How to make real pilaf at home. How to make pilaf crumbly: a few useful tricks, plus a simple recipe for pilaf with pork. How to cook crumbly pilaf
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
- bulb onions
- 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 you get much more seasoning than is needed to prepare pilaf.
Pork pilaf recipe
The seasoning is ready, now let's start with the rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly in several waters. Fill it again cold water and set aside and let it 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 over 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.
Pilaf- a rice dish cooked in a special way. There are a huge variety of ways to prepare pilaf.
There is pilaf with lamb, pilaf with pork, pilaf with beef, chicken pilaf, sea pilaf, pilaf without meat, lean pilaf, vegetarian pilaf, vegetable pilaf, fruit pilaf, red pilaf, etc.
Highlight Uzbek pilaf, Turkmen pilaf, Armenian pilaf, Azerbaijani pilaf, Samarkand pilaf, Italian pilaf, Fergana pilaf, etc.
The composition of classic pilaf includes:
1. Meat (lamb, pork, beef, veal)
2. Carrots (preferably yellow, juicy, ripe)
3. Fat or oil
4. Rice (large)
5. Onions
6. Spices and seasonings for pilaf: cilantro grains, cumin, barberry, saffron, basil, raisins, dried fruits.
To prepare a simple pilaf for ten servings (about 8 liters of pilaf) you need:
1. Meat - 1.5 kg
2. Rice - 1.5 kg
3. Onion - 0.5 kg
4. Carrots - 1 kg
5. Vegetable oil - 450 gr. (for 1 kg of rice - 300 grams of butter).
6. Spices - 50 gr.
There is more than one way to prepare pilaf, but in any case you cannot do without a cauldron.
1. Before cooking pilaf, wash the cauldron hot water.
Then we set it to heat up at maximum heat (it’s worth noting right away that the intensity level of the fire will not change until a certain stage of cooking the pilaf - see below).
2. Heat the pilaf cauldron over the fire for five to seven minutes, then pour all the prepared oil into it.
3. Continue heating the cauldron over the fire until slight smoke (evaporation) appears. This should take an average of eight to ten minutes.
4. Place the peeled and chopped onion into the cauldron. The thickness of the rings should be half a centimeter. At the same time, we immediately begin to intensively stir the onion.
Attention: Never cover the cauldron with a lid. The lid is lowered onto the cauldron only after rice has been placed in it.
5. Within seven to ten minutes, the onion becomes golden brown. The intensity and duration of frying depends on the intensity of the fire and the initial temperature of the oil.
You will get delicious pilaf if you fry the onions well. Fried onions significantly affect the taste of pilaf and its color. We must adhere to the golden mean: the onion should be fried as much as possible (we get dark color), but the onion should not burn (turn into embers).
6. The meat is cut into small pieces, in the form of cubes. The average size of the pieces should be 4 centimeters.
As soon as the onion is fried, immediately lower the chopped meat into the cauldron. Stirring the resulting mass, fry over high heat until the meat darkens and gets a colored crust.
The process of frying meat should last about 15 minutes. Don't forget to stir the pilaf every minute.
7. Clean and cut the carrots into strips in advance. After frying the meat, put the carrots in the cauldron. We continue to fry the resulting mass, stirring occasionally, for another 10-15 minutes.
8. After that, boiling water is poured into the cauldron. The water level should hide the contents of the cauldron, but not exceed it. As a result, we get the so-called zirvak.
9. Reduce the heat under the cauldron to a minimum, so as to maintain a boil in it. Add salt - 2 tablespoons, and add selected seasonings and spices for pilaf.
Mix the contents and cook for about 15 - 30 minutes. The meat should be ready. It is worth considering that high-quality and fresh meat cooks much faster than old and stale meat.
10. Now you can taste the resulting zirvak. You should get a bitter-salty, even over-salted taste. Don't be afraid of a large number of salt – most of the salt will be absorbed by the rice when cooked. If necessary, add a little more salt to get the salty taste of zirvak.
11. It is necessary to boil water to cook rice. Wash the rice thoroughly. Increase the heat under the cauldron to maximum level. Place an even layer of rice on top of the resulting zirvak, leveling it with a slotted spoon. After which boiling water is poured into the cauldron. The water level should exceed the rice by 1.5 centimeters.
12. Without changing the intensity of the fire under the cauldron, cook until the water evaporates below the level of the rice.
Attention: Under no circumstances should you stir the contents of the cauldron.
