Shah Plov in Lavash — A Festive Delight

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Welcome to the world of Shah Plov, the "King of Pilafs"! This spectacular dish from Azerbaijan is more than just a meal; it's a celebration on a plate. Unlike typical pilafs, Shah Plov is assembled like a magnificent pie, with fragrant rice, succulent meat, and sweet dried fruits all encased in a golden, crispy crust of lavash bread. The grand reveal, when you cut into the crust to expose the steamy, aromatic filling, is a moment of pure culinary magic. Perfect for holidays and special gatherings, this recipe will guide you through creating a true showstopper that will leave your guests in awe.

A whole baked Shah Plov in a golden-brown lavash crust on a serving platter.

Shah Plov in Lavash — a festive delight

Cooking: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Quantity: 6 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 597 kcal
Proteins: 21 g
Fats: 30 g
Carbohydrates: 63 g

Ingredients for Shah Plov in Lavash

  • 1 large thin lavash (a soft, unleavened flatbread)
  • 500 g meat (lamb, veal, or pork)
  • 210 g parboiled rice
  • 120 g onion
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 150 g carrots
  • 70 g seedless raisins
  • 10 g barberries (dried, tart red berries)
  • 5 g sweet smoked paprika
  • 3 g ground red pepper
  • 2 g Imeretian saffron (or marigold powder)
  • 120 g butter
  • vegetable oil, salt, pepper

How to Make Shah Plov in Lavash

Pour 250 ml (about 1 cup) of water into a saucepan, add the rice, 30 g of butter, and salt. After it comes to a boil, cover with a lid, cook for 12 minutes on low heat, and then let it steam for another 10 minutes with the saucepan wrapped in a towel.

A pot of white rice being cooked for the plov.

Cooking the rice

Pour 2-3 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the diced meat. Typically, Shah Plov (a festive Azerbaijani pilaf) is made with lamb or veal. I believe it’s best to use the meat that is most popular in your region. Nothing will go wrong with the recipe if you’re in Central Europe and decide to use pork. It will be just as delicious, rest assured!

Finely chop the onion and garlic, add them to the meat, and sauté for a few minutes all together.

To the browned meat, add raisins soaked in tea, barberries, Imeretian saffron, and ground red pepper. Season with salt.

Cubes of meat browning in a hot skillet.

Add the meat to the hot oil in the pan

Diced meat, onions, and garlic being sautéed together in a pan.

Add onion and garlic to the meat and fry everything together

Meat mixture in a pan with raisins, barberries, and spices being added.

Add raisins, barberries, spices, and salt


Remove the meat from the skillet and set it aside on a plate. In the same skillet, add the julienned carrots and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Sprinkle with salt and sweet paprika.

Julienned carrots being sautéed in the same pan used for the meat.

Remove the meat from the pan and add the carrots

Melt the remaining butter in a skillet. Cut the thin lavash (a large, soft unleavened flatbread) into wide strips.

Strips of lavash bread next to a small bowl of melted butter.

Melt the butter and cut the lavash into strips

Brush them with a thin layer of melted butter and arrange them in a cast-iron pot or Dutch oven in a fan-like pattern.

A cast-iron pot being lined with overlapping strips of lavash.

Arrange the lavash strips in the pot in a fan pattern

Divide the cooked rice in half. Spread one half on the bottom of the pot and drizzle with melted butter.

The first layer of cooked rice spread over the lavash lining in a pot.

Place a portion of the rice at the bottom of the pot

Next, add the sautéed carrots, distributing them in an even layer.

Add the meat with the spices, also spreading it evenly.

On top of the meat, place the remaining rice and drizzle with melted butter.

A layer of cooked carrots being spread over the rice in the pot.

Place the sautéed carrots on top of the rice

The spiced meat and raisin mixture being layered over the carrots.

Add the meat with spices

The final layer of rice being added, with melted butter poured on top.

Place the remaining rice on top of the meat and drizzle with butter


Fold the edges of the lavash over the filling, overlapping them, and drizzle with the remaining butter. Cover the pot with a lid.

Lavash strips being folded over the filling to enclose the plov.

Fold the edges of the lavash over, overlapping them, and brush with butter

Bake the Shah Plov in lavash for 50 minutes to 1 hour in an oven preheated to 170°C (340°F).

The sealed pot containing the Shah Plov ready to be baked.

Bake the Shah Plov in lavash for 50 minutes to 1 hour

Once ready, immediately invert the Shah Plov onto a serving platter and serve hot.

The finished Shah Plov, inverted onto a plate, showing its golden crust.

Serve the Shah Plov in lavash hot

And there you have it—your very own Shah Plov, a dish fit for royalty! The best way to serve it is to bring the entire golden dome to the table for everyone to admire before cutting it into wedges, like a cake. Each slice reveals the beautiful layers of rice, meat, and carrots. It's fantastic on its own, but a side of fresh salad with herbs or a simple bowl of plain yogurt can provide a lovely, cooling contrast. We hope you enjoy making and sharing this incredible dish. It's a wonderful way to bring a taste of Azerbaijani hospitality to your home!