the bread crown.
8
4 min
Cut into wedges so each serving shows crust, rice and filling.