Lamb Pilaf (Polo)

Polo (also called zhuafan in Mandarin, meaning 'grab rice') is the ceremonial centrepiece of Uyghur cuisine and closely related to the plov of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and the broader Central Asian culinary tradition. It is the dish served at weddings, funerals, religious festivals, and any gathering of significance. The Central Asian Silk Road connection is direct: rice and lamb cooked together in rendered animal fat is a preparation shared across the steppe and oasis cultures from the Caspian to the western edge of China.

The technique is everything. A large, heavy-bottomed pot (a kazan, traditionally a cast-iron vessel over an open fire) is used. Lamb fat is first rendered in the pot; lamb pieces (ideally a whole shank or shoulder, bone-in) are added and browned until the meat has a good crust. Onion goes in next and is cooked until golden. Shredded carrot — a large quantity, roughly equal in volume to the rice — is added and cooked until softened. Raisins, dried apricot, or chickpeas can be added at this stage depending on the recipe. The washed rice is then layered over the top without mixing, water is added to just above the rice level, and the pot is covered tightly. The rice steams above the lamb and vegetables, absorbing the saffron-coloured lamb fat.

At the correct moment (when the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through), the pot is opened and the contents turned out onto a large communal platter — the lamb in the centre, the rice and carrot around it. In traditional settings, the dish is eaten by hand, gathered into small balls pressed against the palm. In restaurant settings, it is served with a spoon.

The flavour is lamb-rich, slightly sweet from the carrot and fruit, and fragrant from the fat-cooked onion. Good polo has individual rice grains that remain separate rather than clumping, which requires correctly calibrated water and heat.

In Xinjiang, polo is available at every Uyghur restaurant and at dedicated polo houses that cook enormous quantities of the dish in large kazan from early morning.