Pilaf - a traditional dish oriental cuisine, the most famous and delicious food, the real king of kings (shah-an-shah) of the Central Asian table (dastarkhan).
The variety of recipes for making this dish is amazing; in Uzbekistan alone there is a great variety of it.
In every corner of the Uzbek Republic, as well as in the capital itself, pilaf is prepared differently.
Real docks and aksakals in their business, namely the preparation of pilaf, are based on the recipes of their ancestors, which are passed down from generation to generation.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf at home? Many people ask this question and are afraid of the complexity of the process of preparing this aromatic and nutritious meal.
But in vain, just practice a little on your own and you’ll start to be able to cook pilaf!
Each type of pilaf is tasty in its own way, but, like any other food, osh (pilaf) has its own general principles and cooking features that are an integral part of this dish.
How to cook pilaf at home - general principles and important points in making this oriental dish
It is customary to prepare pilaf using live and open fire, in a cast iron cauldron. But in the absence of the latter, you can use it for cooking - a duck pot, a goose pot, in general, the main thing is that the walls of the existing dishes are thick and retain heat for further even heating of the rice.
Traditional Eastern pilaf prepared only from lamb with the addition fat tail fat, which when fried turns into very delicious cracklings(recommended to eat hot with Uzbek flatbread). But you can pilaf (it taste qualities this does not spoil them at all) cook from pork, beef or poultry.
In order for the pilaf to turn out crumbly, you need to pay great attention to the choice of rice, since the preparation of the future pilaf depends on this main component of the future pilaf. For pilaf you need to select varieties long grain rice with a small content of starch. Firm varietal rice with transparent grains is dense, does not boil over and absorbs water perfectly.
Oil also plays a leading role in the production of pilaf, since it is it that absorbs odors and adds flavor to the future dish. Oil in classic pilaf They use cottonseed, sunflower, sesame. It is not recommended to cook the dish with olive oil due to its low heating temperature.
What pilaf definitely cannot do without is spices. The main spices of this aromatic dish are - cumin, turmeric, barberry, sweet red pepper, saffron, hot pepper (can be a pod). In the absence of these spices separately, you can purchase them in the store. special set for pilaf. Pilaf loves spices; no need to regret adding them to zirvak when preparing it.
If the zirvak has prepared correctly, then the pilaf will be successful - so they say. Zirvak is a combination of all the ingredients of pilaf: meat, vegetables, dried fruits, along with seasonings and broth. Cooking zirvak for pilaf correctly is a real art, since the aromatic characteristics, taste and appearance future dish.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf at home is very simple, there are many recipes, you just need to follow the rules and sequence of making this dish.
Recipe 1. “Uzbek pilaf at home: in a cauldron”
Ingredients:
Lamb – 1 kg.
Kurdyuk – 200 gr.
Carrots (yellow or orange) – 1 kg.
Rice – 1 kg.
Onion – 500 gr.
Oil (cottonseed or sunflower).
Garlic – 2 heads.
Chickpeas (pre-soaked) – 250 gr.
Kishmish – 150 gr.
Hot pepper (pod) – 2 pcs.
Spices – cumin, turmeric, barberry, saffron, red pepper (sweet).
Cooking method:
Rice must be washed 6-7 times and set aside with water. Cut the meat in large pieces. If there are bones, you need to chop them (but not crush them). Peel the carrots and cut into medium-sized strips. The onion needs to be chopped into rings or half rings.
Then you need to heat the cauldron and pour oil into it. Next, turn the heat up to high and wait until smoke comes out of the cauldron - this will mean that the oil has been heated. Next, you need to throw a little onion into the oil so that it absorbs everything harmful substances oils When the onion darkens, remove it and discard it.
Afterwards, you need to throw the meat with bones into the cauldron and fry it over the same high heat until golden brown. If there is a lot of meat, then it needs to be fried in portions. Covered with meat and bones golden brown crust, remove it from the cauldron and throw in the next portion. After all the meat has been fried, you need to put it back in the cauldron and add onions to it.
After the onion is slightly browned, you need to add the carrots to the cauldron, wait a few minutes and mix all the ingredients.
When frying meat and vegetables, do not forget to stir them periodically with a slotted spoon. When the excess moisture leaves the carrots, you should try to transfer the bones and meat to the bottom of the cauldron.
Next, the fried components must be filled with water (per 1 kg of rice - liter, 1,200 water, depending on the type of rice). Add spices, pepper pods, garlic and cook zirvak for 30-40 minutes over medium heat.
