A recipe for making pilaf, or how to make pilaf crumbly. How to make pilaf: cooking recipes

Recently we cooked pilaf again. We were expecting guests and wanted to cook something delicious for them! And since this delicious Uzbek dish is always welcome at any table, without thinking for long, I decided to cook it.

To my surprise, two of the guests present said that they themselves now often cook it at home. And to my pleasant surprise, they said that they prepare it according to my recipes from the blog. They said that they had finally learned how to cook it, and now they always succeed without surprises.

Moreover, one of the guests expressed the wish that it would be nice to have several recipes in one article at once, so as not to waste time searching. Yes, time is valuable for everyone now.

Well, fulfilling my friend’s request, and myself being in high spirits, because pilaf is not only delicious to eat, but also great to talk about, I begin today’s story.

And we’ll start with, perhaps, the most popular one today. I also suggest using it as a basis for all subsequent recipes. I am the one in it in detail I will directly describe the preparation for the cooking process, and the process itself, of course.

Therefore, if you cook according to the second or subsequent recipes, be sure to read the first one too. Everything is described in great detail.

It cooks quickly and always turns out delicious. And what is important, it is a fairly economical dish. And although classic options They are prepared mainly from lamb and beef; this option is very popular among the people. I already have it on my blog, so choose for yourself which one you like best.

We will need:

• chicken – 800 gr
• onion - 400 gr
• carrots - 600 gr
• rice - 600 gr
• garlic - 2 heads
• vegetable oil- 0.5 cups
• spices - cumin, coriander, rosemary
• salt - half a tablespoon
• ground red and black pepper - to taste

We will also need a cauldron and a slotted spoon, as well as a wooden stick; you can make a Chinese one. If you don’t have one, then prepare a spoon with a long handle; later I’ll tell you why we need it.

Preparation:

Cooking any of the dishes of oriental cuisine requires a special approach, and of course pilaf is no exception in this matter. You need to start preparing it without haste or fuss, always in a great mood, with enough free time.

It is also required to follow all cooking rules and maintain the required time at each stage of cooking. In general, the matter must be taken quite seriously and responsibly. Only this can guarantee the preparation of a real Uzbek dish exactly the way it is prepared in its homeland.

But I will say right away that the problem is completely solvable. There is nothing impossible about this. And when they say "what's real Uzbek pilaf only an Uzbek can cook,” don’t believe it, it’s not true. Anyone can cook, especially those who really want it.

1. First, let's start with the chicken, because that's what we'll be cooking with today. To prepare this dish, it is better to purchase fresh or chilled chicken. Don't use just the breasts, or just the thighs, or the wings. It is best for the chicken to be whole. Different meats will give a richer, more intense flavor.

And you should remember that any pilaf will be tasty only if there are bones in the meat. This applies to absolutely any meat you plan to cook from.

Usually in Uzbekistan it takes 500 grams of rice, 500 grams of carrots and the same amount of meat. But I always put in more meat so that no one looks at each other and there is enough for everyone. As a rule, meat is eaten first.

But if you wish, take less meat.

2. Wash the chicken, dry it with a paper towel and cut it fairly large. If you cut it finely, then all the meat will be boiled, as it cooks quite quickly. It will be better if the pieces are kept whole

3. Cut the onion into thin half rings. To do this, you need to have a fairly sharp knife, otherwise it won’t work out thin. And it is important for us to cut it exactly so that the onion has time to evaporate during cooking, giving all the juice to the dish being prepared.

4. First cut the carrots diagonally, cutting them into long thin plates no more than 0.5 cm thick. And then stack several plates and cut them into strips. Try to cut the carrots carefully to avoid cutting yourself. When the stack is large enough, the knife can easily slip off. Therefore, to begin with, cut no more than 2 - 3 plates at a time.

So be patient and cut as expected.

The role of carrots is very important, it gives sweetness, juiciness, color and appearance. But if we grate carrots, we will not get the desired effect. Just like if you cut it into cubes or thick bars.

Yes, whole science! But you have to try to master it if you want to eat delicious food!

5. Rice is also a special topic. Any store-bought rice will not work. Choose elongated rice varieties; short-grain varieties are not suitable for making pilaf. Steamed varieties are good; they do not become soggy when cooked, and the rice turns out fluffy, as it should be.

Often at the market in Central Asia You can see this picture: when buying rice, they taste it. So, if the grain is easy to bite into, then such rice is not suitable for pilaf; you can only cook porridge from it. The grain must be hard; it will definitely not boil or stick together.

Rice must be washed by placing it in a bowl until the water is clear. This will release excess starch and make the rice crumbly. Steamed rice varieties are washed fairly quickly. But some other varieties will need to be washed for 10 minutes or more.

In addition, such varieties are also left in water for a short time and allowed to lie down so that the rice swells and cooks faster.

6. You also need spices; without cumin it will not get the desired aroma. It gives a real smell and taste, without it the dish will not turn out truly Uzbek. Often they also add ground coriander. Barberry will also never be superfluous. Therefore, purchase them in advance.

7. Garlic is also added for flavor. There is no need to completely peel it and cut it into pieces. You just need to clean off the place where the roots were located, there may be remnants of soil there, and remove the top layers of the shirt. The garlic also needs to be washed thoroughly.

8. It is advisable to cook pilaf in a cauldron, this is how it turns out the most delicious. This happens due to thick walls and uniform heating. If you don’t have a cauldron, you can cook it in a thick-walled frying pan with high sides. You won’t be able to go there for a big campaign, but you can feed your family.

It looks like everything has been prepared. You can start cooking.

Preparation:

1. Pour oil into a cauldron and heat it to a bluish haze. Don’t look at how much oil there is, don’t reduce the amount. There are also a lot of ingredients, and each piece needs to be lightly oiled.

2. Carefully place the chicken parts into the cauldron so as not to get burned. To prevent the oil from splashing, the chicken should be dried. There is no need to salt or pepper it in advance. We need to achieve a quick golden brown crust so that the flesh inside remains juicy. For this we need maximum fire.

Fry the chicken until golden brown. Periodically stirring the contents with a slotted spoon.

3. Add onion and stir immediately. If it starts to burn, you can reduce the heat to medium and cook the onion until soft or golden brown.

4. Pour a glass of hot water and let the onions simmer for 10 minutes until all the water has boiled away. During this time, the onion will become almost transparent.

5. Now it's time for the carrots. As we remember, it gives taste and color. To get a golden color, the carrots must be lightly fried so that they release their juice. There is no need to create a strong fire. Carrots should simmer rather than fry.

After sweating the carrots for about ten minutes, without forgetting to stir the contents of the cauldron, we move on to the next step.

6. Now is the time to add spices, salt and pepper. Stir, then stick two heads of garlic directly into the middle. Stick it in harder so that it doesn’t float up when we add water.

After this, we will no longer interfere with anything until the very end of cooking.

7. Lay out the washed rice in an even layer. Smooth it well over the entire surface.

8. Then very important point, you need to fill it with water correctly. You need hot water, so boil the kettle in advance.

It is necessary to pour water into the cauldron through the holes in the slotted spoon. This simple step will allow the rice to stay in place. It is necessary that the carrots do not float. And if we pour water from the kettle directly onto the rice, a funnel will form and the carrots will immediately float to the surface.

9. You need to pour in enough water to cover the rice by 1.5 - 2 cm. Usually the index finger is the measure. If you put it in water (although it will be hot), then the first phalanx should be completely covered.

Let the contents boil for big fire, then reduce it to medium.

10. Wait until the water boils, let it simmer for 5 minutes, then taste the broth. While there is broth, you can salt it if there is not enough salt. When the broth boils away, it will be too late to add salt; the salt will not have time to disperse.

11. Cook the rice until almost done, boiling should occur evenly over the entire surface. Otherwise, the rice will be cooked on one side and may remain raw on the other.

During this time, there should be no liquid left on the surface. But she still remained inside. We need it to boil too, otherwise we will end up with ordinary porridge.

To do this, carefully collect a mound of rice. To do this correctly, you need to take a slotted spoon and collect the rice from the edge to the center. At the edges the rice was already completely cooked, but in the middle it was more difficult for it to get ready. Therefore, we will help him with this.

By moving the rice from the edge to the center, we seem to cover the raw center with the already cooked one. When the pot is ready, take it Chinese chopstick, or a spoon with a long handle, and with rotational movements we make holes over the entire surface of the slide. They need to be done to the very bottom, which is why a simple spoon will not work, the length of its handle is simply not enough.

All the water that remains below us now has an outlet. And when leaving, she will simultaneously help the still raw rice reach the desired state. And for this to happen, and also for the bottom layer not to burn, the fire must be reduced to a minimum and the cauldron covered with a lid.

