Perhaps professional chefs will make a few remarks, but this version of pilaf is also very tasty, and besides, it is cooked at home.

Ingredients

  • pork or lamb - 500 g;
  • onions - 2 heads;
  • carrots - 1 large;
  • garlic - 1 head;
  • vegetable oil - 100 ml;
  • salt pepper;
  • seasoning.

Cooking:

  • In order to cook friable pilaf at home, we wash the rice with special care in running water, as stated in the recipe. Fill with boiling water and close the lid.

  • We wash the meat and cut it into small pieces, put it on a non-stick pan. Fry the meat without oil until golden brown.

  • Add the onion, cut into half rings, salt and pepper to the meat, mix everything and continue frying.


  • Spread on a frying pan and garlic, cut into plates. A few cloves of garlic can be left to add to the pilaf at the end of cooking.

  • Pour the contents of the pan with boiling water so that the water covers the meat, simmer until tender.



  • We add a little more and add seasoning with turmeric in the composition to give the crumbly pilaf a yellowish color.



  • Add the bay leaf, the remaining garlic and simmer the homemade pilaf until cooked under the lid for 10-15 minutes, as follows from the step-by-step recipe with the photo.

Uzbek pilaf

A special kind of pilaf, pride Uzbek cuisine, as tasty as it is not quite healthy for frequent use.


Ingredients:

  • beef ( the best option: dorsal part, neck or fillet from the shoulder blade) - 500 g;
  • rice special for pilaf - 2 tbsp.;
  • onions - 2 heads;
  • carrots - 3 pcs.;
  • vegetable oil - 150 ml;
  • garlic - 1 head;
  • seasoning for pilaf;
  • salt pepper.

Cooking:

  • Starting cooking crumbly pilaf at home, wash the meat and cut into medium pieces with sides of about 3 cm, as in the recipe with the photo.

  • We prepare vegetables, cut the onion into half rings, carrots into large strips.


  • We wash the rice thoroughly, if you do not have steamed rice, then regular rice should be rinsed in several changes of water.

  • To prepare a delicious real pilaf, it matters what it is cooked in, Uzbek pilaf can only be cooked. Pour oil into it and heat it up as much as possible. We spread the prepared onion in the hot oil, fry for a couple of minutes and add the pieces of meat.

  • Fry the meat for about 20 minutes, reducing the heat slightly. Then, add carrots, salt, pepper and spices to the meat and onions, continue frying for another 10 minutes.

  • During this time, we prepare a sufficient amount of boiling water, fill it with meat and vegetables. The water should completely cover them.

  • We close the cauldron with a lid and simmer all 30 minutes, with a slight boil.

  • Add washed rice, spread it evenly in a cauldron without stirring. The liquid should rise above the rice by 2 cm.

  • When all the liquid is absorbed into the rice, we put a thoroughly washed head of garlic in the center of the cauldron with the prepared pilaf.

  • Close the lid and bring the crumbly pilaf to readiness for another 30 minutes. After the pilaf cooked at home is ready, we serve it to the table.

Pilaf in Tajik

The preparation of pilaf in each national cuisine has its own characteristics, which also affects the taste. Many spices are not put in Tajik pilaf, only zira and ground black pepper or peas. In addition, when preparing pilaf according to the Tajik version, all the main ingredients are taken in equal amounts.


Ingredients:

  • lamb - 500 g;
  • rice - 500 g;
  • carrots - 500 g;
  • onions - 2 heads;
  • salt pepper;
  • zira - a pinch;
  • vegetable oil - 3 - 4 tbsp. l or to taste;
  • garlic - 2 heads.

Cooking:


  • If we use not special rice for cooking friable pilaf at home, then we thoroughly wash it and fill it with water completely. Before adding rice to meat and vegetables, wash it a couple more times.

  • Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the chopped onion.
  • As soon as the onion takes on a golden hue, spread the meat, do not reduce the fire and do not stir until the meat is fried from below.

  • Then mix everything, add the carrots, cut into large strips, salt and pepper.
  • Fry everything with carrots for another 7-10 minutes, put a washed whole head of garlic in the middle of the contents of the pan.