15 minutes after the start of cooking, the zirvak should be salted so that it seems saltier than usual. Since in the future the rice will absorb salt and normalize the salt balance of the pilaf. You also need to put chickpeas in the pilaf, which will be ready in 20-25 minutes.
Now you need to move on to throwing in the rice. Rice is placed in a cauldron in small portions and leveled over the surface. The water should lightly cover the rice (about a finger's width). It is better to add too little water to the rice than to eat boiled porridge later.
Important! The layers of meat, onions and carrots do not interfere. Each component must be prepared separately.
Now over high heat the water should completely evaporate.
After the water has evaporated, you need to collect the rice in a slide using a slotted spoon (carefully inserting the slotted spoon between the wall of the cauldron and the rice to the very bottom, without destroying the layers).
Now you need to tightly close the pilaf with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook the pilaf in this way for another half hour.
When the pilaf is ready, you need to put it in a lyagan, put garlic in the middle of the dish and sprinkle the entire surface with meat.
Recipe 2. “Pilaf at home in a slow cooker”
Ingredients:
Pork – 0.5 kg (pulp).
Rice – 500 gr.
Onion – 3 pcs. (small size).
Carrots - 3 pcs. (small size).
Vegetable oil – 150 ml.
Water – 700 ml.
Cooking method:
Rice must be washed several times under water. Pour oil into the multicooker bowl and set the “Baking” mode.
Peeled and chopped onions must be placed in a slow cooker and fried a little. Then to the onion you need to add carrots cut into strips and meat cut into small pieces. Meat and vegetables must be fried for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
At the end of the set program time, you need to add rice to the multicooker. Then you need to fill all the components with water, add salt, spices and set the multicooker to the pilaf cooking mode.
After the pilaf is cooked, you need to stir it and serve it with a tomato and onion salad.
Recipe 3. “Pilaf at home in a multi-cooker from seafood”
Ingredients:
Rice – 300 gr.
Oil (olive) – 60 ml.
Bulb.
Broth – 0.5 l.
Seafood: shrimp, mussels, fish fillet– 300 gr.
Corn (canned) – 1oo gr.
Spices – turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, saffron.
Cooking method:
You need to pour into the multicooker cup olive oil.
Then chop the seafood, chop the peeled onion into small cubes, remove the seeds from the pepper and chop it into half rings.
Then you will need to turn on the multicooker in the “Baking” mode for a few minutes.
Then you need to put rice, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl and pour all the ingredients with broth.
Set the multicooker to the “Pilaf” mode and cook the food for an hour. After the pilaf is ready, you need to let it brew for 15-20 minutes.
Decorate the pilaf with mint and half a lemon.
Recipe 4. “Pilaf at home in a pan from chicken fillet”
Ingredients:
Chicken fillet – 1 kg.
Sunflower oil).
Rice – 500 gr.
Carrots – 3 pcs.
Onion – 3 pcs.
Spices – cumin, barberry, turmeric.
Cooking method:
Rice should be washed thoroughly and set aside to swell. Next, the chicken flesh must be washed and cut into small pieces, chop the onion into half rings, and chop the carrots into strips.
Now you need to put the chicken in the pan and continue the frying process for several minutes, stirring it alternately. Next, add carrots to the onions and meat and fry them until half cooked.
Then all the ingredients need to be poured with water, seasoned with spices for pilaf and mixed. And then, covering the future pilaf with a lid, cook it for another 20 minutes.
Next, you need to place the rice on the meat, level it and pour boiling water over all the ingredients (one finger above the rice). Close the pan tightly with a lid and reduce heat. Thus, the pilaf needs to be cooked for 20 minutes. Then you need to open the lid, make holes in the pilaf to evaporate the water and cook it for another 10 minutes.
After cooking, the pilaf should sit. You can serve this dish with a salad made from radish with onions and mayonnaise.
Recipe 5. Uzbek pilaf at home: in a duck pot
Ingredients:
Rice – 400 gr.
Vegetable oil.
Chickpeas (pre-soaked) – 0.5 cups.
Beef (pulp) – 600 gr.
Carrots – 2 pcs.
Onion – 2 pcs.
Quince – 2 pcs.
Garlic – 2 pcs.
Raisins – 60 gr.
Cooking method:
Cut the beef into small pieces, chop the onion, cut the carrots into strips, quince into slices, and peel the garlic from the top layers of husk.