12. Simmer it like this for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and, without opening the lid, cover it with a towel so that steam does not escape through the holes. It will steam what is still not steamed.

Leave the dish in this state for about 15 minutes. Then open the lid, making sure that the condensation that has formed on the lid does not fall back into the cauldron.

13. Pilaf can be carefully mixed in a cauldron, and then placed on a large dish. However, there is special types preparations, and we will talk about them today, where it is not mixed, but laid out in layers. First the rice, then the carrots and the last layer meat is laid out. Garlic tops it all off.

It has retained its appearance, but its taste has changed dramatically. Having given its aroma to the rice, it in turn absorbed all the aromas of the dish and its taste. Be sure to try it! He has both his fans and his opponents. Some people really like this garlic, and I am among them. And some people don’t understand this taste.

In any case, it has already done its job, and therefore, if you don’t eat it, just throw it away.

If you wish, you can leave the chicken pieces whole, or you can cut them into smaller portions, and someone will also remove all the bones. It's a matter of taste here!

14. Serve pilaf on a large flat dish, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

It is also usually served with a salad of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes with onions, seasoned with vegetable oil.

And no mayonnaise or ketchup! Real pilaf does not need any additives.

Otherwise, I have met people who ask him for this or that. Don't give! Delicious pilaf is so tasty that you can eat “even a spoon” unnoticed.

That's basically all! A lot has been written, I agree. But this is just so that everything is clear to everyone! Everything is happening faster!

Well, how do you like the recipe? Have you already felt how delicious it will be? And they felt correctly, it couldn’t be otherwise. Well, if you’re not tired, then move on to the next recipe.

Beef pilaf according to the classic recipe - “Fergana”

Real classic recipe comes from Fergana, and therefore has the name “Fergana”

I’ll immediately explain why this particular recipe is a classic. Well, first of all, this is the most prepared recipe in Uzbekistan. It is prepared everywhere. Secondly, it is the basis of all others. Already on this basis, all other options are prepared, with the addition of many other ingredients. We will look at some of them today.

This recipe is described in great detail in one of my articles. And therefore today I will only briefly recall all the main provisions. If anyone wants to cook this recipe, please ask for a detailed description.

We will need:

• lamb - 700 -800 gr
• fat tail fat - 100 g
• onion - 400 gr
• carrots - 600 gr
• rice - 600 gr
• cumin - 1 teaspoon
• spices - for pilaf (optional)
• garlic - 2 heads (optional)
• salt - 1 tbsp. spoon
• pepper - to taste
• greens - for sprinkling

Preparation:

This recipe also has a preparation step, which is the same as the first recipe. Here I will only briefly outline all the steps, and see the details above.

1. There is one feature here that should be discussed in more detail. The recipe should use bone-in meat and pulp. It is advisable to use lamb for this. But if you couldn’t find a good piece of such meat, then buy beef. It is very good if the meat is fresh or chilled.

Wash the meat on the bones and dry it. And cut the pulp into small pieces, 2-3 cm in size, no more.

We also need fat tail fat. With it, any pilaf becomes much tastier, more aromatic and healthier. It needs to be cut into cubes measuring 2 by 2 cm. But if you don’t have it, then use only vegetable oil. But in this case you will need to take 200 ml.

2. Now we need to cut the onion into half rings. Carrots in thin strips. Rinse the rice until the water is clear. And you can start cooking.

3. Place the cauldron on the fire and warm it thoroughly. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped fat tail fat, evaporate it until it becomes crackling.

Then add vegetable oil.

4. Or immediately pour in the oil, heat it thoroughly until there is a bluish haze and carefully place the meat bones into the cauldron so as not to get burned. Fry them until golden brown over high heat. It is necessary that the juice is “sealed” in the meat so that it does not become dry. For this you need a big fire.

5. Add chopped onion and fry until slightly golden or soft.

6. Add chopped pulp. It must be placed evenly on top of the seeds and onions, but do not mix, otherwise the temperature of the oil will drop sharply. You can stir when the meat is warm, that is, after about 4 - 5 minutes.

7. Fry this meat too. Our oil is hot and it will fry quickly enough. It should also brown slightly.

8. And as soon as this happens, add carrots. We also give it a couple of minutes to warm up and only after that mix all the contents with a slotted spoon.

Fry the carrots over medium heat for 5 minutes, during which time they will soften slightly and brown.

In Uzbekistan, yellow carrots are specially grown; using them, the dish has a less sweet taste. Such carrots are very common there for making pilaf. Unfortunately, we don’t have such carrots, and we use our usual varieties.

9. Pour half the cumin into the contents and pour everything over cold water. It should completely cover the carrots, but no more. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. During this time, the carrots will release juice, and the broth will acquire a pleasant sunny color. In the future, this will give a pleasant color to the entire dish as a whole.

What we have now achieved is called “zirvak” in Uzbekistan, that is, it is a kind of basis for pilaf. It gives color, aroma and taste to the whole dish. Therefore, “zirvak” must be tasty.

10. If you use garlic, then insert it between the seeds. By the way, there is one point here. It happens that at this stage the bones can already be easily removed from the meat. They take them out, putting the pulp back.

But you can leave it to remove later. That's what I do. Let them put more fat into the broth.

Also at this stage you need to add salt, pepper and spices. The only spices you can add are cumin (we have already added it) and ground coriander. Barberry is also good. If you have it, then feel free to add a whole tablespoon. It will be very tasty. The rice will have a slight pleasant sourness.

11. Place washed rice in an even layer over the entire surface of the zirvak. If the rice is not parboiled, then pre-soak it in lukewarm water for 20 minutes.

12. Add water through the holes in the slotted spoon so that it covers the rice to the height of the phalanx index finger, or about 1.5 - 2 cm. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat until the water does not boil, but only gurgles slightly. Taste the salt

13. After about 15 minutes, almost all the water should evaporate, and by that time the rice should be 90% ready. If for some reason it is still damp, you can add a little more hot water.

14. If the rice is almost ready, form a slide and make holes in it to the very bottom. Add the remaining cumin, rubbing it in your palms for flavor.

15. Set the heat to very low and simmer, covering the lid with a towel so that steam does not escape into the holes. It will steam well the rice that has not yet reached the desired state. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

16. Then turn off the gas, do not open the lid. Let stand for another 10 - 15 minutes to allow the dish to rest.

17. After that, open the lid and carefully mix the contents directly in the cauldron. Use a slotted spoon for this. Take out the meat on the bones, remove the bones, and cut the meat.

18. Place the pilaf in a large flat dish. Place pieces of meat and whole garlic on top. Sprinkle with herbs.

19. Eat with pleasure!

Otherwise it won’t work. We had a very tasty dish today. You can’t anymore, but you eat anyway, your hand involuntarily reaches for the spoon.

Eat, don't be afraid. This is such a healthy and completely balanced dish that there will be no harm from it. Only one benefit.

If you are not tired yet, then I move on to the next recipe.

Video on how to cook pilaf from beef and devzira rice

Devzira rice grows only in one place on our planet - the Fergana Valley in the upper reaches of the Syr Darya in sunny, hospitable Uzbekistan. It has a brownish-pink color. This is powder from the shell of threshed grain. When you wash the rice, the powder is washed off, but the brown grooves remain on the grain.

Thanks to this, you can distinguish whether it is real or not.

This variety perfectly absorbs water, all juices from vegetables and fats. And that’s why it turns out very tasty.

You can buy it on the market from knowledgeable people, or in expensive supermarkets. IN last time I bought it to order at the market for 350 rubles per kilogram.

If you don’t have such rice, then it’s okay. You can also prepare it from regular long-grain, preferably steamed. It will not boil over and the pilaf will turn out 100% crumbly.

How to cook pork pilaf so that the rice is crumbly

Pork pilaf? Excuse me, dear Uzbeks. I know that you do not cook pork dishes. But here in Russia they are prepared everywhere. Therefore, I will give the recipe so that if anyone wants to cook with pork, then let them do it correctly.

This summer I cooked for myself for the first time. It turned out very tasty! I prepared it at the request of a friend, one might say, in the field. It was a wonderful experience for me.

Today, in order not to repeat myself, I want to offer a completely different recipe, and cook it with mushrooms. Of course, it can be prepared not only from pork, but also traditionally for Uzbekistan - from lamb or beef. How it is prepared, by the way. After all, I want to give you the Uzbek recipe. It is prepared there in early spring, when the very first mushrooms begin to appear - morels.

When we lived in Samarkand, we went specifically to the mountains to get them. Once, in the local mountains called Amankutan, I found two huge morels, weighing a kilogram, or even more, each. Pilaf was cooked from one, right in the mountains during an overnight stay. Cooked without any meat. It was incredibly delicious!