  • Pour boiling water over everything so that it covers the meat and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender.

  • Then, remove the garlic, spread the rice evenly, close the lid, simmer for 15 minutes. We insert the next washed head of garlic into the crumbly pilaf, sprinkle everything with cumin.

  • We continue to stew pilaf, which we cook at home under the lid for about 15 minutes, as stated in the step-by-step recipe with a photo.

We let the cooked dish brew in a covered form and serve it to the table.

Pilaf Samarkand

Also, crumbly pilaf can be prepared according to the recipe of Samarkand cuisine, as a kind of common Uzbek one.


Ingredients:

  • lamb on the bone - 1 kg;
  • rice - 4 tbsp.;
  • fat tail fat - 100 g;
  • onion - 800 g;
  • carrots - 800 g;
  • garlic - 2 heads;
  • vegetable oil - 150 g;
  • salt.

Spices:

  • zira;
  • barberry;
  • ground black pepper;
  • Bay leaf.

Cooking:

  • We start cooking crumbly pilaf at home by washing and soaking the rice, as we have already described in step-by-step recipes with photos.
  • Finely chop the fat tail fat and put it in a cauldron, heat until greaves form. While the fat is melting, prepare the meat, wash and cut off the excess pulp, cut it into pieces.

  • Remove the cracklings from the cauldron, pour vegetable oil. Put the prepared meat into the oil, heated to blue smoke, fry until brown crusts form on all sides.

  • We cut the onion into large half rings, spread it to the meat, fry everything together until the onion is transparent.

  • Pour two cups of boiling water, salt, pepper, close the lid and cook "zirvak", covering it with a lid and reducing the heat.
  • The water should have completely evaporated by the time the meat is ready.
  • Add carrots, cut into large strips, increase the fire to the maximum.

  • We lightly fry everything, add zira and barberry, insert two heads of prepared and washed whole garlic.

  • Pour boiled water again so that it covers all the products. Stew the carrots for 15 minutes, spread the rice on top of the carrot layer.

  • Pour boiling water again, which covers the rice by 1.5-2 cm.

  • We add fire and again evaporate the water, after which we collect the rice in a slide to the center, make several holes to the bottom with a wooden stick.


Pilaf with chicken

A selection of pilaf recipes would not be complete without this popularly beloved version of cooking pilaf with chicken.


Ingredients:

  • chicken - 1/2 pc.;
  • rice - 3 tbsp.;
  • carrots - 3 pcs.;
  • onions - 2 heads;
  • garlic - 2 heads;
  • vegetable oil for frying;
  • seasoning for pilaf with chicken;
  • salt, ground black pepper.

Cooking:

  • Wash and soak the rice. We cut half the carcass into small pieces, you can, if desired, free the meat from the bones.

  • In a cauldron or deep frying pan, heat the vegetable oil with garlic, after which we remove the garlic. Put the prepared chicken pieces into the hot fragrant oil, fry until golden brown.

  • At this stage, you can salt, pepper and add the onion, cut into half rings.
  • Mix everything and fry over high heat for three minutes, then add the carrots, cut into large strips and all the spices, mix.

  • Fry all the products for another 10 minutes and add the washed rice, distributing it evenly over the surface. We insert into the pilaf one or two heads of onions cut from below.

  • Pour boiling water so that it rises slightly above the rice. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, controlling the amount of water. It should be quickly absorbed into the rice, and the remaining small amount is needed for further cooking.

If rice and meat are already cooked, and the water has not yet evaporated, just add fire. Otherwise, when the meat and rice are not yet ready, and the water has already evaporated, add a very small amount of boiling water.

We give the crumbly pilaf, cooked at home, to brew in a covered form and serve it to the table.

Pilaf in a slow cooker

crumbly and very delicious pilaf you can cook and, moreover, with a guaranteed result of obtaining the desired properties of this dish.


Ingredients:

  • beef - 400 g;
  • rice - 400 g;
  • onions - 3 heads;
  • carrots - 3 pcs.;
  • seasoning for pilaf or dry spices - to taste;
  • garlic - 1 pc.;
  • sunflower oil - 4 tbsp. l;
  • salt pepper.

