Lobia-Chilo Plov

LOBIA-CHILO PLOV (Black-Eyed Pea Pilaf)
Pilaf is the signature dish of Azerbaijani cuisine It is usually served on special occasions and known in Azerbaijan as Ash or Plov.  Azerbaijani cuisine has dozens of different types of pilaf, one of which is Lobia-Chilo Plov – Pilaf with Black-Eyed Peas.

*A full-sized picture of this dish is available in the Gallery

Ingredients for 4-5 servings:
2 cups long-grain (Basmati) rice (cup size 250 ml)
1 quart (1 liter) water + 1 tbsp salt for soaking rice
3 quarts (3 liter) water + 3 tbsp salt for cooking rice
8 oz (225 g) clarified unsalted butter
1 cup black-eyed peas (beans)
salt for peas to taste
1 egg for qazmaq
2 tablespoons plain yogurt for qazmaq
Smoked fish

Preparation:
Cooking black-eyed peas.
1. Place dried black-eyed peas in a bowl, cover with water, and soak overnight. Strain through a colander before cooking.
2. Place the peas in a pot, and add enough water to cover the peas. Bring to a boil, add salt, lower the heat, simmer for 45 minutes or until tender.

3. Strain the cooked peas using a colander, place back to the pot, add 1 tbsp of melted butted, mix and set it aside.

Cooking the rice.
1. Rinse the rice thoroughly in cold water several times until the water stays clear, to remove excess starch. Then, soak the rice overnight in salty water at room temperature (or at least 1 hour in very hot salty water) for a truly great, fluffy, and evenly cooked rice. Before cooking the rice, pour out the water straining the rice with a colander.

2. Fill a pot (or saucepan) with water, add salt, and bring it to a boil. Place the rice into the boiling water. Stir, lower the heat to medium, and let it cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on the quality of your rice). Cooked rice should be soft on the outside and hard inside (not raw.)

3. Strain the rice using a colander, and rinse with a hot water to wash out an extra salt.

Cooking Pilaf.
1. Place the rice in a large bowl, and add peas and butter (save 2 tbsp butter for qazmaq.) Gently mix them together, and set aside.

2. Preparing Qazmaq.
Qazmaq will prevent the rice from scorching and form a crispy, delicious crust. Mix together 1 egg, 4 tablespoons of precooked rice and peas mixture and 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and spread the mixture of qazmaq on the butter and cook over very low heat, covered, until it firm, before placing the rice on top.

3. Place the rice-peas mixture on qazmaq, and pour 3 tablespoons of hot water on the top.

4. Wrap the lid of the pot in a tea towel and cover the rice. Cook over a very low heat for about 45-60 minutes. Put a heat diffuser (or a pan) under your pot to prevent burning.

5. Serve “Lobia-Chilo Plov” with a smoked fish.

Bon Appétit! Enjoy!

This post is also available in: Russian