We also grow morels, and whoever collects them in May can cook pilaf from them, it’s very tasty!

Although you can cook with absolutely all mushrooms, both fresh and frozen, and even champignons. And as you already understood, you can cook with or without meat. I'm cooking with meat today. If you decide to cook without meat, then simply remove it from the recipe, as if it were not there, and leave everything else unchanged.

For vegetarians and during Lent, this will be the most wonderful hearty dish!

We will need:

• pork meat (or other) - 400 gr
• mushrooms - 400 gr
• carrots - 600 gr
• onion - 250 gr
• rice - 600 gr
• melted butter - 100 g
• vegetable oil - 100 g
• garlic - 1 head
• cumin, coriander - 1 tbsp. spoon
• salt, pepper - to taste

Preparation:

1. Rinse the meat, dry it and cut into pieces with a side of 3 - 4 cm. You can use both pulp and meat with bones, for example, ribs.

2. Rinse fresh mushrooms thoroughly and place in a colander to drain all the water. If the mushrooms are frozen, defrost them and dry them with a paper towel.

3. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Carrots - into strips. How to do this, see 1 recipe. Wash the garlic, remove the top husk and thoroughly clean the area where the roots were. We leave the head entirely and in the “shirt”.

4. Rinse the rice until the water is clear. If it is not steamed, but quite hard, then soak it in warm water for 20 minutes.

5. Heat the cauldron and pour vegetable oil into it, warm it until lightly smoking. Carefully place the meat in the oil so as not to burn yourself. To do this, you can use a slotted spoon.

6. Quickly fry the meat until golden brown. It should fry fairly quickly as the oil is hot. Quick frying gives a crust, thanks to which the juice is retained inside, and the meat does not turn out too dry.

7. Immediately add ghee and onions. Fry it until golden brown and soft.

8. Then add mushrooms. They should be cut into pieces large enough so that after cooking you don’t have to look for them. In addition, it should be noted that when frying, the mushrooms will decrease in volume by at least half. Fry everything together for 5 - 7 minutes.

9. Then add carrots, spices, salt and pepper. Stir and fry for 10 minutes until lightly browned and soft. We got a beautiful and fragrant zirvak. We add garlic to it, which we try to drown deeper into the thickness of the meat, mushrooms and carrots.

If necessary, reduce the heat; nothing should burn.

10. Add rice, spreading it out in a thin, even layer. We try to cover all the carrots with it so that they do not float up when we add water.

11. Pour hot water through the holes in the slotted spoon so that it covers the rice by 1.5-2 cm, or on the phalanx of the index finger. Let it boil over high heat, then reduce the heat. After 5 minutes, try the broth; if you think there is not enough salt, then salt the broth evenly.

12. Evaporate all the water; the rice should be almost ready by then. If it turns out to be damp, you can add a little water.

If its readiness is 90%, then we make a mound, collecting rice from the edges to the center, making holes with a wooden stick to the very bottom. Then you need to reduce the heat to minimum, cover with a lid and put a towel on it so that steam does not escape from the cauldron. He must do his job and get the rice ready.

13. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the pilaf to simmer for another 15 minutes under the lid.

14. Mix the finished pilaf directly in the cauldron, do this carefully so as not to break the rice or damage the mushrooms. Then place it on a large flat dish. Sprinkle with herbs and enjoy eating!

Delicious and aromatic pilaf is ready! I hope you like it. I also hope that you understand how to cook it without meat? If you don’t understand, then ask in the comments, I will be happy to answer you!

Uzbek beef pilaf with quince

To avoid repetition with recipes, I want to cook this version of pilaf with quince, or it can be replaced with pumpkin.

This is a purely autumn cooking option. It is prepared when the quince or pumpkin has absorbed all sunlight, and become tasty and aromatic.

I'm cooking today with quince - a beauty. But you can safely change the word quince for the word pumpkin, since the dish is prepared in the same way with both.

I have to tell you that it turns out incredibly tasty. Honestly, we are so spoiled in our family. various options this dish, that for us it has long become just an everyday dish. But when I cook it with quince, it's always an event! Therefore, when the husband brought a large and delicious-smelling fruit from the market, he immediately said, “This is for pilaf.” And this was not discussed.

We will need:

• lamb (beef) – 600 gr
• fat tail fat - 100 g
• quince - 350 -400 gr
• vegetable oil - 0.5 cups
• onion - 300 gr
• carrots - 600 gr
• rice - 600 gr
• cumin - 1 teaspoon
• ground coriander - 1 teaspoon
• barberry - 1 tbsp. spoon
• salt, ground black pepper - to taste

Preparation:

For preparation of ingredients and cutting, read the first recipe in detail. But here we will focus on the recipe itself.

1. We use either lamb or beef. You can also cook it with pork. In Central Asia they don’t cook this meat, but we can do it. Therefore, take the meat you want to cook with.

Again, you need pulp and you need meat bones. I'm using lamb again, and I also have fat tail fat in stock. If you don't have it, then cook in oil. But in this case you will need a little more than half a glass, specifically 200 ml.

2. Cut the meat into large pieces the size of meat bones. Cut the fat into small pieces.

3. We will cook in a cauldron. We heat it up, then add the fat and lightly fry it. You can fry until the cracklings are formed and then remove them. I want to preserve them for taste, and therefore I fry them only lightly, and then take them out into a separate plate.

Pour oil into a cauldron, heat it well and lay out the meat bones. Fry them until golden brown over high heat. Well-fried meat retains all the juices inside and cooks faster.

4. As soon as the bones are fried, add the pieces of meat and fat that you took out. Wait 3 minutes for them to warm up with steam, then stir and fry everything together, also until golden brown. It is important not to overcook the meat, otherwise the broth will later turn out dark, and this will make the pilaf brown. And not only the color, the taste will also suffer.

5. Place onions in a cauldron. Wait 3 minutes again until it warms up and then stir it into the meat. Fry until it turns golden. Then pour hot boiled water and cook the contents until the meat comes away from the bone.

It may take from 30 minutes to an hour. If the meat is young, it will cook faster. The time also depends on what bony parts of the meat you use. Some cook faster, others may take a little longer.

During cooking, the onion will also lose its shape and become like a puree. This is good, it will add its own flavor to the broth in which the rice will cook. The fat of the tail will also evaporate and become completely invisible.

6. While the meat is cooking, let's take care of the quince. It is good to have tasty ripe quince, preferably one that does not have an astringent taste.

It must be washed thoroughly, then cut into 4 parts and the core removed. Then cut it into small half-moon-shaped slices, 0.5 cm thick. If the fruit is large, as mine was, then cut each slice into two more halves.

7. Fry the slices for minimum quantity vegetable oil until golden brown. Then place on a paper napkin.

It should be remembered that quince darkens very quickly when cut, so before frying it can be kept in cold water for a while. Then place on paper towels and dry. This way the slices will not darken and will remain a beautiful sunny color.

8. When the meat is ready, take out the meat on the bones and remove the bones. Send the meat back.

This must be done if you are preparing a dish for guests. If you are cooking for yourself, you can leave the bones. For example, we really like it when meat is laid out on the bones. And my husband always asks not to remove them ahead of time. I don't mind. After all, the pilaf will take another 40 minutes to cook, so the fat from them will increase even more during this time.

9. No matter what you do, it's time for carrots. Place it on top of the meat and let it sit for 2-3 minutes without disturbing it until it warms up. Then mix and simmer everything together for about 10 minutes. Make sure that the carrots do not burn. If this is not enough own juice and broth, you can add a little hot water.

10. Add cumin, ground coriander, salt and pepper to taste. We also add barberry. Thus, our zirvak is ready.

Barberry is used in all cooking options; it gives an excellent light sourness to the entire dish. It can be added either large black or smaller red, there is no difference.

11. By the time the carrots have softened slightly, the rice should be ready. The first recipe describes in detail how to prepare it, so I won't repeat myself.

Spread it in an even layer over the entire surface of the meat and carrots. And fill it with boiled water, pour the water through the holes in the slotted spoon so that the rice does not rise from the stream of water and expose the carrots, they should remain covered.

The water should be 1.5 - 2 cm higher than the carrots.

12. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce it, let it simmer for 5 minutes and taste the broth for saltiness. We add it if necessary. As long as there is water, it will spread it evenly over the entire surface of the cooking dish.

13. Bring the rice to 85-90% readiness; by then there should be no water remaining on the surface. We lay out the quince slices and assemble a mound so that the quince remains inside.

If water is not visible along the edges of the walls, then carefully use a stick to make holes in the slide all the way to the bottom. We try not to pierce the quince. When you hit a piece with your stick, go around it. In this case, you need to rotate the stick; it will push the entire quince aside.

