Fantastic authentic dish from Uzbekistan.

Heat the oil in a large round 10-liter iron pot (or a large Dutch oven) and fry the onions for about five minutes until golden. Add lamb, mix with onions and brown in the oil for about five to ten minutes. Mix in 1½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds and toast the spices together with the meat and onions for another five to ten minutes. Add two cups of water and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until meat begins to soften. Add another cup of water to make sure it’s not too dry and sticking to the pot, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Add about 1/4 pound of the carrots (enough to hold in a fistful) and cook for about 8 min. Add the two heads of garlic and enough water then to just cover the meat and carrots. When water starts to boil, add the remaining 1½ pounds of carrots, but just lay on the top of the pot, don’t mix them in. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon more of whole cumin seeds. Add more water, just enough to cover the carrots. Close the lid and let it simmer until they’re soft, about 15 minutes.

While stew simmers, take 8 cups of rice and wash it in cold water 3 times. Wash it a fourth time, but this time add 1 tbsp salt to the water let it soak for 15-20 min. Once the carrots are soft, add another 1-2 cups water to the stew and 1 more tablespoon of salt. Add 4 whole cloves of garlic. Make sure level of water is above carrots. Check the taste of the water inside pot to make sure it’s well seasoned. Drain the soaking water from rice and add to the pot, smoothing it to make sure it’s level. Add more water if it doesn’t come up through the rice. Lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes. Stir the rice from bottom up all around, and level it again. Make sure there’s enough water to slightly cover the rice.

Close the lid and put low flame for another 20 min or until rice is cooked.

Enjoy!