13. Taste the resulting rice. If the rice is hard and not cooked, you need to add boiling water to the cauldron. You need to pour boiling water very carefully so as not to destroy the resulting structure of the rice.
14. Now comes one of the most responsible and important points in preparing real pilaf. It is necessary to catch the moment when the water from the surface of the rice has almost evaporated, and the rice itself is in a state of half-cookedness. The rice should be half ready, as it will steam with the cauldron closed for another 15-20 minutes. If the rice is already ready by this time, you run the risk of overcooking the rice and ruining the entire taste of the pilaf.
15. Now reduce the fire under the cauldron to a minimum. We begin to collect the rice using a slotted spoon in a neat mound in the center of the cauldron. Cover the rice with a plate so that it falls into the cauldron. We select the plate in such a way that there is a distance of 1 or 2 centimeters between the plate and the walls of the cauldron. Press the plate down, then close the cauldron tightly with the lid.
16. Simmer the pilaf for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
17. Turn off the fire under the cauldron.
18. Without removing the lid from the cauldron, let the pilaf stand for 10-15 minutes without fire.
Pilaf. Recipe for making classic pilaf.
19. Remove the lid from the cauldron and take out a plate.
20. Gently mix the finished pilaf with a slotted spoon. It is necessary to mix the rice evenly with onions, carrots and meat. If you have complied with all the mentioned conditions for preparing real pilaf, you will end up with a ready-made and fluffy rice. This is properly prepared pilaf. If you are unlucky, the rice will be raw or overcooked.
21. Place the resulting pilaf on the lyagan. Lyagan is a special flat and wide dish.
22. The pilaf is finally ready. Now you can gather family and friends around the table. We wish you bon appetit and delicious pilaf. Prepare pilaf at home.
Some features of the real pilaf recipe:
1. To obtain a pleasant aroma, garlic cloves are usually used. Garlic cloves, well washed and peeled from coarse husks, are not cut, but placed directly whole into the zirvak, before adding rice, after which the rice is added. After cooking the pilaf, the cloves are removed and placed on top of the cooked rice (but this is a matter of taste). For the indicated volume of products used, you can use approximately four medium heads of garlic.
2. To obtain pilaf with a bright red-brown color, while heating the oil, place a small bone in it, fry the bone until black, then discard it. You can also use a joint or rib.
3. For real pilaf, you need to use meat with fat (the presence of layers in the meat). But it is worth considering that in the case of using meat with big amount fat, the amount of oil used should be reduced by one third.
4. Pilaf is usually eaten from a common dish (one lyagan), by the whole family or company. They eat with their hands or spoons. After a hearty meal, drink unsweetened green tea.
Let me make a reservation right away that my recipe does not claim to be the most “correct” and most original. I am a Russian woman and have never lived in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or anywhere else, where each family has its own recipes for “the most correct pilaf in the world.” It’s just that out of many methods I chose for myself the simplest, fastest and least complicated. Therefore, anyone who wants to know how pilaf is prepared “for real” is not for me, but for example here - http://blog.kp.ru/users/geroma/post147781131/?upd. I cook pilaf, so to speak, in Russian. It is very tasty, crumbly, moderately fatty, in general - just what you need!
So, I take any meat - pork, beef, lamb, duck or chicken. I make whatever I have in the refrigerator. Today I have chicken pilaf.
Important! The utensils for pilaf must be correct - a cauldron or a duck pot or something like that. I have this wok - an expensive German vessel, with a special titanium coating, only 8 cm high (including the convex lid), but large in diameter, with a capacity of 4.8 liters.
Ingredients:
Half a (rather large) chicken
3 large onions,
3 large carrots
800 g rice (Krasnodar, round)
About 2/3 cup odorless vegetable oil
Salt, pepper to taste
Cooking:
Cut the chicken into small portions.
Chop the onion as you like, but relatively finely; I cut it into medium cubes.
Separately, grate the carrots into small strips or on a Korean grater; you can also use a regular coarse grater, which is what I did today (the carrots were a little limp and I didn’t torture them).
Rinse the rice thoroughly in several stages.
Put a full kettle of water, we will need boiling water.
Pour a lot of vegetable oil into the cauldron (who has what), approximately as I indicated - 2/3 cup, put it on medium gas and wait until the oil warms up. To do this, I throw an onion feather there and watch when it actively bubbles in the oil. When the oil is hot enough, put our meat in it and, stirring, fry it until golden brown.
Then add the onion and, continuing to stir so that the onion does not burn, continue to fry everything together until the onion is slightly golden brown.