Close the lid and cover it with a towel to prevent steam from escaping into the cracks.

14. Reduce the gas to a minimum and simmer for 10 -15 minutes. Then turn off the gas, there is no need to open the lid, and let it sit for another 10 - 15 minutes.

15. Then carefully mix the contents and place on a large dish. Place the pieces of meat on top of the finished dish.

16. Now you need to sprinkle the pilaf with fresh herbs and serve to the admiration of all those present. Enjoy eating!

And there will definitely be pleasure and admiration! Crumbly rice, stewed carrots and quince, with the aroma of cumin, the additional sour taste of barberry, the light taste of fat tail fat, which carefully envelops literally every grain of rice! It's just such magic! Complete enjoyment of taste and aroma. I don't even know what could be tastier!

Here, there are only 3 recipes, and the article is no longer small. This is pilaf! Either not write about him at all, or write from the heart, and that means a lot! There is no other way! A special dish that requires special treatment!

If you are ready to get more recipes, then I am ready to share them further!

Delicious Samarkand pilaf

I can’t leave today’s selection without this delicious recipe. This is my favorite. Maybe because I lived in Samarkand for a long time, or maybe because I learned to cook the dish according to this recipe, or maybe because it is simply the most amazing and beautiful pilaf I have ever known.

I have already described in great detail in one of the articles how it is prepared. And therefore, you will find it and be able to cook it.

A distinctive feature of this option is that after cooking, the rice is not mixed with all other ingredients. It is laid out on the dish in layers, just as it was prepared. Rice is laid out first, then carrots and meat and garlic are laid out last.

The carrots are not fried, but steamed. Thanks to this, the color of the dish remains light, the carrots have a rich, bright color and the same rich stewed taste.

The meat is cut into large pieces; meat with bones is always used. Before placing in a dish, the bones are removed and the meat is cut into small pieces.

Served with coarsely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh herbs and green onions.

If you like to cook pilaf and have never cooked it this way, then be sure to cook it! Believe me, it's worth it! You will like it, I'm sure!

Wedding Uzbek pilaf with peas and raisins

Well, what would a wedding be without pilaf? The entire wedding in Uzbekistan is judged by what kind of pilaf it was. Therefore, in order to prepare it correctly and tasty, they invite special masters who have extensive cooking experience. And this despite the fact that all the men and women present at the wedding know how to cook it.

To make the life of young people happy and rich, pomegranate seeds, Uzbek peas, and raisins are added to pilaf. Each ingredient is symbolic and means, for example, that there are many children in the family, that wealth and abundance live in the house, that love is a constant and faithful companion. Barberry is also placed, which means good health and longevity.

Dried apricots and chopped boiled eggs can also be added.

Because of large quantity components, it is important that everything in the pilaf is balanced, so that none of the ingredients stands out from the overall taste.

Today I propose to prepare pilaf with all the ingredients, but you can prepare it according to this recipe using only chickpeas, or only raisins, or pomegranate.

We will need:

• lamb or beef meat - 700 gr
• tail fat or vegetable oil - 200 g
• hard grain rice, devzira variety – 600 g
• onion - 250 gr
• garlic - 2 heads
• carrots - 600 gr
• raisins – 100 gr
• chickpeas - 100 gr
• barberry - 50 gr
• pomegranate – 1 piece (200 g)
• zira - 1 tbsp. spoon
• salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Chickpeas should be soaked in advance, preferably even a day before cooking. During this time, you can change the water a couple of times. During this time, the peas should double in size. When you bite into it, it will no longer be hard and should be chewable.

2. Cook the meat. It should be washed, dried and cut into large pieces of 150 - 200 grams. Cut the tail fat into small cubes, measuring 2 by 2 cm. If there is no fat, then prepare vegetable oil. You can also use 100 grams of butter and 100 grams of fat.

3. For wedding pilaf, a special variety of rice is used, which is called devzira. This variety is specially grown for its preparation. It is quite rare and expensive. It grows in only one place in the Fergana Valley of sunny Uzbekistan. This is large, elongated rice, which is covered with a layer of pink powder. That is why it is called the pink pearl of the East.

This rice is not polished, thanks to this it retains all its nutritional properties and has a lot of vitamins and microelements. And it is also quite hard, and therefore it will not stick together during the cooking process and will remain crumbly.

If you have such rice, then this is already luck. Delicious pilaf is guaranteed to you. Unfortunately, even in markets in Central Asia you can easily run into fakes. Therefore, you need to have special knowledge and the ability to choose it.

Since it is very hard, it must first be soaked for several hours in lightly salted water.

If there is no such rice, then you can use steamed rice, which is sold in every store; in this case, you just need to rinse it thoroughly until the water is clear. It is not necessary to soak it.

4. Cut the onion into thin half rings, the carrots into thin strips, 3 cm thick and 5 - 6 cm long.

5. Sort through the raisins and barberries, removing their sticks. And we start cooking.

6. Place the cauldron on the fire and warm it up thoroughly. Add the tail fat and evaporate it until there are cracklings, then remove them with a slotted spoon.

If you use oil, pour it in and heat thoroughly.

7. Fry the meat in oil; after frying, you should get a golden brown crust. Add half the cumin and 1/3 of the onion and continue to fry, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon. Fry both meat and onion over high heat until the onion is also browned.

8. Place carrots on top of the onions, level them over the entire surface, but do not mix. Then the peas, from which all the water had previously been drained and rinsed in clean water. Don't mix it either.

9. Then turn a layer of raisins, which, in turn, are evenly sprinkled with barberries. Add garlic.

10. Fill the contents with cold water, pouring it through the holes in the slotted spoon so that the layers do not mix. You need so much water that it only half covers the layer with peas. Add salt to taste.

Let the water boil. Then reduce the heat to low. Leave to simmer for 40 - 50 minutes. During this time, the meat and peas will be almost ready, and all the components will steam well and release all their flavor into the zirvak.

11. Add a little hot water, let it simmer for 5 minutes and carefully remove the meat. We try not to greatly disturb the layers.

12. Increase heat to maximum and spread rice in an even layer. Add salt.

Sprinkle some cumin. Add water as needed; it should cover the rice by 1 cm. Remember that it must be added through the holes in the slotted spoon.

13. Bring to a boil. Make sure that it is uniform over the entire surface. If the boiling is uneven, the rice will cook as well. Cook until all the water has evaporated. By this time, the rice should be 85 - 90% ready.

If this is the case, then put the meat back into the cauldron, while lightly pressing it into the rice.

14. Mix the remaining onion with the remaining cumin and place on top. Then cover tightly with a lid, you can cover the top with a towel to be sure so that no steam escapes, and leave to simmer over very low heat for 20-25 minutes.

15. Open the lid. Carefully remove the top layer of onion into a separate bowl. Place the meat on a cutting board and cut it into pieces or slices, as you prefer.

16. Place pilaf in the form of a mound on a large dish. First, you can carefully mix it in a cauldron, or you can put rice first, and only then peas with raisins and carrots on top.

Carefully place pieces of meat on top. Sprinkle generously with pomegranate seeds.

17. Serve the onions in a separate bowl as an appetizer. Also serve fresh vegetables, herbs and green onions.

18. Eat with pleasure!

This is such an interesting and delicious recipe!

And here is another recipe for holiday pilaf, which is prepared in a completely different way.

In addition to the recipes offered today, there are many more recipes that are simply impossible to offer all in one article! For example, pilaf can be prepared with cabbage rolls made from grape leaves.

To do this, they are first prepared, then placed on a thick culinary thread in the form of a necklace.

Pilaf is prepared according to the same scheme as, for example, Fergana, classic. Only after preparing the zirvak, first lay out a necklace of grape leaves and cook them until ready for about 40 minutes. Then take out and add rice. When it is 80% ready, add the cabbage rolls again and simmer with the lid closed for another 10-15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Using the same scheme, you can prepare a small dish bell pepper. It also turns out quite tasty.

There are also options and variations depending on the area where it is prepared. For example, Bukhara pilaf, which is prepared with raisins, or Kokand, or Khorezm, which takes a whole day to prepare. Well, or the above-mentioned Samarkand and Fergana options.

In general, by understanding what is done during the cooking process, you can prepare any pilaf. And now I will try to give the basic provisions for all types and varieties.

