Pilaf is a traditional oriental dish, the most famous and tasty dish, a real king of kings (shah-an-shah) of the Central Asian table (dastarkhan).
The variety of recipes for the manufacture of this dish is amazing, in Uzbekistan alone its great variety.
In every corner of the Uzbek Republic, as in the capital itself, pilau is cooked differently.
The real docks and aksakals in their business, namely in the preparation of pilaf, are based on the recipes of their ancestors, which are passed down from generation to generation.
How to make Uzbek plov at home? Many people ask this question, they are afraid of the complexity of the process of making this aromatic and nutritious dish.
But in vain, it is worth practicing a little by yourself - and it will start to make pilaf!
Each type of pilaf is tasty in its own way but, like any other dish, osh (plov) has its own general principles and peculiarities of preparation, which are an integral part of this dish.
How to cook pilaf at home - general principles and important points of making this oriental dish
• It is customary to cook pilaf on live and open fire in a cast-iron pot. But in the absence of the latter, it can be used for cooking - an utyatnitsa, a roaster, in general, the main thing is that the walls of the existing dishes be thick and hold heat for further uniform heating of the rice.
• Traditional Oriental pilaf is cooked only from lamb with the addition of fat-tail fat, which, when roasted, turns into very tasty cracklings (recommended to eat hot with Uzbek bread). But you can cook pilaf (its taste does not spoil it at all) from pork, beef or poultry.
• In order for the pilaf to turn out crumbly, it is necessary 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 of long-grain rice with a low starch content. Hard rice with transparent seeds is dense, does not boil soft and absorbs water well. • Also, oil plays a leading role in the manufacture of pilaf, since it absorbs odors and gives flavor to the future dish. Classic pilaf oil is used - cotton, sunflower, sesame. It does not recommend cooking in olive oil because of its low heating temperature.
• Without which, pilaf cannot get along without a spice. The main spices of this aromatic dish are zira, turmeric, barberry, sweet red pepper, saffron, hot pepper (can be a pod). In the absence of these spices separately, you can purchase a special set for pilaf in the store. Pilaf loves spices; no need to feel sorry for adding them to the zirvak when cooking it.
• If zirvak prepared correctly, then pilaf will succeed - so they say. Zirvak is a combination of all the ingredients of the pilaf: meat, vegetables, dried fruits, along with seasonings and broth. Preparing is true, pilaf making pilaf is a real art, since it is on it that the aromatic data, the taste and appearance of the future dish depend.
How to make 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 plov at home: in a cauldron”
Ingredients:
• Lamb - 1 kg.
• Fat - 200 gr.
• Carrot (yellow or orange) - 1 kg.
• Rice - 1 kg.
• Onions - 500 gr.
• Oil (cotton or sunflower).
• Garlic - 2 heads.
• Chickpea (presoaked) - 250 gr.
• Kishmish - 150 gr.
• Hot pepper (pod) - 2 pcs.
• Spices - cumin, turmeric, barberry, saffron, red pepper (sweet).
Preparation:
Rice must be washed 6-7 times and put water in the bay aside. Cut meat into large pieces. If there are bones, then you need to chop them (but not crush). Peel the carrots and cut into medium-sized straws. Onions need to chop rings or half rings.
Then you need to heat the cauldron and pour oil into it. Further, to make a strong fire and wait for the moment when smoke comes out of the cauldron - this will mean that the oil has become hot. Next in the oil you need to throw a little onion in order for it to absorb all the harmful substances of the oil. When the onion darkens take it out and throw it away. Next, you need to fry the rump, cut into cubes until golden brown. Then take out the rump cooked in this way, sprinkle it with onions, pepper, salt, and eat it with a scone or bread.
After it is necessary to throw in the cauldron meat with bones and fry it on the same high heat until golden brown crust. If there is a lot of meat, then it is necessary to fry the portionion. Covered the meat with a ruddy bone, remove it from the cauldron and throw the next batch. After all the meat has been cooked, you must put it back in the cauldron and add onions to it.
After the onions lightly browned, you need to add a carrot to the cauldron to wait a few minutes and mix all the ingredients.
When roasting meat with vegetables, do not forget and periodically stir them with a slotted spoon. When the carrot leaves excess moisture, the bones with meat should try to shift to the bottom of the cauldron.
Then the fried components must be filled with water (for 1 kg of rice - a liter, 1,200 of water, depending on the variety of rice). Put spices, pepper, garlic and cook zirvak for 30-40 minutes over medium heat.
15 minutes after the start of cooking, zirvak should be salted in such a way that it seems saltier than usual. As in the future, rice will absorb the salt and normalize the salt balance of the pilaf. You also need to put in pilaf chickpeas, which in 20-25 minutes will reach readiness.
Now you need to go to throwing rice. The rice is laid in the cauldron in small portions and leveled on the surface. Water should slightly cover the rice (somewhere on the finger). It is better to add water to rice than to eat boiled porridge.
Important! 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, the rice with the help of a shumovka needs to be collected by a slide (carefully pushing the skimmer between the wall of the cauldron and rice to the bottom, without destroying the layers). Further, ktshmish, garlic are laid out over the rice, and holes are made in the pilaf all the way down to the bottom (if the rice is dry, water can be added to these holes due to lack of water).
Now you need to close the pilaf tightly with a lid and reduce the fire to a minimum. Cook, thus, pilaf still half an hour.