Cooking:

  • We prepare the beef, as usual, wash and cut into small pieces.
  • Traditionally, we also cut vegetables for pilaf, put all the prepared products into the multicooker bowl.

  • Add vegetable oil, mix everything and close the lid. Set the "Baking" function for 15 minutes.

  • Open the lid, add salt, cooked spices and those that you personally like, mix. Insert the garlic cut from the bottom.

  • We spread the pre-prepared rice, washed and soaked, do not mix.

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Rice is used to cook the most variety of dishes. But the most famous is plov. Rice grains in it should crumble, and not form sticky fragments. However, to achieve proper cooking this dish is difficult. How to cook friable pilaf, we will tell in our article.

Main reasons for failure

The most difficult thing in cooking pilaf is to achieve that the rice becomes crumbly and absorbs the taste of zirvak. To do this, you need not only to strictly follow the recipe, but also to choose the right products for cooking.

Rice in pilaf does not turn out crumbly for the following reasons:

  • non-compliance with cooking technology. Today there are a wide variety of pilaf recipes. In many of them, during the cooking process, the components of the dish should not be mixed. Rice is introduced at the very end, which is why it is not always possible to accurately meet all the requirements (temperature in the container, cooking time, amount of water, etc.). This leads to the fact that the grains either remain very dry or stick together;
  • wrong grain. Only hard varieties of long-grain rice are suitable for cooking pilaf. There are many varieties of cereals that can be used for cooking. Some of them fit perfectly, but they are very difficult to find in a store or market (for example, devzira rice). Others are easier to find, but getting crumbly from them is more difficult. However, many types of rice are strictly forbidden to take for cooking this dish;
  • you need to choose rice of a certain brand. Some products, even with the observance of the pilaf cooking technology, give an unpleasant odor and stuck together lumps. This happens if the cereal is of poor quality and was harvested in violation of the collection technology. It is best to give preference to more expensive products of well-known brands. In this case, the risk of buying a fake will be minimal;
  • the presence of a large amount of starch in rice. To reduce its content in cereals, it is necessary to rinse the grains well. It is imperative to rinse the rice to remove all impurities from it. Their presence can also lead to sticking of grains during the cooking process. Depending on the variety of rice, it is necessary to wash from 3 to 10 times.

The most common reason for the appearance of sticky lumps in pilaf is a violation of the cooking technology. For example, rice for swelling should be poured with boiled water. The volume of the poured liquid should be 2 times more than the cereal is used.

When the water in the container in which the rice is cooked begins to gurgle, the fire should be reduced. In this case, the pan or cauldron is covered with a tight lid. The ingredients should be evaporated for 15-20 minutes (the time is determined depending on the recipe, since sometimes you need to simmer for 40 minutes).

After pouring water, regardless of the need to mix the remaining components, the cereal should not be disturbed. Rice should be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the zirvak. Only in this case it is possible to achieve good friability and excellent taste from it.

Some chefs advise using certain tricks when cooking rice. For example, use a little in the cooking process sunflower oil. You can also rinse the cereal after the completion of the cooking process.

If you choose the right rice, soak it and cook it, it will most likely turn out to be crumbly.

Video: "How to cook friable pilaf"

How to cook crumbly pilaf, because this is the main difficulty in preparing this dish?

What is required for cooking

To prepare friable pilaf, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 1 kg long grain rice(only hard varieties are taken). You can use any cereal that belongs to this variety;
  • 1 kg of meat (pork, beef, chicken, rabbit, etc.). There are recipes in which ordinary stew acts as a meat component;
  • 0.25 kg of lamb (fat tail) fat. It can be replaced with cottonseed oil;
  • 0.5–0.7 kg of carrots;
  • 0.5–0.7 kg of onions;
  • several heads of garlic;
  • spices. Their set is determined by the taste preferences of the cook. But it is recommended to include in the list such a seasoning as zira;
  • salt.

As already noted, today there are a huge number of the most a variety of recipes pilaf. Therefore, the list of ingredients can be expanded. Above was the basic set of products. But winter peas (chickpeas), corn, dried fruits, etc. can be added to pilaf. From spices, hot red and ground black pepper, barberry, suneli hops, etc. are often used to give the dish taste and spiciness. You can decorate pilaf with herbs.

