UYGHER POLO RICE

This dish is important because it’s one that’s been made in my family for generations and one of the few recipes that have been passed down and adapted throughout the years.It’s a very traditional staple for one of the minority populations in China. Unlike the northeast of China, where the staple is the noodle, rice remains the central ingredient for this Uygher dish. Polo rice represents many cultures - Muslims, Chinese, and even stretches into the southern tips of Russia. There are many variations found across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, each having it’s own slight adjustments for taste. This particular recipe represents the style that is common in XingJiang, China.

Indgredients

1 large white onion, chopped

1 lb carrot, grated

Salt (as you prefer)

2 ¼ cups water

2 cups rice

1 bulb of garlic

½ cup raisins

½ cup oil

1 red hot pepper (optional)

½ teaspoon cumin (optional)

1 lb lamb or 1 lb beef (optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot. Set the stove temperature at medium heat

Add the chopped onion to the pot, still stirring, and cook until it is translucent

Stir carrots into the pot. Note that it will initially look like there are too many carrots in the dish; however, once they begin to absorb some of the oil they will shrink down and mix well into the recipe

Add salt according to your taste

Pour water into the pot

When the water boils, add the hot pepper (optional) and whole garlic bulb. Let them simmer in the mixture for five minutes, and then fish them back out and set them aside

Add cumin (optional)

Lower the stove temperature to low heat and allow the mixture to boil for 15 to 20 minutes

After the 15 to 20 minutes, raise the heat (once again, no higher than medium) and add rice to the pot. Spread the rice out on top of the water, but do not mix it with the rest of the ingredients

When water is no longer visible above the rice, then spoon the rice towards the center

Replace the garlic bulb and red pepper into the pot, and pour raisins on top of the rice

Place a lid on top of the pot and set the heat to low

Cook for 30 minutes. After that time, once again remove the hot pepper and the garlic, and stir the rest of the ingredients

Cook the meat in the oil, stirring occasionally until evenly browned and serve on top of the bed of rice (optional)