• You should always approach the preparation of this dish only with a good and positive attitude
• cooking does not tolerate fuss and haste
• All ingredients should be prepared in advance - cut vegetables, wash and prepare rice, put spices on hand, boil water. It is not advisable to be distracted by these things while cooking. Requires maximum concentration on the cooking process itself
• For cooking, it is advisable to have a cauldron, or a thick-walled dish with high walls. Only in such a container will the heat be distributed evenly and the dish will turn out as it should. In ordinary dishes, for example, rice will cook faster near the walls and remain raw inside. It will be difficult to move and cook it; by then the rice at the sides will be boiled.
• The meat used is mainly lamb or beef. Also prepared from chicken. Well, we also cook with pork.
• If you have the opportunity to stock up on fat tail fat, then do it, you won’t regret it. It makes any pilaf twice as tasty. Plus it's also healthier.

• In order for the meat to be tasty, it must be fried over high heat so that it quickly “seals” and becomes covered with a golden brown crust. For this reason, the meat is not pre-salted; this will not allow you to get a quick crust, the juice will leak out and the meat will not be tasty.
• The onion must be cut into half rings very thinly. The onion gives juice and taste; during cooking it becomes pureed and is completely invisible in the pilaf. Do not cut onions into cubes for cooking.
• Carrots cannot be grated, cut into cubes or thick slices. Although the word “cannot” is probably not entirely correct, it is possible, but this is not how they cut it for pilaf. Carrots should be cut into strips 5–7 cm long and no more than 0.5 cm thick.
• To prepare a delicious and authentic Uzbek dish, you must have cumin, or it is also called cumin. Without it, pilaf cannot be prepared.
• Coriander can also be used as a spice; these are ground cilantro seeds. The dish is also very tasty with the addition of barberry.

• rice for pilaf should be long-grain, it’s good if it says steamed on the package. This rice does not stick together and turns out crumbly. The grains should not be chipped; when bitten, they should not break easily.

• It is better not to use round-grain varieties. They contain a lot of gluten and are good for boiled porridges, but not for pilaf.
• When cooking rice, do not stir it, otherwise it will turn out to be porridge.
• the best type of rice for cooking pilaf is devzira. It is not sold in stores; it can only be bought in markets in Uzbekistan. And then, you can easily be deceived. Before buying it, read on the Internet how to choose it correctly.
• Each type of rice requires a certain amount of water when cooked. This can only be determined experimentally.

What to do if all the water has boiled away and the rice is not ready yet?

- add a little hot water, and if holes have already been made in the pot, then you can add water directly into them so that the rice steams evenly.

What to do if the rice is already cooked, but there is still a lot of water left?

- open the lid and turn up the heat. Using a slotted spoon, you can slightly move the rice away from the wall so that the hot walls help the water evaporate faster.

In this case, you need to be careful so that nothing burns at the bottom.

• boiling while cooking rice should be uniform over the entire surface of the cauldron, otherwise it will cook unevenly
• After the pilaf is completely ready, open the lid so that the condensation that has accumulated on it does not fall back into the cauldron. Excess water nothing in rice.
• Do not serve the dish with mayonnaise and ketchup. Also, do not serve it with salads with mayonnaise.

Cooking pilaf is akin to art. Therefore, in order to create a real culinary masterpiece, you need to study. And you can only learn by preparing it, gradually honing your skills each time. Then you will begin to notice all the nuances and comprehend all the subtleties.

That seems to be all. The article turned out to be great and I hope it is useful for you. Write in the comments if you found it useful? Have you learned anything new in preparing this delicious Uzbek dish? And also write if everything worked out if you prepared it according to one of the recipes. If something didn’t work out, don’t despair, write, describe what didn’t work out and I will help you. Next time it will definitely work!

And also share with your friends. I will be grateful for the likes you give.

Well, I'll leave it at that. All the best to you, and bon appetit to those who cooked pilaf today!

How to properly cook awesome pilaf

Greetings, dear readers of the Ode to Cooking blog. In today's article I would like to touch upon the topic of cooking pilaf. No, not rice porridge with meat, but pilaf. Real proper home-cooked pilaf. Yes, we all know that rice needs to be rinsed well with cold water before cooking (but few people know why). We know that pilaf is prepared with meat, but there is still debate about what kind of meat to cook pilaf with. In the world there are both opponents and supporters of chicken, pork, lamb... We know... We know something else... These and many other subtleties will be discussed in this article.

For convenience, you can use the outline of the article.

Let's go...

How to cook delicious pilaf

Plan

History of rice

About a hundred or more (no one really knows) millennia ago, humanity learned the secret of rice culture.

The remains of pottery with traces of rice, old manuscripts from China and India, where references to rice in ritual offerings to the gods, and ancient rice fields with an irrigation canal system have survived to our times. Since then, rice as a special crop has firmly taken root in the culinary traditions of 60% of the world's population, playing an active role in the destinies of millions of people who work in the rice fields and prepare culinary masterpieces from rice.

For many peoples, rice, in addition to being another link in the food chain, is an important phenomenon of their culture and civilization. Japan, Indonesia, China, India - these countries consider rice a gift from the gods, a symbol of fertility and life.

However, the prevalence of rice is also high for other reasons. Simple cultivation technologies (swampy areas), low purchase price of goods, ease of storage, high adaptability of rice to different climatic conditions- all this makes rice culture incredibly popular.

Benefits of rice

The beneficial component of the cereal family is also important: rice is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins (essential A and C, B vitamins), proteins, amino acids and minerals.

• Rice is a great choice for presenters healthy image life
• It is actively used in the preparation of dietary dishes
• Thanks to its unique composition, rice helps strengthen the nervous system
• He is capable of long time supply the human body with a fair amount of energy
• Rice does not contain salt at all; on the contrary, it promotes its removal from the body, therefore it is recommended by doctors for consumption by people suffering from cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
• It is like an adsorbent, like a sponge, absorbing harmful substances and cleansing the body of toxins. Rice water can be used during poisoning, diarrhea, and high fever.
• Rice is recommended by nutritionists for consumption by people who are obese and want to lose weight without harm to the body.

Types of rice and its use in cooking

There are several varieties of rice in the world: long grain, medium grain, short grain white and brown, wild, golden or parboiled. All these types are actively used in the preparation of various dishes, including pilaf.

Before you buy a package of rice, take a closer look at it: the length and shape of the rice grains (grains) will tell you about the properties of this product. Consequently, it will help you prepare exactly what you would like to see on your table and please your loved ones or friends with another culinary masterpiece.

does not require a large amount of water when cooking, holds its shape well, is quite dense and does not stick together. This rice hardens quickly after cooling, ideal for salads, pilaf and other side dishes with vegetables.

Requires a large amount of water when cooking. It quickly becomes soft and sticks together. This type of rice absorbs flavors perfectly. Great for soups, risotto and paella.

Requires a large amount of water when cooking, sticks together strongly, acquiring a creamy mass. Does not harden after cooling. Used in making sushi, pies, cereals, various casseroles, and sweet desserts.

It is more expensive (in our market, a package of brown rice costs about 300 rubles). When processed, this rice loses only its flower scales, retaining its beautiful brown color and nutrients. Cooking time for brown rice is 40-45 minutes. Due to its high fat content, it does not have a long shelf life. Brown rice smells nutty and has a dense texture. It is used in the preparation of pilaf, side dishes with vegetables, fish or meat, and salads.

During processing, it is soaked in water, steamed, dried and cleared of the germ and shell. Golden or parboiled rice retains 80% nutrients. Its cooking time is 30-35 minutes. It does not stick together, maintaining friability. It can be reheated many times. The rice has a light nutty flavor and a coarse texture. Ideal for pilaf, side dishes with vegetables, fish or meat, salads.

When processed together with the germ and shell, it loses the bulk of its nutrients. Its cooking time is 20 minutes. Rice is stored for a long time and has a weak aroma and taste. Used for preparing soups, salads, pilaf, side dishes with vegetables, fish or meat.

Wild or black rice the only species related to non-real rice. Another name for it is cereal - Tsitsaniya aquatic. Rice has smooth, long fruits that are black or almost black (dark brown) in color. The nutritional content of black rice is the same as white rice. Wild rice is very hard and needs to be soaked for 2-3 hours before cooking. Cook rice for 40-60 minutes. Ideal for salads, soups, appetizers, sweet desserts, pies.

There are a great many types of pilaf. Or recipes called pilaf :) Now we can safely say about pilaf not as a dish, but rather as a method of cooking, which includes several stages of food processing: frying, stewing, boiling or boiling, and the last evaporation.

Pilaf is prepared as a single dish, or by separately processing groups of ingredients and finally combining them together. Professional swimmers (chefs who prepare pilaf) know how to cook special types pilaf for funerals, feasts, weddings, wakes. In many nations, pilaf is given a special place in culture and traditions.

In this section I would like to highlight three main types of pilaf.

Uzbek pilaf

Uzbek pilaf is considered the most traditional, since it was in Uzbekistan that this type of dish became most widespread.

