AI-generated image
Chirov plav
Rice pilaf with dried fruit
Չրով փլավ: Armenian Easter rice pilaf with dried apricots, raisins and prunes
Chirov plav, rice pilaf with dried fruit ('chir'), is the Armenian Easter dish: after the long Lenten fast, families gather on Easter Sunday to eat this glossy, buttery pilaf, often served beside fried or baked fish and red-dyed eggs. The rice is cooked separately so every grain stays loose, then layered with dried apricots, raisins and prunes warmed in butter, with a golden crust (tahdig-style) at the bottom. Chef's tip: rinse the rice until the water runs clear, and parboil it in plenty of salted water, as that keeps the grains separate.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz long-grain or basmati ricerinsed well
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 ⅞ oz butter
- 3 ½ oz dried apricotshalved
- 2 ⅛ oz golden raisins
- 2 ⅞ oz pitted pruneshalved
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 oz toasted flaked almonds (optional)optional
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 2 tsp salt. Add 14 oz long-grain or basmati rice and boil for 6 minutes, until just softened at the edges but still firm in the centre. Drain.
8 minStep 2: Melt half of 1 ⅜ oz butter in a frying pan and warm 3 ½ oz dried apricots, 2 ⅛ oz golden raisins and 2 ⅞ oz pitted prunes with ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp sugar and 4 tbsp water for 5 minutes, until plump and glossy.
5 minStep 3: Melt the rest of 1 ⅜ oz butter in the rice pot. Spread a third of the rice over the base, then layer the fruit and remaining rice, finishing with rice. Make a few holes with a spoon handle to let steam out.
Step 4: Wrap the lid in a tea towel, cover tightly and cook over a very low heat for 30 minutes. A common mistake is lifting the lid, which lets out the steam that finishes the rice.
30 minStep 5: Spoon onto a platter, mixing the fruit through, break up the golden crust from the bottom and scatter with 1 oz toasted flaked almonds if using.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chirov plav take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of long-grain or basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Indian
Khao kluk kapiShrimp paste rice
Everything on this central Thai plate is arranged in little heaps around a mound of rice tossed with garlic and fermented shrimp paste: sticky caramelised pork (moo wan), threads of sour green mango, shallots, chillies, sliced long beans, crisp dried shrimp and ribbons of thin omelette. You mix a bit of each into every spoonful, so salty, sweet, sour and hot arrive together. It's a favourite at Bangkok's curry-and-rice shops and a clever way to use up yesterday's rice at home; lime wedges and cucumber cool it down. Chef's tip: use day-old jasmine rice straight from the fridge, because freshly cooked rice clumps and smears the shrimp paste instead of coating each grain.
Thai
Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
Hyderabad's biryani grew up in the kitchens of the Nizams, and the kacchi style is its proudest form: the chicken goes into the pot raw, in a thick yogurt, mint and fried-onion marinade, and cooks only in the steam trapped under part-cooked basmati. In the old city it is wedding and Eid food, ordered in huge copper deghs, and at home it's the Sunday showpiece, served with mirchi ka salan and a cooling raita. Because the meat cooks without being stirred, small bone-in thigh and drumstick pieces work best. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge — the yogurt tenderises the chicken and the flavours go right to the bone.