How to cook crumbly pilaf

Loose pilaf is prepared as follows:

  • first, all products (vegetables and meat) are cleaned and cut, and rice is soaked in water;

  • then the carrots are roasted first, and then onion and meat pieces are added to it. The ingredients are poured into a well-heated container. Meat and vegetables only need to be fried, not brought to full readiness. Otherwise, the pilaf will come out dry and tough. The result is a rich broth - zirvak;

  • then rice is poured into the prepared broth and seasonings are added. The groats are poured with salted boiling water on top. When rice is added, the fire decreases, and the dish languishes for the time indicated in the recipe;

  • then the container is removed from the fire and stands for some more time. After that, pilaf can be served at the table.

Depending on the recipe, additional recommendations may arise in the preparation technology of this dish. For example, it is forbidden to mix layers of vegetables with meat. The pilaf languishing time can also be increased after adding rice to zirvak.

If you want to cook fluffy rice, choose simple recipes, which involve performing standard actions. Only after honing your skills on them can you safely switch to more complex variations of pilaf. Follow the above recommendations, and the rice in this dish will always be crumbly.

Content:

Every housewife, when preparing a delicious pilaf, worries about its friability. Indeed, for sure, all of us at least once have encountered such an unpleasant phenomenon as rice porridge with meat instead of a dish that is expected and loved in many countries of the world. And that's when experiments begin: we try to cook from different varieties of rice, several types of meat, we try to cook as moms advise, and so on. And often we just give up, because the result is not happy.

But what do the professionals say? Someone, let alone real chefs, knows exactly how to cook delicious pilaf, they will surely tell you how to cook such a dish correctly. This article will reveal to you some secrets that will allow you to never again worry about the unpredictability of this oriental food. In addition, by choosing the recipe described in it from several suggested ones, you can avoid most of the most common mistakes.

Firstly, any rice can be made crumbly, regardless of whether it is long or round. But it is the steamed one that absorbs better than the rest meat broth, so its preparation is easier for many housewives. Secondly, in no case should you neglect the washing of cereals. This must be done at least 8-10 times until the drained water becomes clear. Be sure to pour rice with cold water and let it get wet. In zirvak, cereals should be laid out with a slotted spoon so that excess liquid does not get there.

And most importantly, learn how to cook rice properly. It must be steamed, but the double boiler has nothing to do with it. It’s just that the fire under the cauldron must be made minimal, the layer of cereal should be pierced in several places to the very bottom and the lid tightly closed. Check the doneness of the rice once every 10-15 minutes, adding a little boiling water if necessary. At the last stage, when the cauldron has already been removed from the stove, it must be wrapped in a blanket and left for a while. This cooking secret crumbly porridge our great-grandmothers also knew, and now it is known to you. Below are several options for how to make crumbly pilaf, fragrant and truly delicious. Choose any recipe and improve your culinary skills!

Crumbly lamb and pork pilaf

There is a lot of controversy over what kind of meat is better to use for cooking delicious pilaf correctly. Almost as much as around the question: “Which rice is more suitable?”. Each eastern or Asian country has its own opinion on this matter. It is clear that Muslims, due to religious beliefs, cannot cook pork, so it is customary for them to cook rice with lamb or chicken. But if there are no such restrictions in your family, then be sure to try the recipe described below and you will definitely be able to make delicious pilaf.

Ingredients:

  • pork (pulp) - 500 g
  • lamb (pulp) - 500 g
  • long grain rice - 1 kg
  • sunflower oil for frying
  • onion (large) - 4 pieces
  • carrots (large) - 4 pieces
  • garlic - 2 heads
  • bay leaf - 5 pieces
  • salt, black ground pepper- taste
  • turmeric - 1 tablespoon

This recipe, judging by the number of its ingredients, is designed for big company. But such pilaf can be cooked in a smaller volume. Just follow the indicated proportions, cutting down on grams. Remember that rice, meat, and vegetables should be taken in the same ratio - 1:1:1. Then you will be able to make crumbly pilaf, tasty, rich and having an extremely appetizing look. Equally important is the utensils in which you cook. It is better to take a cauldron made of cast iron, a large deep frying pan is also suitable.