It is cooked over an open fire or in a brazier that completely or partially encloses a cauldron or large cauldron. In the preparation of Uzbek pilaf, fat tail fat or cottonseed oil is used. To soften the taste fried meat and to give it a special aroma, sweet varieties of onions and carrots, dried or fresh fruits are used in pilaf. For such pilaf, choose unpolished rice, which increases many times during cooking, does not stick together, does not collapse, and ideally absorbs thick broth (zirvak).

Among the seasonings used in the preparation of Uzbek pilaf are saffron, ground black pepper and, most importantly, cumin is a special seasoning, growing in Central and Central Asia. It is zira that gives the dish its Uzbek national cuisine unique taste and aroma. A meal with Uzbek pilaf is completed by drinking hot black or green aromatic teas, which quickly cope with the digestion of rice and meat.

I bring to your attention an educational video of the preparation of amazingly delicious Uzbek pilaf from Stalik. The recipe is called Fergana Pilaf.

Tajik national pilaf

This type of pilaf is prepared in huge cast-iron cauldrons using melted lamb or fat tail fat, or a mixture of animal and vegetable fat. Fats and oils are well calcined and flavored by frying onions with meat. The cooking temperature reaches more than 200C. Tajik pilaf is prepared from different types meat: lamb, poultry, beef. The meat is pre-washed, cut into large pieces(from 20 g to 1 kg), the rice is sorted, soaked for several hours in salted water for 2-3 hours. Yellow carrots are peeled and chopped into thin strips.

Among the spices, saffron, barberry, cumin, ground red and black pepper, garlic, etc. are actively used. Grape leaves and dried fruits are often added to Tajik pilaf. When serving, pilaf is placed on plates in a heap, placing pieces of meat in the center, and sprinkling the whole thing with herbs. It is customary to serve pilaf with salads of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs.

And one more recipe for Tajik pilaf. And not even a recipe, but subtleties of preparing Tajik pilaf. Seeing how chefs wield knives, I personally get great pleasure from watching. I recommend it to you too.

A considerable number of pilaf recipes are used in Azerbaijani cuisine. However, there are also some basics for preparing pilaf. Pilaf is cooked in a large cauldron. Rice is prepared in two ways: boiled folding rice (that is, the cereal was first boiled in salted water and allowed to drain) and non-folding rice. Pilaf is prepared with lamb, fish, vegetables, fruits, dried fruits and herbs.

I would like to bring to your attention another video of Azerbaijani pilaf from Viktor Borovkov how to cook Azerbaijani pilaf with chicken at home. I think you will get a lot of useful information from this video.

As we can see, the principles of preparing pilaf in different cuisines are almost the same. 😉

What to cook pilaf in

Among the utensils for preparing pilaf, the most popular and in demand is a cast iron cauldron (cast iron). Moreover, the older the cauldron, the better it is.

Over the years of using cast iron cookware, the pores of the material become clogged with oil and grease, preventing food from sticking to the walls and bottom. Teflon is resting. 😉 In addition, cast iron conducts heat perfectly, allowing the dish to simmer rather than boil and fry. A cast iron cauldron is an ideal utensil for preparing pilaf: the rice swells slowly and evenly, and the meat gradually reaches a state of readiness. Perhaps the only downside to using cast iron cookware is its heaviness.

Of course, in the absence of a cast iron, and even an old cauldron, we have to use what the tableware market supplies us with. If desired, you can purchase another boiler of any size and shape.

For example, for a dacha, private or country house, a large outdoor cauldron with a volume of 200 liters and a weight of 58 kilograms is suitable.

For your home, you can take a smaller boiler (from 3 to 8 liters) and with a flat (not round) bottom. You don’t want your cauldron to fly off the gas stove, showering you with blazing heat. A cauldron with a straightened bottom is suitable for an electric stove. I mean that the purchase of such utensils needs to be thought through to the smallest detail.

You can use a simpler option andpurchase an aluminum or duralumin (that is, with additions of manganese, magnesium, iron) cauldron.However, as you understand, aluminum is much inferior to cast iron, with the exception of one plus - the low weight of the cookware.

You can choose any lid for cast iron: wooden, fire-resistant glass, metal, duralumin, aluminum. The main thing is that the lid fits in size and does not let steam through. A wooden lid would be an ideal option: excellent heat conductivity, absorbs excess moisture, fits tightly to the cauldron.

It is not for nothing that at Azerbaijani weddings it is customary to cover huge cauldrons with wooden lids or a cotton blanket, which serves no worse than a wooden lid.

And the last, but very important rule!

When choosing utensils for preparing pilaf, you should pay attention special attention the thickness of the walls of the cauldron - it should be at least 1 centimeter.

Selection and preparation of rice for pilaf

Real good pilaf is prepared from durum rice. Its grain is elongated, slightly transparent or milky white. Many people also use steamed golden rice. The pilaf turns out crumbly, which is very important for high-quality tasty pilaf.

But there is one thing BUT. Let's talk about him.

Each rice crop from the same field is radically different in its properties. Processing rice from one crop and one field also has distinctive features.

What to do in this case?

Nothing. Adjust to each batch of rice. We bought a package of rice. We made pilaf. You liked it. You can buy several packages for future use. With well-packaged and high-quality rice, nothing bad will happen in the bins. Many of us buy rice in bulk. You can buy a kilogram of rice, try it in cooking, and if you like the rice, take a bag or half a bag. Of course, these tips apply to those who often cook with rice, preferring truly real pilaf.

But if you want pilaf, but we don’t know the properties of rice. How to make rice more fluffy?

A few tips will help you prepare delicious crumbly pilaf.

• Before cooking pilaf, rice should be washed thoroughly. washing off starch as much as possible, which forms gluten. Next, soak the rice in warm salted water. Starch grains do not swell well in cold water. In warm or hot water, rice absorbs water quite actively in the first 30-45 minutes. And we must keep in mind that the water should be tasty. That is why it should be salted. You can add a little saffron and turmeric to salted water to improve the taste. If the rice becomes too starchy, the water should be changed to new hot water.
• The paste (gluten) in future pilaf is formed when rice is cooked at a temperature of 80C. However You can save pilaf by increasing the temperature to 95-100C, that is, until the pilaf boils. Temperatures of 95-100C and above destroy the paste, turning starch into glucose, the solution of which is more liquid, more actively absorbed into the rice and the pilaf will turn out delicious.
• When cooking pilaf, the cauldron must be covered with a lid. We see that the pilaf is boiling, and we think that the temperature on the surface is the same as below. But the cauldron is filled with products that prevent heat from rising to the surface. And those bubbles that we see on the surface of the cauldron tell us about boiling below. By covering the cauldron with a lid (preferably a wooden one), we increase the chance of equalizing the temperature positions inside the cauldron. Rice absorbs the broth better, the paste is destroyed, and as a result we get high-quality pilaf.

Selection and preparation of meat for pilaf

Traditionally, pilaf is prepared with lamb (the back of the carcass). In second place is beef (the back of the carcass). On the third is pork (neck, like on a shish kebab). In fourth place are poultry and fish. Nowadays there are so many recipes for pilaf that the choice of meat is not important for many. The quality of meat in pilaf is paramount.

The following tips will help you achieve good quality soft juicy meat in pilaf.

• If you moisten the meat with water an hour before cooking, it will become more tender.
• Under no circumstances should you salt the meat at the very beginning of cooking pilaf. Salt draws out moisture, making the meat tough. It is better to add salt during cooking or at the very end. This rule does not apply to marinades.
• Lamb or beef will turn out tender and soft if before baking the meat is peppered, salted, stuffed with garlic and wrapped in a banana peel secured with culinary thread. Place the meat in the skin on a baking sheet and put it in the oven, bake at 180C for 30-45 minutes. The rind will soften tough meat. With such meat, pilaf will turn out very tasty.
• Tough beef or lamb can be softened by placing the meat in a hot frying pan and frying over high heat for 5 minutes. Then add a little water, cover the frying pan with a lid, reduce the heat, add chopped ginger root to the meat and simmer with the meat for about 30-45 minutes. The meat can then be used to prepare pilaf.
• Old dry meat can be softened well by lemon peel. Cut the beef or lamb across the grain, place in a hot frying pan, and fry for 5 minutes. Add a little water and chopped lemon peels, simmer for 30-45 minutes. At the end of cooking, do not throw away the lemon peels; mash them with the released meat juice. Add juice to pilaf. This meat is ideal for preparing delicious pilaf.
• And a small clarification: if you pre-cook meat for pilaf, you should also pre-prepare the rice (see section Selecting and preparing rice for pilaf).

Selection of spices for pilaf

Uzbek, Tajik, Azerbaijani traditional pilafs use onion, garlic, saffron, cumin, barberry, cumin, black and red ground pepper. Additionally add paprika or turmeric.

