Polo Pilaf

Polo (in Uyghur) or shǒuzhuā fàn (Mandarin, 'hand-grabbed rice') is the ceremonial pilaf of Xinjiang's Uyghur, Uzbek and Kazakh communities — the dish served at weddings, funerals, Eid gatherings and any occasion requiring a meal that signals seriousness and generosity. The Silk Road pilaf tradition stretches from Iran to western China; Xinjiang's polo is its eastern variant.

The cooking vessel is a large cast-iron or copper kazan — a round-bottomed wok set over a high flame or open fire. Lamb tail fat is rendered first; the fat is the base flavour of the dish. Once the fat is clear, sliced onion goes in until golden, then julienned yellow carrot (the large, slightly sweet Central Asian variety, not small European-style carrots), and bone-in lamb pieces cut from the ribs, shoulder or neck. After the lamb has browned on the outside, soaked long-grain rice — rinsed until the water runs clear — is added in an even layer and covered with measured water. The pot is sealed and left to steam over reducing heat until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the base has formed a light crust.

At serving the kazan is inverted onto a large platter: the rice at the base, the carrots and lamb mounded on top. Raisins, chickpeas, dried barberries and whole garlic heads are common additions during cooking. Some family versions add quail eggs buried in the rice to cook alongside.

At a traditional feast, diners eat from the communal platter with the right hand. In restaurants, individual bowls are standard. The dish is prepared in large batches for the midday meal and is typically sold out by early afternoon — do not arrive after 13:00 expecting polo.