Then add carrots and mix.
At first, the carrots will absorb almost all the oil, don’t be alarmed - this is necessary, very soon they will give it back. Not as much as I took, but it will be noticeable. And it will be much faster than frying the onions, so don’t go anywhere!
I definitely mix it all, at this moment I add salt, a little pepper and sometimes add raisins or barberries. Today I did classic version, without additives.
Now we need hot water (the hotter the better), I often pour boiling water directly onto 2-2.5 cm, and not 2 fingers, as is often written. 2 fingers is almost 4 cm, too much water.
I stir and wait for it to boil, the faster the better, that’s why you need boiling water. The goal is for the rice to absorb water as quickly as possible, without having time to give up the starch.
Let it all boil on a fairly large gas, the main thing is that it does not spill over the edge. I stir and still don’t go anywhere. Rice takes up water very quickly and when there is almost no water on the surface, something like this,
Reduce the gas to the minimum possible, close the lid tightly and do not touch for 15 minutes.
We open the lid and try, if suddenly it happens that you didn’t add water (like my husband last time, I took a photo on purpose because this happens extremely rarely for me) and the rice is almost ready, then we make these holes until bottom (5-7 pieces over the entire surface), I made them directly with a spoon and pour boiling water into it, strictly only into the holes! Close the lid and do not touch the pilaf for another 10-15 minutes on the same minimum heat. He'll come in a couple.
That's it, my pilaf is ready! As you can see, there is nothing complicated, writing takes longer than doing.
It is done very quickly, about 30 minutes.
I'll say one more thing about color. Carrots come in different varieties, but this time mine was not very bright, which is why the pilaf is a bit pale. It usually comes in a beautiful orange color.
And if you do all this without meat, you get a great side dish - stewed rice, I make it very often.
Bon Appetit everyone!
Pilaf is considered one of the most ancient and revered dishes in oriental cuisine. It occupies the most important place on the table, and its preparation is considered a real art. Even today, many people love it because it is not only tasty, but also nutritious and healthy dish. Anyone who has ever tried real oriental pilaf, with spices and pieces of meat, will never be able to forget its taste.
Rules for preparing pilaf
This oriental dish consists of two main components - rice and meat, but at the same time it has many secrets and nuances. Indeed, in addition to the main ingredients, there are also a variety of spices and additives, thanks to which it becomes even tastier.
You need to know how to cook pilaf correctly to get an aromatic and tasty product. Of course, as many cooks as there are, there are as many different recipes for preparing delicacies. But there are basic, main rules that must be followed for any recipe, because without them it is simply impossible to prepare pilaf.
Without following these rules, you can end up with ordinary porridge with meat instead of a tasty and aromatic oriental dish.
These rules include the following nuances.
- The carrots must be cut into long strips. It is strictly not recommended to grate it. It is better to first cut it diagonally into plates up to 5 mm thick, and then cut them crosswise into bars of the same thickness.
- The onion must be cut into half rings.
- The meat crumbles into small pieces; it is better to determine the size by eye.
- Rice must be soaked before cooking, changing the water periodically. This is done in order to remove excess starch.
- The garlic is peeled and should be inserted whole into the rice, without breaking it into slices.
Meat
Pilaf can be prepared from almost anything - lamb, beef, poultry and pork.
important! But still, lamb is considered the best meat for making pilaf, because classic pilaf is prepared only from it. It is lamb meat that is most valued in oriental cuisine. Only it can give the finished dish a special aroma and taste.
In addition, it has been proven that lamb is the most beneficial for the body. This type of meat contains the least amount of fat, so lamb is rightfully considered a dietary product.
This option is best suited for those who monitor their weight and health. Only with lamb can you prepare pilaf, which with its taste and aroma will remind you of distant eastern countries.
For pilaf, lamb brisket is best, but you can use the back, shoulder or rib. It is better to choose not lamb meat, but lamb. An adult sheep's meat has a richer taste and aroma.
You can also use pork; it is best that the meat is not dry, but with a layer of fat. If pilaf is made from chicken, then it is best to use a drumstick or leg. Then the pilaf will not be a dry and lean dish.
Rice
There are a huge variety of cereal varieties. Choosing the right rice for pilaf in this variety is very difficult. Judge for yourself: Tajik and Uzbek rice (alanga, devzira, opar, kenja), Mexican, Arabic and Italian varieties.
Rice varieties that have a low starch content compared to other varieties are suitable for pilaf. For pilaf, the grains must be strong, medium-length, oblong in shape and slightly transparent - this type of rice will best absorb fats and liquids.