So, to begin with, rinse the rice thoroughly, fill it with water and leave it for about an hour. Peel the onions and carrots, rinse and cut, respectively, into half rings and thin strips. Wash the meat, dry and cut into equal pieces of medium size. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat it until white smoke appears. Put the meat, quickly fry on all sides until brown and pour it into the cauldron. Send the onion slices to the pan, and when it becomes golden, place it on the meat. Carrots can not be fried, but sent to the cauldron immediately. Salt your zirvak well, season with spices and stir.

Strain the rice and spread in an even layer over the meat and vegetables. Now carefully, along the wall of the cauldron, pour in water, it should cover everything by about 1 centimeter. Make the fire as high as possible, wait until the pilaf boils, then reduce the heating temperature of the burner to medium, pierce the rice to the very bottom in several places and cover with a lid. You need to cook for 20-30 minutes, then turn off the fire, stick in upper layer more cloves of garlic, cover the cauldron with a blanket or a blanket and let the pilaf "reach", as they said in the old days.

Crumbly pilaf with chicken

In the summer I want to eat something light, tasty and nutritious at the same time. And if we women can be content vegetable salad and a cheese sandwich, then men will not be delighted with such a menu. AT good nutrition children also need it. The recipe described below will satisfy all these requirements and will not take you much time.

Ingredients:

  • chicken fillet - 400 g
  • steamed rice - 1.5 cups
  • carrots (medium) - 2 pieces
  • onion - 2 pieces
  • sunflower oil for frying
  • garlic - 4 cloves
  • seasoning for pilaf - to taste
  • salt - to taste
  • greens - 1 small bunch

Cooking method:

As always, any recipe begins with the preparation of ingredients. Rinse the rice under running water until it turns white and soak. Cut clean dried meat into small pieces. Peel the vegetables, wash and cut in any shape. Preferably, of course, onions - in half rings, and carrots - in strips. But if there is no time, then it is possible in any other way, even grind with a grater. Pour vegetable oil into a cauldron, heat it properly and put the meat along with the onions. Saute until the onion is translucent and add the carrots. Cook until golden brown.

That's it, now pour some water and simmer the zirvak until tender, not forgetting to salt and season it properly. Greens can be added both immediately and immediately before serving. Rice, previously strained, also transfer to a cauldron and level. Remember to poke holes all the way to the bottom with a spatula, as any recipe calls for, so that the water boils away faster. You need to cook over medium heat until the liquid goes inside the cauldron from the surface. Now stick a few cloves of garlic into the rice, cover the cauldron with a lid and wrap it with something warm. After 10-15 minutes, the rice will absorb excess moisture and become crumbly and very appetizing. Can be mixed and served.

Crumbly Uzbek pilaf at home

Oh, how beautiful pilaf looks if you cook it according to all the rules of the Uzbek national cuisine! And how wonderful it smells! There is no hint of the notorious lumps, the rice is incredibly crumbly, almost amber. Yes, competing with professionals is a losing business. But even at home, you can cook an excellent tasty pilaf if you adopt this simple recipe.

Ingredients:

  • lamb (veal) - 500 g
  • onion - 500 g
  • carrots - 500 g
  • long grain rice - 500 g
  • vegetable oil - 150 g
  • garlic - 1 head
  • salt, spices - to taste

Cooking method:

Wash rice and soak in cold water. Cut clean and dry meat into small equal pieces. Peel and wash vegetables, with the exception of the head of garlic. Cut the onion into large cubes, and simply grate the carrots on a coarse grater if you do not want to bother with slicing straws. Pour into the pan required amount vegetable oil, heat it properly and fry the meat until golden brown for 20 minutes, not forgetting to stir in time so that it does not burn.

Then add the onion and continue frying for another 5 minutes. After the specified time, you can pour out the carrots, season the vegetables and meat with spices and cook the zirvak for 5-7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully transfer its contents to a heavy-bottomed cauldron. Place rice on top of the zirvak in an even layer, from which do not forget to drain the water. Add 2-3 teaspoons of salt, some people like it to be more, and someone - to be less, so be guided by your own preferences.

