Bukharian Bakhsh

Bukharian Bakhsh

Bakhsh is green rice made with meat, liver and a large amount of herbs. The “khalta bakhsh” version is cooked in a cloth bag in water, especially for Shabbat; here we present a convenient pot version that doesn’t need a cooking bag. There are also chicken versions and versions without liver.

Prep time: 35 minutes · Cooking: 75 minutes · Yield: 8 · Difficulty: medium

The green is the body of the dish

Four bunches are not a garnish. Chop the tender stems too and add the herbs in two stages: some for deep cooking and some at the end for color. The chicken liver cooks through completely but shouldn’t dry out.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

• 600 grams long-grain rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
• 700 grams ground or finely chopped beef, 15% fat
• 300 grams chicken livers already kashered by broiling and bearing a suitable kashrut label, chopped
• 80 ml oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 bunches cilantro and a bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon black pepper, salt
• 900 ml boiling water, approximately

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

You can use chopped boneless chicken thighs instead of beef and liver, a family version documented in Israel. If you avoid liver, replace it with another 250 grams of meat; the flavor is less deep. Liver is not kashered by ordinary salting: if it isn’t labeled as kashered by broiling, broil and kasher it separately according to kashrut guidelines before starting the recipe. An oven bag isn’t needed for the pot version.

Method

1. Brown the base. Heat the oil, brown the onions for 8 minutes and add the beef. Break it up and brown for 8 minutes.
2. Cook the liver and add herbs. Add the pre-kashered liver and cook 5–7 minutes, until it is fully cooked and the center of the large pieces reaches 74 degrees (165°F). Set a third of the herbs aside and add the rest with the spices.
3. Add rice and water. Add the drained rice and water to about 1 cm above it. Bring to a boil.
4. Cook and rest. Cover and cook 20 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat and let rest 15 minutes without opening.
5. Fluff, fold and check. Fluff with a fork and fold in the reserved herbs. Before serving, make sure the ground meat has reached 71 degrees (160°F) and the liver 74 degrees (165°F); if not, return to gentle heat until they reach these temperatures.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

Variations and tips

• For truly green bakhsh, chop the herbs finely, but don’t grind them into a paste.
• Cool rice quickly and within two hours; don’t leave a lukewarm pot out overnight.
• To reheat, add a tablespoon of water per serving and cover until everything is steaming.

Summary

Bakhsh relies on a balance between separate grains of rice, meat and a generous amount of herbs. A serving is about 620 calories. Bukharian salad goes well alongside it. Back to all the Bukharian cuisine recipes.