Interesting! If the grain crumbles or breaks when pressed lightly, then the rice is not suitable for pilaf.
The secret of crumbly pilaf
In order to prepare not a banal rice porridge with meat, but a tasty and aromatic pilaf, you need to steam the rice and not boil it in water. After adding to the cauldron, do not stir the cereal. Just carefully spread it out in even layers.
The pilaf is cooked under a closed lid until the rice is ready; water is added if necessary. After the dish is ready, you need to let it brew for about ten minutes. All this time you should keep it under a closed lid.
What kind of utensils are best to use for cooking pilaf?
Of course, it is best to cook in the original vessel for pilaf - a cauldron. On ordinary kitchen It’s much more convenient to “cook” in dishes that have handles, or in a cast iron pot. Because the dish is cooked directly on the stove grate, its taste will not suffer in any way.
Most the best option To prepare aromatic pilaf, use a cast iron cauldron. Previously, in the old days, this was the only way they used it. But cast iron ones were replaced by cauldrons made of aluminum alloy. Such containers are practically not inferior to cast iron cookware. They are also stable, capable of maintaining the temperature for a long time so that the rice evaporates.
A cauldron can be replaced by a wide frying pan with high and thick sides. Individual portions can be baked in clay pots. This dish will also turn out tender and tasty in a ceramic dish or tempered glass container. For example - goose or duckling.
Interesting! The most important component in a pilaf container is the lid, which should fit tightly. Without it, preparing this dish will turn into real torture.
Popular recipes
How to cook pilaf? Many housewives ask this question, because among the many recipes, they want to choose the most delicious one - one that the whole family will like.
Here are some of the most popular recipes.
Real Uzbek pilaf
To prepare real Uzbek pilaf, you need the following ingredients:
- 1 kg rice;
- salt to taste;
- 1 kg of fresh lamb;
- 1 kg of rice (preferably devzir);
- 350 ml vegetable oil;
- 1 kg carrots;
- 3-4 small onions;
- 2 heads of garlic;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of barberry (dried);
- 3 small dry hot peppercorns;
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds;
- 1 tsp. cumin.
Heat the cooking container, then pour oil into it and heat until a bluish haze appears. Add another onion and fry it until black, then remove the onion from the dish. Prepare zirvak (this is the basis for pilaf). Put the onion there and, stirring slowly, fry it until golden brown. Add meat there and fry it until a crust appears. Add the carrots and fry them without stirring for about two or three minutes.
After which everything is mixed and cooked for about ten minutes, the mass needs to be stirred lightly. Grind the coriander and cumin with your fingers or a pestle, add the zirvak along with the barberries and add salt to your taste. Reduce heat to medium and cook until carrots are tender (about seven minutes).
Then boiling water is poured into the cauldron in a layer of about two cm, hot pepper is added. The heat is reduced and the dish is simmered for another hour. The rice is washed again, the water should drain.
After the water is absorbed, you need to press the head of garlic into the rice, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cereal is ready. You need to reduce the heat to low and leave the pilaf to simmer for thirty minutes.
It differs from other options in that a lot of onions are placed in the meat, approximately the same weight as meat and sour fruits such as pomegranate or cherry plum. The result is tender meat with a fruity taste, the rice has a creamy hue, and turmeric and saffron add a subtle aroma and unusual color.
For preparation you need the following ingredients:
- lamb - 1 kilogram;
- onions - 6-8 heads;
- dried pomegranate (sumac) - 1 tbsp. l.;
- dried apricots - 100 grams;
- thyme - half a teaspoon;
- one bunch of parsley;
- raisins - 100 grams;
- one bunch of cilantro;
- freshly ground black allspice to taste;
- salt - to taste;
- turmeric - half a teaspoon;
- 150 g butter;
- long grain rice - 2 cups.
The meat is cut into small pieces and fried in vegetable oil over high heat, then the meat is transferred to a cauldron. The onion is cut into large half rings and added to the meat and simmered over medium heat.
Cilantro and parsley are chopped coarsely, right with the stems. Sumac and thyme are added to the meat and stewed for about forty minutes.
Dried fruits need to be soaked in water for ten minutes, then they are added to the meat. After which you need to continue to simmer for about another half hour, stirring occasionally. At the end, you need to salt and pepper the meat to your taste and let it brew for about ten minutes.
