Xinjiang Pilaf
羊肉抓饭
English: Xinjiang Pilaf
Chinese: 羊肉抓饭
Pinyin： yangrou zhuafan
Literal: Lamb pilaf
It’s a bit controversial to say this in China, but I’ve never been a fan of rice. Luckily, I live in Beijing, so rice is easy to avoid; most restaurants in the capital serve flatbreads, steamed buns or dumplings. However, on a visit to Urumqi a few years ago, a friend of mine insisted we try Xinjiang lamb pilaf (yangrou zhuafan | 羊肉抓饭) from the Uyghur quarter. We found a local restaurant and sat upstairs so I could peer into the kitchen. I watched the cooks serving up the rice from a huge iron pot known as a qazan, an ancient vessel from Central Asia that is similar to a wok but with taller sides. The pilaf had been made much earlier in the day, then kept warm on a low heat, and the staff spooned it out onto plates as the orders came in.
There are four main ingredients in a Xinjiang pilaf: rice, lamb, raisins and carrots. A low heat transforms these simple elements into something special. The rice plumps up with the broth, the carrots turn buttery, the lamb falls apart, and the raisins pop with sweetness. In the years since that initial introduction to the dish, I have travelled all over Xinjiang, and I’ve found that every Uyghur cook puts their twist on this dish. Sometimes it’s drier, sometimes wetter, sometimes richer, sometimes more fragrant. Some cooks add big lamb chops, others keep the chunks of meat smaller. (With this recipe, I have opted for something in the middle of all of these; a good place to start.)
Xinjiang pilaf is not, however, a complicated dish. It’s a one-pan wonder that comes together after a gentle simmer, as long as you get the seasoning of salt and fat right. Just remember that this is a zhuafan and not a chaofan (炒饭 | stir-fried rice), so that means there is no shaking the pan or stirring the rice and no vigorous flame. All that’s needed is a little time to tease out the flavours.
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g lamb - leg, neck or ribs
50g lamb fat (if your lamb is very fatty, you might not need this)
400g rice - medium-grain
1 small red onion - sliced
2 yellow carrots - cut into batons
1 orange carrot - cut into batons
2 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
110g green raisins
Method
Cut the lamb into roughly 2cm cubes and then soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes. This removes the gamier flavour that sometimes comes with lamb. Cut the lamb fat (if using) into smaller chunks, but don’t soak this.
Wash the rice. This is a crucial step so the rice becomes fluffy. Put the rice into a large bowl, add enough water until the rice is covered, and then move your fingers through until the water becomes cloudy. Drain off the water, then repeat until the water is clear. This might take 3-4 rinses.
Slice the onion then peel and cut the carrots into batons.
Drain the lamb, pat dry and then season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Make sure the lamb is very dry otherwise it won’t brown in the wok.
Heat your wok over a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the lamb fat and cook until it starts to melt and colour.
Add the lamb, onions and pepper (white and black), then stir fry until the meat is browned.
Add the carrots and stir fry for a minute. Drizzle over the honey and add the remaining salt. Mix and stir fry for another minute.
Pour in 1 litre of hot water, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook on a low heat for 30-45 minutes. The lamb should be tender by this point. If not, simmer for a while longer.
Sprinkle the rice over the stew. Spread the rice over the meat and carrots, using a spatula to flatten and push down so most of the rice is submerged. Add the raisins onto the surface.
Place a lid onto the wok, and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Don’t stir the rice at this point.
After 15 minutes, check the rice, it might need another cup or two of water if it’s looking a bit dry but not yet cooked, or it might be fine. Either way, cover again and cook for another 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it here: it’s a fine balance: you want all the stock to be absorbed so it’s not liquidy, but if you cook for too long the rice will start to burn in the pan.
Remove the lid, mix the rice and meat together, turning the pliaf from bottom to top to merge all the flavours. Check if the meat is soft, the rice is cooked, the broth is absorbed and the rice is fluffy not slimy or sticky. Also taste for seasoning here, and add more salt if needed. If the pilaf needs a bit more cooking, then do so, otherwise, turn off the heat.
Leave the wok covered for five minutes or so. This dish is not usually served piping hot, but slightly warm.