In a duck pot, first fry the meat, then the onions and carrots until golden crust. Add quince, chickpeas, pour water over all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.
After this time, you need to salt and pepper the zirvak and add spices to it.
Place the rice in the duck pot in an even layer, add more water to cover the rice, and cook the pilaf with the lid open over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Then you need to put the duck with pilaf in the heated oven and simmer the dish for another half hour.
Then stir the pilaf and you can start eating.
Recipe 6. “Pilaf at home in a pan with beans”
Ingredients:
Rice – 400 gr.
Beans – 100 gr.
Carrot.
Oil – 90 ml.
Salt, pepper.
Cooking method:
The beans can be soaked in advance, or opened until full readiness.
Carrots and onions must be finely chopped. When the beans are cooked, you need to add vegetables and vegetable oil. Cook the above components for 10 minutes.
Then you need to add rice to the vegetables, fill it with water, pepper, salt and season with spices.
The pan must be tightly closed with a lid, reduce the heat and cook the pilaf until full preparation rice and evaporation of water.
Then you need to stir the pilaf, remove from the heat, and wrap the pan in a towel for 15 minutes. The pilaf is ready - you can serve it to the table.
How to cook Uzbek pilaf at home - tricks and useful tips
In order for the meat in the pilaf to be cooked and juicy, it needs to be cut big pieces.
In order to get pilaf and not porridge-rice, you need to rinse it at least 7 times and leave it in water for 2 hours. Excess starch will go into the water and the rice in the pilaf will turn out crumbly.
In order for the pilaf to simmer well at the end of its cooking, you need to wrap gauze or a towel in the form of a rope around the diameter of the edges of the lid - this will be a kind of seal.
You can add almost all dried fruits to pilaf, then it can be called sweet, but it will taste with some pleasant sourness.
If you cook pilaf for a long time, you will end up with rice in the dish dark color, and if the ingredients are not fried, the food will come out light and elegant.
After devouring such a tasty, aromatic and nutritious dish, you must definitely taste and quench your thirst with hot green or black tea.
Pilaf is not just a dish. This is a philosophy that every nation has its own. Therefore, despite all the common 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 cook pilaf according to all the rules, as well as adapt ancient national recipes for preparation in conditions and from products of traditional Russian cuisine.
Uzbek crumbly pilaf
You should start with this type of pilaf, since it can be considered a classic example, and is also extremely common both in any cafes 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 he assures famous cook and connoisseur national cuisine Stalik Khadzhiev, 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 a 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 roasts beautifully and looks good in the finished dish. If there are no yellow ones, then take the entire volume of regular carrots.
Such pilaf is prepared in a cauldron, but home kitchen you can take a thick-walled cast iron pan. A duckling will also do.
Preparation:
- In thick-walled cast iron pan or melt lard in a cauldron over low heat.
- Heat it well and put in a couple of pieces of chopped meat. (His for Uzbek pilaf cut into small pieces so that they fit in your mouth for one bite).
- After a minute, these pieces will fry well in hot oil, imparting the aroma of meat to the fat. Now they need to be taken out for now.
- 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 - required ingredient Uzbek pilaf).
- 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.
- Salt again, add a small pod of hot pepper, and also add a teaspoon of barberry, it will add the necessary sourness.
- Carefully pour in hot water along the edge of a cauldron or roasting pan. boiled water, covering the meat and vegetables with it. Then, cover with a lid, leave for 40 minutes on the lowest heat.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place a washed whole head of garlic into the rice.
- Pour boiling water so that the water covers the rice on your finger.
- 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.
- Open the lid, place in an Uzbek flat plate, next to it place a salad of thinly sliced tomatoes with onions and enjoy!
It is good and joyful to gather with friends and family at a common table. Chat, laugh, talk to your heart's content with people near and dear to your heart. And while enjoying pleasant conversations, you just need to treat yourself to delicious homemade dishes.
But when expecting guests, you always have to cook a lot. Admit it, it often happens like this: you stand all day at a hot stove, conjuring over hot water, building complex sandwiches and canapés, cutting a bunch variety of salads, and as a result, by the time of the holiday there is no longer any strength to smile and play the role of a hospitable hostess. Sound familiar?
But when planning to invite guests, it is not at all necessary to plan a lot different dishes. Sometimes it is better to serve only one dish on the table, but such that all your loved ones will gasp with delight after trying it, and in the end they will be full, satisfied and happy. Exactly like this signature dish is a well-known pilaf. One is enough for a full-fledged holiday.