This pilaf is considered spicy and very delicious dish. To prepare it we will need the following ingredients:
- half a kg of beef or lamb;
- 350 g carrots;
- 250 gr. Luke;
- half a kg of rice;
- 1 tsp. cumin;
- 145 ml vegetable oil;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- 1 tsp. barberry.
Then add half a liter of hot water and salt. Let it simmer for about half an hour. Rinse the rice several times and leave it in warm water Fifteen minutes. Then pour out the water, add barberry and cumin to the rice and pour the cereal into the meat.
Carefully pour it in hot water so that it lightly covers the rice, and put it on the fire for thirty minutes, close the lid tightly. Then turn it off and let it brew for about ten minutes.
The technology for preparing pilaf with chicken is absolutely no different from the classic recipe - except that the chicken requires less time for frying. The chicken is cut into cubes of about 4 cm and fried until golden brown in a cast iron cauldron before adding rice and vegetables. This crust will prevent juice from leaking out of the meat during stewing.
To prepare chicken pilaf you need the following ingredients:
- 600 g rice;
- 6 onions;
- 5 pieces of chicken fillet;
- 6 pieces of carrots;
- ground black pepper to your taste;
- salt to your taste;
- seasoning for pilaf 1 tsp.
Fruit pilaf with the addition of pumpkin and apples is a very easy to prepare dish, as well as aromatic and tasty. To prepare it you will need the following ingredients:
- 50 g carrots;
- 90 g dried apricots;
- 250 g rice;
- 90 g prunes;
- 95 g raisins;
- 30 g dried apples;
- apple or grape juice - 450 ml;
- ginger to your taste.
At the end of time, add spices and simmer for another ten minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the dish brew. Before serving, you can decorate it with fruits and berries and add honey if desired.
Pilaf for vegetarians
This dish is a real find for those who are very close to the spirit of vegetarianism, and for those who adore vegetables. To prepare pilaf, you need the following ingredients:
- 2 cup;
- 1 onion;
- 2 carrots;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 1 PC. bell pepper;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- ground pepper and salt to taste.
Then you need to cut the vegetables into small pieces. Vegetables are fried with vegetable oil over low heat for about twelve minutes. Then you need to add pepper, salt and simmer for another five minutes. The dish needs to brew for another ten minutes, and you can serve it to the table.
It turns out very tasty and more useful product, according to many healthy kitchen advocates. To prepare pilaf, you need the following ingredients:
- meat (to your taste) half a kg;
- 2 tbsp. rice;
- 3 pcs. carrots;
- 2 pcs. onions;
- vegetable oil 5 tbsp. l.;
- 6 cloves of garlic;
- black pepper and salt to your taste;
- 1 tsp. cumin;
- 1 tsp. barberry.
The Spaniards call this pilaf risotto. To prepare it you will need:
- pepper and salt to taste;
- parsley - one bunch;
- lemon juice;
- hard cheese 100 g;
- squid or mixed seafood, 400 g shrimp;
- one finely chopped onion;
- for frying - olive oil.
Then you need to pour in two glasses of broth or just water, after which you need to add salt and pepper, and you can add seasoning for fish or seafood. Bring the risotto to a boil, cover tightly and simmer for about ten minutes. Chop the squid and shrimp; you don’t need to crumble the frozen “sea cocktail” mixture. Add seafood to the pan with the rice, mix well and simmer for about seven more minutes.
At the very end, you need to add finely chopped parsley, grated cheese, lemon juice, and mix everything well. Once the risotto is cooked, let it sit for a few minutes so that the cheese has time to melt.
In addition to classic pilaf, there are many more recipes, especially in the vegetarian segment. Champignons, pumpkin, eggplants, bell pepper, zucchini.
And in pilaf with seafood you can use: squid, fish, octopus, mussels and rapana.
Sweet pilaf is also not inferior in the number of different variations; it is prepared with pears, cherries, and a wide variety of berries. It all depends on the flight of imagination and the skill of the cook.
Conclusion
Pilaf is prepared in many countries, but in each one differently, because there are a huge variety of recipes for creating this tasty and satisfying dish. And no matter what recipe you choose, it will still be tasty, healthy and nutritious.
Plov is a unique dish of Uzbek cuisine, which consists of meat and rice, and at the same time has many secrets. A various additives and spices only make it tastier.
We will not only tell you how to cook pilaf, but also share the secrets of preparing pilaf with chicken and pork. You will also learn little tricks of the best chefs for preparing pilaf.
How to cook delicious pilaf?
To prepare pilaf, you will need the following ingredients:- oblong rice - 2-2.5 cups
- meat - 300 – 400 grams
- medium-sized carrots - 3 - 4 pcs.,
- onion- 1 PC.