Spices for pilaf are usually chosen according to the taste of the cook. Some people can't stand black pepper, others don't like the smell of saffron. But still, For real pilaf, saffron, cumin and barberry are traditional.

It has a pleasant specific strong aroma. The name of the broth for pilaf comes from cumin - zirvak, that is, the presence of cumin in pilaf is necessary. Zira is sold both as a whole seed and in crushed form. It is better to use seeds for pilaf, as they will give a richer aroma.

These are dried berries of red, dark red or black color. Barberry gives the pilaf a slight sourness, saturating the dish with vitamins.

Gives pilaf a rich taste yellow and spicy-burning taste. Only a little bit of saffron should be added to the dish, otherwise the rice will become bitter.

Of course, sets of spices for pilaf are also sold. Before purchasing such a set, you should carefully study its composition: this may include completely different seasonings, and their balance, as you know, will give a completely different effect.

The purpose of spices is not only to give the pilaf a certain spiciness, a unique aroma and taste unique to this dish. Seasonings for pilaf serve as natural preservatives. In hot weather eastern countries food safety plays an important role.

Pilaf is not just a dish. This is a philosophy that every nation has its own. Therefore, despite the commonality of ingredients, Uzbek pilaf differs from Tajik, and it can also be prepared in Azerbaijani, Bukhara, it can be with poultry, meat and even dried fruits. We will tell you how to prepare pilaf according to all the rules, as well as adapt ancient national recipes for cooking under the conditions and using products of traditional Russian cuisine.

Uzbek crumbly pilaf

You should start with this type of pilaf, as it can be considered classic example, moreover, it is extremely common both in any cafe with an Uzbek bias, and in Russian kitchens in general.

So, Uzbek pilaf (it is also often called Fergana pilaf) is prepared in such a way that the rice turns out crumbly, and rice does not stick to rice. How to achieve this?

As the famous culinary expert and expert on national cuisine Stalik Khadzhiev assures, the volume of products is calculated based on the availability of rice.

Although an experienced cook usually does everything by eye, there is an exact recipe for Fergana pilaf:

• 1 kg of rice;
• 350 g unsalted lard;
• 800 g meat;
• 800 g carrots;
• 150 g onions.

Important! If you want to cook real, even authentic Fergana pilaf, then look for yellow carrots, which you combine with a regular orange vegetable in a ratio of one to three. It cooks great and looks good in ready dish. If there are no yellow ones, then take the entire volume of regular carrots.

This pilaf is prepared in a cauldron, but in your home kitchen you can use a thick-walled cast iron pan. A duckling will also do.

Preparation:

1. Melt lard in a thick-walled cast-iron pan or cauldron over low heat.
2. Heat it well and put in a couple of pieces of chopped meat. (For Uzbek pilaf it is cut into small pieces so that it fits in the mouth for one bite).
3. After a minute in hot oil, these pieces will fry well, imparting the aroma of meat to the fat. Now they need to be taken out for now.
4. Next, add the onion, cut into half rings, into the fat and fry over high heat until the water evaporates. After this, add the rest of the meat, add salt and lay out some of the carrots cut into cubes - first yellow. Salt it too and sprinkle with cumin (cumin is a mandatory ingredient in Uzbek pilaf).
5. As soon as the carrots begin to fry, add the rest of them and mix everything. Let it fry a little. Next add the remaining vegetables and spices. In general, everything except rice, including those pieces of meat that were fried first.
6. Salt again, add a small pod of hot pepper, and also add a teaspoon with the top of barberry, it will add the necessary sourness.
7. Carefully pour hot boiled water along the edge of the cauldron or duckling pan, covering the meat and vegetables with it. Then, cover with a lid, leave for 40 minutes on the lowest heat.
8. While zirvak is preparing (this is the name of this seasoning for rice, it is the same for all kitchens where pilaf is prepared), wash the rice. It is better to do this under running water to wash off the flour. If you don’t wash it off, you won’t get crumbly pilaf.
9. Place clean rice in a zirvak with a slotted spoon, add salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. a level spoon of salt per kilogram of rice.
10. Place a washed whole head of garlic into the rice.
11. Pour boiling water so that the water covers the rice on your finger.
12. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and wait for the water to evaporate. When the rice is almost ready, turn off the heat, cover the pan or cauldron with a warm towel or blanket and leave for another hour.
13. Open the lid, place in an Uzbek flat plate, next to it place a salad of thinly sliced ​​tomatoes with onions and enjoy!

Crumbly pilaf in a cauldron

In principle, the previous recipe is also suitable for a cauldron. All components of the dish are taken in the same proportions and prepared in the same sequence. The only difference is that the almost finished pilaf is covered with a lid, and after that the fire under the cauldron is completely extinguished. But the cauldron remains lying on the bricks of the oven; the bricks give off their heat to the rice layer, bringing it to condition. The lid of the cauldron is covered with a blanket and therefore itself is an additional source of heat. In this form, the pilaf arrives and turns out well simmered - almost as if you were cooking it in a Russian oven.

In Azerbaijani

The difference between Azerbaijani pilaf and Uzbek one is that the meat in it is cooked separately from the rice, and a special flatbread called gazmakh is used to prepare the rice part.

Here's how pilaf is prepared in Azerbaijan:

1. Select products - 700 g of lamb, 200 g of pumpkin, five onions, 100 g of ghee, half a pomegranate, half a glass of raisins, a little water, turmeric and salt to taste. You also need to take an egg and 220 g of flour for the flatbread dough.
2. We deliberately do not indicate the dosage of rice - it is cooked separately, so you can take it at your own discretion. We wash it under running water or changing the water several times. Place in salted boiling water and cook until almost done. After that, fold it back and rinse with cold water.
3. We make gazmah: add an egg and very cold water to the flour, knead a very stiff dough. Roll it out into a thin cake.
4. We spread the cake along the walls and bottom of the cauldron.
5. Place half of the rice on the flatbread.
6. We tint the second part of the rice yellow, mixing with turmeric diluted in a spoonful of ghee and a teaspoon of boiling water (take a pinch of turmeric).
7. Pour melted butter over the first part of the rice, place yellow rice on top, cover the cauldron with a lid and simmer a little more on low heat until cooked.
8. Meanwhile, in a thick-walled saucepan or frying pan, fry the pieces of lamb in oil or own fat. Once browned, add finely chopped pumpkin and onion, pour in pomegranate juice, add raisins, mix everything, add salt and, after pouring in half a glass of boiling water, keep for half an hour covered over low heat.
9. When all parts of the pilaf are ready, place rice on a large round dish, meat and vegetables on top of it, decorate everything with pomegranate seeds and immediately place the gazmah - break the flatbread with your hands.

If you're wary of unconventional flavors, you can skip the pumpkin.

Tajik pilaf with lamb

The main ingredients in this pilaf are traditional: rice, onions and carrots. But the meat is only lamb. In addition, Tajik pilaf is prepared from special rice - this red grain is called devzira, it is the best and highest quality of all “pilaf” types. However, you can also make quite good Tajik pilaf from ordinary Krasnodar short-grain rice.

The peculiarity of the preparation is that first, onion (2 heads) cut into half rings is fried in vegetable oil, achieving deep frying, then meat (600 g) is added. It is also fried to a noticeable crust. After this, add carrots in sticks (600 g), fry them again and then pour in half a liter of boiling water. The meat should be half-cooked, then add rice (600g) soaked in salted water and pour boiling water over it so that the water slightly covers the surface. Spices - cumin and garlic. Under the lid, the pilaf is cooked for another half hour.

How to cook pilaf - basic recipe with pork

If there is no cauldron on an open fire, lamb and barberry, this does not mean that it will not work delicious pilaf for dinner. The basic recipe that always turns out is pork pilaf. It is prepared quickly and simply; it requires 400 g of meat in pieces, a couple of large onions and carrots, 2 cups of rice and five glasses of water. And also salt bay leaf, a few cloves of garlic, a pinch of cumin and a few peas of allspice.

You need to take enough vegetable oil to fry the meat. After quickly frying the pieces, add the onion. Reducing the heat slightly, fry it and add the carrots. After frying the carrots a little, pour in a glass of water and simmer for about ten minutes under the lid. Put some spices and salt. The broth should be slightly salted - later the rice will absorb the salt. Next is washed rice. Fill it with water through a slotted spoon at the rate of twice as many glasses of water for 2 cups of rice. Bring to a vigorous boil, add the garlic cloves, reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer under the lid for 40 minutes. Then turn off the heat and wait the same amount of time for the rice to cook.

How to properly cook pilaf with chicken?