Therefore, on the next warm and sunny day, call everyone to the dacha. Stock up on rice, meat, patience and good mood. We will carefully and thoughtfully conjure up a dish that will definitely delight your guests.
The most correct recipe - classic with lamb. And there are many subtleties and tricks here. So let's get started:
How to cook real Uzbek pilaf
What do we know about real pilaf? Perhaps everyone knows only that cooking it is an art that requires considerable skill, training and experience. However, he, like others complex dishes, has its own secrets and subtleties of preparation, which ensure the transformation of rice, meat and vegetables into a delicious and unique dish.
First of all, check if you have necessary utensils. Today it is no longer a secret that it is cooked in a cauldron - a pot with thick walls. The cauldron can be either cast iron or thick aluminum. The main thing is to buy a container with a larger volume, you won’t go wrong. Just don't take the ducklings. The cooking utensil must be round and have a convex bottom.
Now let's talk about the necessary products:
- Prepare about half a kilo of lamb. Yes, traditional Uzbek pilaf is prepared only from it. Lamb should be fatty, so when buying at the market, take lamb leg. Although the shoulder blade is also suitable, this part of the meat is leaner.
Instead of lamb, you can take beef or pork, but this will no longer be a classic option.
- Now we need half a kilo of rice. Naturally, long-grain, the higher the grade, the better.
- Half a kilo of onions
- Half a kilo of carrots
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- Ground spices. You will also need a lot of them, about 5 teaspoons. This is a mixture of black ground pepper, paprika, cumin. You can also take barberry.
- Fat for frying. It should be noted here that for classic dish exclusively fat tail is used - lamb fat. But since this product is a rare guest in our kitchen, we will replace it with sunflower oil. You will need a lot of oil - at least a glass. If you are still determined to get fat tail, then you will need much less of it - 70-80 grams.
If you want to enhance the bright and unique taste pilaf, be sure to add cumin. It perfectly emphasizes the aroma of lamb, and in its absence even imitates its taste (so you can use a trick and take beef instead of lamb, but be sure to use cumin).
And a few more words about rice. We only need long grain, ideally the Jasmine or Basmati varieties. Round is suitable exclusively for porridges, casseroles and sushi. It needs to be rinsed very well. cold water, it should become clean and transparent. Usually you have to change the water 7-8 times. All the cooking secrets fluffy rice I wrote in the last article, be sure to read it.
Be sure to try before cooking raw carrots- we only need sweet, if it is bitter, it will ruin the taste of the whole dish.
Step-by-step cooking recipe:
There are 3 key stages of cooking that you need to focus on and these stages need to be completed according to all the rules.
Prepare butter or tail fat
At the first stage, we will begin to heat the fat. Yes, such a seemingly banal action must be performed very precisely. This is the foundation for preparing proper pilaf.
Place the cauldron on the stove. The first step is to warm it up properly, so don't rush it.
Our cauldron is hot enough. Pour oil into it, making sure to pour it along the sides of the pot.
Attention: now the fire under the cookware should be low! It is important here that the oil heats up well, but under no circumstances boils.
Remember important point: if the oil is overheated, then the products that we then put in it will be stewed. And our goal is to ensure that the meat, onions and carrots are fried.
So, heat the oil over low heat. Don't go anywhere, watch carefully. When the oil begins to crackle and emit a whitish smoke, it’s time to move on to the second stage.
For those who decide to cook according to all the rules on fat tail (it must first be cut into pieces), the recommendations remain the same. The main thing is that when the fat tail is overheated and white smoke starts to appear, immediately remove the cracklings.
Preparing zirvak for pilaf
The second stage of preparation includes the preparation of zirvak. What is zirvak? This is a special “pillow” of fried meat, onions and carrots, on which rice will subsequently be cooked. Zirvak must also be correct.
So, cut the lamb into equal pieces of any size, the main thing is not too small.
Now increase the heat under the cauldron to quite high. Place the lamb in the bottom of the pot. Let it fry until light brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
Be sure to dry the peeled onion with a towel so that not a drop of moisture remains on it! Cut into half rings.
Add the onions to the meat and let them fry.
You will have to work hard with carrots - they should be cut into long and neat pieces. Not thick, about 0.3 cm. You cannot use a coarse grater, otherwise the carrots will release too much juice and will be stewed instead of frying.