Now carefully, in a thin stream, fill everything with water, it should cover the rice by about 1 centimeter. If you pour less, then the pilaf will come out too dry, and if you overdo it, then instead of friability you will get those very notorious sticky lumps. Put the cauldron on the fire, wait until its contents boil, and cover with a lid. The heating temperature of the burner must be made minimal, because in order to cook crumbly pilaf, steam is needed, and not liquid seething. After 20 minutes, the fire can be turned off, the rice will reach the desired state under the lid in a quarter of an hour. Mix everything and serve. Pilaf is delicious when hot.

Crumbly pilaf with beef

“Well, this is generally unrealistic to do!” - many housewives will exclaim and will be wrong. The recipe that follows will completely disprove your beliefs if you dare to try it. Indeed, this type of meat is not in honor of the cooks, because it takes patience and time to cook it correctly. But pilaf with beef is always very tasty, it turns out crumbly and moderately fatty. And its aroma will make the whole family come running to the kitchen and impatiently wait for an invitation to the table. The recipe does not contain any special secrets, so you can safely cook, conquering the culinary heights!

Ingredients:

  • boneless beef - 300 g
  • round grain rice - 2/3 cup
  • carrots (medium) - 1 piece
  • onion (large) - 1 piece
  • refined sunflower oil
  • salt, ground black pepper, bay leaf - to taste

Cooking method:

If the amount of ingredients seems too small for you, it can be increased, but only in compliance with the indicated proportions. Otherwise, the recipe will be violated, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to cook a truly crumbly and tasty pilaf. So, cut the washed and dried meat into small identical cubes, put in a small saucepan and pour 1 liter of water. It should be cooked over medium heat. As soon as the foam appears, carefully remove it, salt the broth, season with pepper and bay leaf. You have to cook within half an hour. Then remove the meat to a plate, and pour the remaining liquid into a cup, you will need it later.

Peel the vegetables, wash and cut: onions - into half rings, and carrots - into strips. Take a deep thick-walled frying pan, heat vegetable oil in it, lay out the meat, add carrots and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then pour the onion there and cook for another 3 minutes. At the same time, boil water on the other burner. Rinse rice quickly under running water, drain well and send to meat and vegetables for frying. This will take 3-4 minutes.

After the specified time, pour everything with boiling water and the broth in which the meat was cooked. In total, you should take 250 ml of liquid, no more. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat until the water has evaporated. In no case do not mix rice and zirvak. For the first 15 minutes, you can’t even look under the lid, but then watch the liquid level by making holes to the bottom of the pan. As soon as you see that the gravy is gone, turn off the burner, and leave the pilaf on a warm stove for another 10 minutes. It is better to serve with a salad of cabbage and fresh vegetables.

Each recipe described in this article has its own characteristics that allow you to cook delicious pilaf correctly and make rice crumbly. If you carefully follow all the recommendations, then the dish will delight you with its appetizing appearance and rich rich taste. As you can see, you should not blame the failures on rice of the wrong variety, as many housewives usually do. Of much greater importance is the observance of the pilaf cooking algorithm and the choice of the correct ratio of meat, cereals and vegetables.

But with spices, you can and even need to experiment. If you want to get a beautiful golden color of rice, add a little saffron, as is customary in Asia. Local cooks also put zira and barberry. The seasoning, traditionally used in Europe, includes paprika, black pepper, cumin, onion and garlic. A dish with it will taste different from Asian. Try, look for your own combinations of spices, do not be afraid to experiment, and then a delicious pilaf will become your culinary “horse”!

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Rice

This is the main stumbling block of all cooks who have ever cooked pilaf. Nevertheless, almost all of them agree that devzira rice is the best, as well as other Uzbek and Tajik varieties.

You can try to cook pilaf with other types of rice, but preferably not too starchy. And in any case, the rice should be washed well before laying (until the water is clear). This will wash away the starch dust and prevent the pilaf from sticking together. Cooks also advise soaking it in cold water for an hour or more.

By the way, instead of pilaf, you can use wheat, chickpeas, corn and mung beans. But that's a slightly different story.