In the same way, you can use chicken instead of pork. You can cook chicken pilaf even faster, because it takes very little time to stew the meat and vegetables. You need to fry medium pieces of chicken in oil and add salt. Separately, fry finely chopped onion and a little garlic, add grated carrots, simmer for a little while and add to the meat. Sprinkle washed rice, bay leaves, peppercorns on top, salt well again and pour boiling water over it. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes until the rice is soft. If necessary, you can add boiling water.

Multicooker recipe

Pilaf in a slow cooker - signature dish For many, the multicooker usually even has a separate program for cooking pilaf, and therefore the time is predetermined by the microprocessor.

The recipe below is for 4 servings:

1. Cut 250 g of any meat into small pieces, chop 1 carrot into bars, and chop an onion into cubes;
2. Pour steam into the open multicooker. spoons of vegetable oil, set the frying program with a time of 25 minutes;
3. When the oil heats up, add the meat one piece at a time. There is no need to put everything in at once, otherwise it will not fry, but will be stewed;
4. After 10 minutes, add carrots and onions;
5. When the frying is over, add salt, pilaf spices, a couple of cloves of garlic, and place washed rice on top;
6. Pour about half a liter of boiling water (the water should cover the rice a little, one and a half to two cm);
7. Set up the program “Pilaf”;
8. When the task is completed, open the lid, stick in a couple of fresh cloves of garlic, pierce the rice to the bottom with a wooden stick and leave the pilaf to cook for another twenty minutes in the heating program.

With added dried fruits

In a slow cooker you can perfectly make vegetarian pilaf without meat, as well as a sweet dish with dried fruits. Instead of meat, you need to put only vegetables or dried apricots with raisins, and reduce the frying time to 5 minutes.

However, any pilaf is prepared from two components: meat, fish or other dressing (in the Central Asian version “zirvak” or in the Iranian “gara”), and rice, or, much less often, other cereals - wheat, peas, corn, mung bean. In fact, pilaf is somewhat reminiscent of meat rice porridge, the first Russians explanatory dictionaries That's how he was defined. However, the main difference between pilaf and porridge is that the grain for pilaf is not boiled, but stewed. Cooking pilaf- real art. It is very important to choose the right rice for pilaf - it should not be overcooked, the grains should be easily separated from each other. There are two main options how to cook pilaf, or two main technologies for preparing pilaf - Uzbek and Azerbaijani.

Pilaf, recipe which involves the joint preparation of zirvak and cereals, is called Central Asian or Uzbek. The only exception is Samarkand pilaf, which is prepared using Azerbaijani technology. Various pilaf recipes arise due to the choice and combination of zirvak, grain, vegetables, spices, the sequence of laying and the duration of processing of products, specified in the pilaf recipe. As you know, in Asia they usually cook lamb pilaf. The rice for preparing pilaf using Central Asian technology must be special - this is red Uzgen rice or “devzira”. Only yellow carrots are considered an obligatory vegetable. Spices usually include cumin, red pepper, barberry, garlic, as well as dried apricots, quince and raisins. For Uzbek pilaf Pre-calcination of the oil is very important. Traditionally, a mixture of vegetable (usually cottonseed, less often sunflower, sesame) oil and animal fat (lamb, goat) is used. Uzbek pilaf is prepared exclusively in a large thick-walled cast iron, aluminum or copper cauldron, over an open fire and on the street, because even a very good hood is difficult to cope with the consequences of calcining the oil.

In the Azerbaijani (Iranian or Turkish) version of pilaf, the dressing, “gara”, and cereals are prepared separately and combined only on a common dish or even on a plate. Gara can be meat, fish, egg, vegetable. Almost all recipes for Azerbaijani pilaf use fruits - cherry plum, pomegranate, apricot, etc. For example, chicken pilaf Persian style is prepared exclusively with pomegranate juice. Rice for pilaf is always boiled with butter - butter or melted butter. Unlike Uzbek pilaf, Azerbaijani pilaf is served not hot, but slightly warm, but with not yet solidified butter.

Here we should recall the Turkish proverb “As many Muslim cities exist in the world, there are as many recipes for pilaf in the world,” and stipulate that in different countries you can find a lot of variations that combine both methods of preparing pilaf. At the same time, today the most common version of pilaf is still Uzbek pilaf. By combining rice and meat with vegetables and spices in a cauldron, they cook pork pilaf(which is basically impossible in Muslim countries), pilaf with chicken, beef pilaf– products that are not popular in Central Asia. Has an original taste sweet pilaf Indian style with dried fruits. In general, choose a pilaf recipe, prepare this wonderful dish and let it be delicious! How to cook pilaf. Our tips Rice for pilaf. Do not use Indian or Thai varieties of rice - basmati or jasmine. They are too soft, they will boil quickly and turn into porridge. If you can't find scald or scald, use Italian rice intended for paella. Oil for pilaf. Use only refined oil, aromatic oil will muffle the smell of pilaf. Spices for pilaf. Only cumin, hot red pepper and barberry are mandatory. Everything else is up to your taste.

Hello, dear ones!

Today I will tell you how to cook delicious pork pilaf. Of course, pork is a bit of an unusual meat for pilaf, since this dish comes from Asia, and there, as you know, pork is not very respected. But personally, I have nothing against pork and I think that pork pilaf not much worse than pilaf, for example, made from lamb.

What to cook pilaf with pork from

To prepare pilaf according to this recipe we will need:

• piece of pork pulp
• carrot
• onion
• seasonings: cumin, barberry, dried tomato, paprika, turmeric

I deliberately did not indicate the quantity. It all depends greatly on the size of the cauldron and how much pilaf you want to cook. Just remember that there should be approximately the same amount of meat, onions and carrots. You can take the same amount of rice as meat, or up to twice as much.

Seasoning for pilaf

I usually have seasoning for pilaf prepared in advance. I simply buy equal amounts of cumin (preferably black), dried barberry, paprika, dried tomato and turmeric at the market. I pour all this into one jar, mix it and that’s it, the seasoning for the pilaf is ready.

It is better to take a jar with a screw cap, for example from baby food, since there is much more seasoning than is needed for preparing pilaf.

Pork pilaf recipe

The seasoning is ready, now let's start with the rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly in several waters. Fill it with cold water again and set aside to soak.

Cut the meat into small, approximately equal pieces.

Place the cauldron on the fire and pour vegetable oil into the cauldron. It’s difficult for me to tell you the exact amount of oil; I always estimate it by eye based on my own experience in preparing pilaf. Today, for example, I prepared pilaf from 500 grams of meat and 600-700 grams of rice. For this amount of oil products I took approximately 200 grams. The amount of oil also depends on how fatty the meat is. The fattier the meat, the less oil, as the fat will render out.

It is best to choose a cast iron cauldron. In a cast iron cauldron, pilaf is cooked evenly and does not burn.

The oil must be heated, but not overheated. To check, I throw a small onion, cut in half, into the oil. Heat the oil until the onion is browned.

As soon as the onion is browned, remove it from the oil with a slotted spoon. Throw the previously chopped meat into the hot oil.

While the meat is frying, chop the onion, remembering to stir the meat from time to time.

Then cut the carrots into thin strips. Don't forget to stir the meat.

For the first time, you should probably chop the onions and carrots in advance.

Our meat should be ready by now.

Pour the onion into the meat and fry it, stirring frequently until the onion is cooked or turns golden brown.

Usually in pilaf recipes they write: “fry the onion until golden brown.” This doesn't always work out. If there is a lot of meat or the onion is very juicy, then it may cook before it starts to turn golden and there is no point in frying it further, as it may begin to burn.

Add chopped carrots to the meat and onions.

Fry for about five more minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.

Then add about a teaspoon of the pilaf seasoning that we prepared earlier.

Mix everything and pour water from the kettle so that it lightly covers the food.

Now you can salt it well so that rice and water will be added later.

What we have just made is called zirvak, it’s like a gravy for pilaf. Let the zirvak boil. If you taste zirvak at the boiling point, it should have an over-salted taste.

Cover the cauldron with a lid, reduce the heat and leave the zirvak to cook. We are preparing pork pilaf, so it is enough to wait 15-20 minutes. If you are cooking beef, then this time should be increased to 30-40 minutes.

When the zirvak is ready, pour the soaked rice on top of it.

Level the rice with a slotted spoon and add water so that it covers the rice by about two fingers.

Cover with a lid and leave to cook over low heat. The cooking time varies each time from 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the quantity and quality of rice and the amount of water.

I usually open the lid after 20-30 minutes and collect the rice from the edges to the center in a small mound.

If there is still a lot of water, then you need to pierce the rice to the bottom with a knife in several places so that it evaporates faster.

Close the cauldron with a lid again and cook over low heat until the water completely disappears.

Place the finished pilaf on a large platter or arrange it on plates.