- ground cumin (oriental spice) - 1 teaspoon. You can find it in a supermarket or oriental store
- turmeric - 2/3 teaspoon
- pepper (red hot or sweet) - 1/4 teaspoon
- barberry berries - to taste
- salt – about 2 teaspoons
It should also be noted that classic pilaf is made from lamb. It is sheep meat that is most valued in the East. In addition, it has been proven that lamb is the most beneficial for the human body. This option is best suited for those who monitor their weight and health. This type of meat contains the least fat, so lamb is a dietary product.
Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Peel and chop the vegetables, you can use a grater or finely chop them with a knife. Rinse the meat (if you are preparing meat pilaf) and cut into cubes or strips.
Heat vegetable oil in a container for pilaf (cauldron, “duckling”). Then put the meat cut into pieces there and fry it for 10 minutes. Fry until the meat is browned and the oil becomes clear.
Then add the carrots and onions cut into small strips. Fry everything together for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent vegetables and meat from burning and sticking to the bottom of the container.
Remove the cauldron from the heat and add the necessary spices and one teaspoon of salt, mix everything well. It is not at all necessary to put exactly the spices indicated in the recipe. You can invent your own original version cooking pilaf.
Then place the pre-washed rice into the cauldron. Pour boiling water over it so that the water covers the rice by about two fingers. Add another teaspoon of salt and stir the water over the rice.
Place the cauldron with all its contents on medium heat. There is no need to close the lid, this will make it easier to monitor. After the water disappears from the surface of the rice, you need to reduce the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
Fergana style pilaf recipe
After this, turn off the fire, mix the pilaf thoroughly and let it brew for 5-10 minutes.
Chicken pilaf recipe
To prepare pilaf with chicken, you first need to prepare zirvak. It is a gravy consisting of all ingredients except rice. 
First, fry the chicken meat. To get a crust, you need to fry it over high heat. If you want the pilaf to be more tender, you should cook the chicken and all other ingredients over medium heat. All components need to be fried separately and then placed in layers in a cauldron.
Fry the carrots last. It needs to be cooked until a light orange hue appears. IN classic recipes When preparing pilaf, it is necessary to chop the carrots by hand. However, we will not find fault and will simply grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
After placing the zirvak in the cauldron, place rice on the top level. Then also pour boiling water over it. Next - everything is the same as in the previous recipe.
Recipe for pilaf with pork
Cooking pilaf with pork is practically no different from pilaf with chicken. The only difficulty is that pork often has a considerable amount of different films and fat. The meat must be cleaned of all this. Otherwise, instead of aromatic pilaf with soft and juicy meat you risk getting a suspicious rice porridge with almost rubbery pieces of pork. The order is also slightly different.You must first put the meat in the oil heated in the cauldron. It should roast for about 20 minutes. Then sprinkle finely chopped onions on top of the meat. Mix it thoroughly with the meat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
At this time, you need to thoroughly rinse the rice and fill it with cold water. After 15 minutes have passed, add the chopped carrots. Let it simmer for 7 minutes. During this time, the carrots will become softer, and it will be easier to mix them with meat and onions.
Drain the water from the rice, add the necessary spices to the cauldron with the meat and add 1 centimeter of boiling water. Simmer everything together for another five minutes.
Then put the rice in the cauldron, but carefully, so as not to mix it with other layers. If, after laying out the rice, it ends up above the water, add more boiling water, also by 1 centimeter. Let everything simmer together so that the rice completely absorbs all the water.
Then you need to make a small mound of rice, and put an unpeeled head of garlic in the middle. Then pour boiling water over everything again so that it covers the top of the rice hill, close the lid. Without lifting the lid, set aside 40 minutes, during which the pilaf is brought to a boil.
Secrets of the best chefs for preparing pilaf
Carrots need to be cut into long strips. Ideally, you should not grate it. Therefore, it is better to first cut it diagonally into plates 4-5 mm thick, and then cut them crosswise into bars of the same thickness.The onion should be cut into half rings.
The meat needs to be chopped very finely; it is better to determine the size by eye. If you are preparing chicken pilaf, use drumstick or leg. Then the pilaf will not turn out dry.
Regarding the ratio of ingredients. Meat, onions and carrots should be in a 1:1:1 ratio.
Zirvak should be cooked on the highest heat for 20-30 minutes.
The editors of the site hope that our recipes and tips will help you prepare such a dish as pilaf.
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