Meat

Lamb is traditionally used for pilaf, but beef is also suitable. You can also use pork, although Muslim cooks are unlikely to forgive you for this. A chicken option is also possible, but it already has little in common with the classic Uzbek pilaf.

It is better to choose the meat of adult animals: it gives the necessary rich taste.

The meat must be cut into fairly large pieces, about 5 × 5 cm or a little more. You can fry meat in large, non-portioned pieces and grind it just before serving. It is believed that what more piece the juicier the meat will be.

Vegetables

There are two main vegetables in pilaf: onions and carrots. Onions can be used. It is more difficult with carrots: in Central Asia, pilaf is often cooked with yellow carrots, but in its absence, the usual orange one is also suitable.

The main rule is not to grind. Onions are cut into rings or half rings, carrots are cut into large sticks about 5 mm thick. If you finely chop vegetables and meat, you will no longer get pilaf, but rice porridge.

Oil

For the preparation of pilaf, either odorless vegetable oil, or animal fat (tail fat), or both types together are used. At home, the easiest way to use refined sunflower oil.

No need to skimp: pilaf fatty dish. On average, 1 kg of rice takes about 200–250 ml of oil.

Spices

There is a lot of room for experimentation here. And yet, more or less traditional seasonings can be distinguished:

  • garlic (slightly peeled and laid with whole heads);
  • hot red pepper (laid with a whole pod);
  • zira;
  • barberry;
  • ground black or red pepper.

You can also add thyme, coriander, suneli hops, saffron or other spices to your taste in pilaf. The easiest way is to use a ready-made seasoning mix.

Other Ingredients

In addition to the components listed above, pre-soaked chickpeas and dried fruits are often added to pilaf.

What dishes to choose

A cauldron, a cauldron and another cauldron. With thick walls. In it, the meat does not stick, and the rice cooks evenly and remains crumbly. It is best to use a cast-iron cauldron (especially if you cook pilaf on a fire), but aluminum will do.

A duck can be a good substitute for a cauldron. But a saucepan, a deep frying pan, a wok and other kitchen utensils will not give the desired effect, no matter how much you want it.

The basic principle of pilaf is as follows: first, zirvak is prepared (meat and vegetables fried in oil with spices and broth), and then rice is poured on top.

The standard proportion for pilaf is equal parts of rice, meat and carrots. The number of onions may vary, but be at least 1-2 heads. The same with garlic.

Heat up the pot and pour the oil into it. It should warm up well so that later the ingredients can brown quickly.

Next, the onion or meat is fried. If you are cooking pilaf with a lot of onions, you can fry the meat first. Spread it into the cauldron gradually so as not to bring down the temperature, and do not turn over immediately - otherwise it may begin to release juice.

Onions need to be fried until golden brown so that the finished broth gives color to the rice.

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When the meat and onions are fried, carrots are laid. It is fried for several minutes until softened.


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Then all the ingredients are poured with hot water. It should cover the meat by 1-2 cm. Garlic, red pepper pod, spices and other ingredients are put next. Everything is salted to taste (or a little more salt is added than you like: the rice will absorb it) and cooked over moderate heat for at least 40 minutes until the meat is tender.


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After the zirvak is cooked, rice is laid. It is better to do this with a slotted spoon to distribute the rice evenly. From above it can be flavored with a couple of pinches of cumin - for flavor.

  1. Rice is drowned in the broth (if necessary, more hot water is added through a slotted spoon so that it covers the dish a little) and stewed open until the water is completely absorbed (about 20 minutes). Then the fire is turned off (if the pilaf is cooked on a fire, then by this moment the firewood should simply smolder), the cauldron is covered with a lid and the rice is left to steam for about 15-20 minutes.
  2. After laying the rice, the cauldron is immediately closed with a lid and the contents are stewed for about half an hour at minimum heat, and then for about 10 minutes it comes without fire.

When the fire is turned off, wrap the lid with a towel: it will absorb the condensation and prevent it from getting into the dish.

Garlic and pepper are removed from the finished pilaf. If large pieces of meat were used for cooking, then they are also taken out, cut and spread on top of the mixed pilaf. If small pieces were used, you can mix the pilaf with them.