Meanwhile, our onion has acquired a slightly golden color, so we’ll add carrots to the cauldron. Stir gently and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Salt our zirvak thoroughly; it should even be slightly salted. Later, when we put rice in the cauldron, it will no longer be possible to add salt to the dish, so try to calculate everything correctly.
Add prepared spices.
The second stage of preparing pilaf has come to an end.
The third stage - preparing fluffy rice
Now we have smoothly moved on to the third stage of preparation - cooking the rice. The peculiarity of this stage is that the rice will be steamed. In pilaf, the rice must be crumbly, and steam serves this purpose. How is rice cooked over steam here? It’s very simple: rice is cooked over a zirvak. It is a correctly made “cushion” for rice – zirvak – that ensures the crispness of the future dish.
So, very carefully place the washed rice on top of the zirvak. Gently smooth the top with a spoon. Proceed with caution, do not mix rice with zirvak under any circumstances.
By now you should already have a boiling kettle ready.
The following steps will require extreme caution and concentration on your part.
Place a flat saucer on top of the rice. Now very carefully pour boiling water onto the saucer. When the water covers the rice by one to one and a half centimeters, stop. Instead of a saucer, water can be poured onto a wooden spatula or spoon.
Very, very carefully remove the saucer from the cauldron, taking care not to touch or disturb the layer of rice in any way.
Why are such complex actions necessary? Our task is to keep all layers of pilaf unchanged and not mixed, and the rice well compacted. If you pour water without the help of a saucer, there is a high risk that it will blur the rice a little and the tightness of the layers will be broken, and then the dish will not turn out as intended.
Continue cooking over fairly high heat. Do not cover with a lid! Do not interfere with anything under any circumstances!
When the water has completely boiled away and the rice visually looks ready, arm yourself with a spoon with a long thin handle. Now very carefully, using the handle of a spoon, poke several holes from the surface of the rice to the very bottom through all the layers. Carefully pour hot water into these holes. You don't need to pour a lot, just a little. Carefully insert garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, on top.
Close the cauldron with a lid and immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Let the pilaf simmer for about 20 minutes. After turning off the heat, do not open the lid for another 10-15 minutes, the dish should be completely cooked.
Tip: the lid under which final stage When the rice is cooked, it should be very dense, literally without the slightest gap. If the lid of your casserole does not cover it so well, replace it with a suitable flat dish.
Now your real Uzbek pilaf is ready! We guarantee that if you were not lazy and carefully followed all the recommendations, your guests will be completely delighted with it.
Post it ready dish from the cauldron onto a tray or large plate in layers arranged in the reverse order compared to how they were prepared: first - rice, and on top of it is zirvak, topped with pieces of juicy, crispy meat.
Well, be sure to give it to him fresh pita bread, cucumber and tomato salad and hot green tea.
I hope my recipe will help you please your family and friends. Write, I will be glad to receive feedback and comments!
Hello, dear readers of the site!
How to cook delicious pilaf I found out while in Ukraine. But I tried the most delicious pilaf in my life in Uzbekistan, in the colorful city of Samarkand, where on holidays huge cauldrons smoke in the streets and attract you with the smell of this deliciousness.
My pilaf is far from Uzbek, but it’s delicious, that’s for sure. And at the end of the article, the famous Stalik Khankishiev will show his master class, watch and enjoy!
To prepare pilaf we will need:
- 1 kg of meat (lamb, pork, beef are suitable);
- a glass of vegetable oil;
- 1 kg rice;
- 4 large onions (about half a kilo);
- 4 large carrots (also about 500 g);
- cumin (can be replaced with regular cumin, 12-15 gram bag);
- a glass of dried barberry;
- half a glass of raisins;
- a couple of heads of garlic;
- black peppercorns 10-15 pcs, Bay leaf(not necessary);
- salt.
We wash our hands and start cooking.
To prepare delicious pilaf, you need the appropriate utensils - an aluminum or cast iron cauldron with a rounded bottom for at least 6 liters. Pour a glass of oil into it and put it on high heat.
While the oil is heating up, wash the rice in a bowl and soak it in warm water:
The best varieties for pilaf are considered to be glassy varieties, as they are called, that retain the shape of the grain when cooked, but if there are none, any high-quality rice will do; I used basmati.
Cut the meat into plum-sized pieces. Throw a pinch of salt into the cauldron; if the oil begins to crackle after this, it means it has been well calcined and you can add meat, add it, mix.
We bring the meat to such a state when all its juice from the cauldron has evaporated, and the meat in the oil begins to brown. Before this happens, cut the onion into large strips:
We grate all the carrots on a coarse grater, but if it’s absolutely correct, then we need to cut them into strips:
And in a separate kettle, bring water to a boil.
Once the meat has reached the desired condition:
I take it out for a while and fry it in the remaining oil until golden color onion.
Then I add the carrots and also lightly fry for about 5 minutes. Next, pour raisins, barberries, cumin (cumin) into the cauldron, I also add pepper and bay leaves.
I put the meat back.
All this (zirvak) is poured with boiling water until it begins to become covered with water.
I also add a couple of heads of garlic, whole, unpeeled, just washed.
Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes. A good zirvak is the key to tasty pilaf. After some time, add salt (about half a tablespoon).
We try, if the carrots are stewed, it’s ok. The taste of this whole mass should be a little too salty, because the rice will take some of the salt for itself. Add salt if necessary.
The final stage is to drain the water from the rice and carefully spoon the rice evenly over the entire surface of the cauldron:
Pour boiling water (carefully in a thin stream) so that the rice is covered by about 15-20 mm with water.
It starts to boil - we make the most small fire, cover with a lid. Under no circumstances should you stir the rice.
After 15-20 minutes the rice will absorb the water, wait a little longer.
We try, if the rice is almost cooked, use a stick to make a hole in the rice and see how far the water has gone. If it’s near the surface, wait for it to evaporate.
If the rice is not cooked and the water has evaporated, carefully add boiling water. If the rice is almost ready, the water is almost gone - carefully collect the rice with a slide towards the center, make several holes for steam to escape.
Turn off the heat, cover the cauldron with a towel and a lid on top, and let it brew.
Thus, the evaporated moisture will not condense on the lid and drip into the cauldron, but will be absorbed into the towel.
So you have learned how to cook delicious pilaf, aromatic, appetizing...
Pilaf is heavy food. It is advisable not to drink alcohol with it; green tea is most suitable.
Now look how a master of his craft prepares pilaf:
Many people think that preparing pilaf is very difficult and takes a very long time. It's a delusion. I'll tell you how to cook chicken pilaf is quick and tasty.
To prepare pilaf you will need:
A cauldron (if you don’t have one, then in extreme cases the pan should be heavy with thick walls and bottom), any frying pan, two cups or glasses of equal volume.
Ingredients: rice (preferably long-grain, maybe golden so that it says “steamed” on the package), chicken, carrots, onions, salt, vegetable oil, spices.
To quickly prepare pilaf for 6-8 servings
Chop 2 small onions not too finely, grate 2 medium carrots. Heat at least half a glass in a frying pan sunflower oil, fry the onion until golden brown, add the carrots to the onion, stir and simmer for another minute or two. Then place it in any dish; we will need this frying later.
Cut two chickens into small pieces, add oil to the same frying pan and fry chicken breasts about five to seven minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.
Place the chicken in a casserole over high heat and add three full cups of hot (just boiling) water.
When the water returns to a boil, pour a stream of rice into the bubbling water, making sure it evenly covers the chicken. Don't interfere!!!
How much rice do you need for three full glasses of water? Actually, two glasses. But this depends on the quality and type of rice, and most importantly, on how tightly the lid of your cauldron closes. The more steam comes out during cooking, the more water and less rice there should be. To start, use two half cups of rice for three full cups of water. See what happens in next time you will know for sure.
Why do you need a second cup? Yes, it just needs to be dry :)
So, add rice, cover with a lid and set aside for 4 minutes. This is the time that the future pilaf should spend over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and, without raising the lid, cook the rice for another 8 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. After this, you can lift the lid and see how much water is left. If the rice is completely raw and the water has all boiled away, add no more than half a glass of very hot water and place the fry on top of the rice. Don't mix! Close the lid.
Cook the pilaf for another 4 minutes, open, salt, pepper, add your favorite spices, mix, taste.
If the rice is ready, then turn off the heat; if you like your rice too boiled, you can cook it without a lid. In any case, after adding the spices and removing the pilaf from the heat, cover again with a lid and let it salt and absorb the aroma of the spices for a few minutes.
If you did everything correctly, then it will take you half an hour to prepare the pilaf, or maybe a little more. Chicken pilaf is ready!
Chicken pilaf - the end result
Bon appetit!
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