Pilaf is traditionally served on a large plate and topped with a head of garlic. This dish goes best with fresh vegetables.


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Reading 6 min. Published on 01/05/2019

Pilaf is a popular dish of Uzbek cuisine, it has entered the "golden fund" of world cuisine. It's hard to mess up if you follow the recipe. There are many variations of pilaf, among which everyone can choose something for themselves.

Secrets of cooking friable rice

  1. When buying rice, choose transparent packaging so that you can evaluate the quality. The grains should be free of additional impurities, white/beige or slightly translucent. At home, they check the quality of rice by smell: the grain should not smell like mold.
  2. Before cooking, the rice is thoroughly washed with warm water, which is drained several times (5-7) until the liquid becomes transparent, thus getting rid of the starch contained on the surface of the rice. When washing the grain, rub it thoroughly with your hands.
  3. Don't rush to use the washed rice right away. After draining the last water, let it brew for about forty minutes. Periodically stir the grain so that the remaining moisture is absorbed evenly.

It is known that round-grain rice contains more starch than long-grain rice, so when choosing rice, give preference to varieties with elongated grains.

Why pilaf turns out like porridge or cooking errors

  1. It is important to observe the proportions of products: rice, meat, carrots and onions are taken in equal weight quantities. This is the only way to achieve a balanced taste of the Uzbek dish and not end up with rice porridge with meat.
  2. You can not take a pan with a thin bottom and walls. Choose thick-walled dishes so that the heat is evenly distributed and retained. If there is no cauldron, then a cast-iron pan or ducklings will do.
  3. A common mistake when cooking pilaf is a violation of the recipe when preparing zirvak (meat and vegetable component of the dish). Each of the three ingredients should be fried alternately in well-heated fat so that the products are instantly covered with a golden crust and do not have time to give juice.
  4. The order of bookmarking products is not followed. It is supposed to cook zirvak first, bring it to a boil, then put rice on top and pour water over it.
  5. Rice laid in a container on top of meat, onions and carrots should not be mixed, it is better not to open the lid during cooking and after another ten minutes.
  6. The surface of the cereal is leveled, the water should cover it by a centimeter and a half. Holes are made on the surface with a wooden stick so that the steam rises up. Everything is cooked on a very slow fire, as if steamed.
  7. Lack of flavor is a common cooking mistake. Spicy taste of pilaf is given by spices: zira, hot pepper, cumin, barberry. They emphasize the taste of meat, add spicy notes. Saffron, garlic, suneli hops will complement the composition.

The head of garlic is placed unpeeled, after cutting off the top.

Top 3 step-by-step crumbly pilaf recipes

Uzbek pilaf

Culinary experts have over five dozen recipes Uzbek pilaf. And every housewife in Uzbekistan has her own cooking secret, which makes it unique. But still there is classic recipe which is taken as a basis.

Prepare a meal for open fire, certainly in a cauldron.

Ingredients :

  • rice of the Devzira variety - 1.5 kilograms;
  • lamb (preferably the shoulder part, brisket) - 1.5 kilograms;
  • carrots - 1.5 kilograms;
  • onion - 6-7 pieces;
  • garlic - 2-3 heads;
  • zira - half a glass;
  • barberry - half a glass;
  • fat cut from meat or fat tail - 200 grams;
  • vegetable oil - 1 cup;
  • salt - to taste.

Cooking :

Chicken pilaf recipe

Pilaf from chicken meat cooking will be faster. It is suitable for the daily menu, as it is used available products and the cooking process is easy. The recipe can be supplemented and used for festive feast, adding prunes, raisins or mushrooms to the dish.

Ingredients :

  • chicken - 1 kilogram;
  • long-grain rice - 1 kilogram;
  • medium-sized onion - 5-6 pieces;
  • garlic - 4 heads;
  • a mixture of zira and turmeric - 3 tablespoons;
  • salt, ground black pepper, paprika - to taste;
  • vegetable oil - ¾ cup.

Cooking :

Recipe for pilaf in a slow cooker

Cooking pilaf in a slow cooker requires a minimum of participation; this is a recipe for lovers of oriental dishes who have little free time. A slow cooker will allow you to cook pilaf in a hurry.