When the pilaf is ready, you need to put it in Lyagan, put garlic in the middle and sprinkle the whole surface with meat.
Recipe 2. “Pilaf at home in a multicooker”
Ingredients:
• Pork - 0.5 kg (pulp).
• Rice - 500 gr.
• Onions - 3 pcs. (small size).
• Carrot -3 pcs. (small size).
• Vegetable oil - 150 ml.
• Water - 700 ml.
• Salt.
• Spices.
Preparation:
Rice must be washed several times under water. In the bowl from the multicooker you need to pour oil and set the mode “Baking”.
Peeled and chopped onion must be placed in a slow cooker and slightly fry it. Then to the onion you need to add carrot cut into strips and meat, cut into small pieces. Meat and vegetables should be fried for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
At the end of the time of a given program in the slow cooker you need to add fig. Then it is necessary to pour all the components with water, add salt, spices and set the slow cooker to the pilaf cooking mode.
After the pilaf is cooked, it should be mixed and served to the table with a salad of tomato and onion.
Recipe 3. “Pilaf at Home in a Multicooker of Seafood”
Ingredients:
• Rice - 300 gr.
• Oil (olive) - 60 ml.
• Onion.
• Broth - 0.5 l.
• Lemon.
• Seafood: shrimps, mussels, fish fillets - 300 gr.
• Corn (canned) - 1ooo gr.
• Mint.
• Salt.
• Pepper.
• Spices - turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, saffron.
Preparation:
In a cup of multicooker need to pour olive oil.
Then chop the seafood, chop the peeled onion into small cubes, clean the seeds from the pepper and chop into half rings. Next, put seafood on the bottom of the bowl, send onions, peppers and corn on top of them.
Then you will need to turn on the multicooker in the “Baking” mode for a few minutes.
Then you need to put in the bowl rice, spices, salt and pepper and pour all the components with broth.
Set the slow cooker to the “Pilaf” mode and cook the dish for an hour. After the pilaf is ready, you need to let it stand for 15-20 minutes.
Decorate pilaf with mint and half lemon.
Recipe 4. “Pilaf at home in a chicken fillet pan”
Ingredients:
• Chicken fillet - 1 kg.
• Sunflower oil).
• Rice - 500 gr.
• Carrot - 3 pcs.
• Onions - 3 pcs.
• Garlic.
• Salt.
• Spices - zira, barberry, turmeric.
Preparation:
Rice well need to be washed and set aside for swelling. Next, the chicken flesh must be washed and cut into small pieces, chop the onion in half rings, chop the carrot into strips.
Then it is recommended to pour one centimeter oil into the bottom of the pan and heat it. Then put the onion in it and lightly fry until golden brown.
Now you need to put the chicken in the pan and continue the frying process for a few minutes, stirring it alternately. Next to the onions and meat you need to add a carrot and fry it until half cooked.
Then all the ingredients must be poured with water, seasoned with spices for pilaf and mixed. And then, having covered the next pilaf with a lid, cook it for another 20 minutes.
Next on the meat you need to lay out the rice to level it and pour boiling water on all components (one finger above the rice). The pot should be tightly closed with a lid and reduce the fire. Cook, thus, pilaf need for 20 minutes. Then you need to open the lid, make holes in the pilaf for evaporation of water and cook it for another 10 minutes.
After cooking pilaf must infuse. Serve this dish with a salad made from radish with onions and mayonnaise.
Recipe 5. Uzbek plov at home: in the uatyana
Ingredients:
• Rice - 400 gr.
• Vegetable oil.
• Nute (soaked in advance) - 0.5 cups.
• Beef (pulp) - 600 gr.
• Carrot - 2 pcs.
• Onions - 2 pcs.
• Quince - 2 pcs.
• Garlic - 2 pcs.
• Raisin - 60 gr.
• Spices.
Preparation:
Beef cut into small pieces, chop the onion, carrot cut into strips, quince slices, and garlic peeled from the upper layers of the husk.
In utiatnitsa, first the meat, then the onions and carrots, fry until golden brown. Add a quince, chickpeas, pour all the ingredients with water and simmer for 20 minutes.
After this time, zirvak salt, pepper and add spices to it.
Lay out the rice in a dish in an even layer, add more water so that it covers the rice, and cook the pilaf on a low fire for about 20 minutes with the lid open.
Then pour the raisins, barberries, garlic cloves and cook the pilaf on a small fire for another 15 minutes.
Then in the heated oven you need to put the utyatnitsa with pilaf and then the dish for another half hour.
Then mix pilaf - and you can start the meal.
Recipe 6. “Pilaf at home in a saucepan with beans”
Ingredients:
• Rice - 400 gr.
• Beans - 100 gr.
• Carrot.
• Bow.
• Oil - 90 ml.
• Salt, pepper.
• Spices.
Preparation:
Beans can be soaked in advance, or opened until fully cooked.
Carrots and onions should be finely chopped. When the beans are cooked, you need to add vegetables and vegetable oil. Cook the above components should be within 10 minutes.
Then add the rice to the vegetables, add water, pepper, salt and season with spices.
It is necessary to close the pot tightly with a lid, turn down the heat and cook the pilaf until full rice cooking and water evaporation.
Then you need to stir pilaf, remove from heat, wrap the pot in a towel for 15 minutes. The pilaf is ready - you can serve.
How to make Uzbek plov at home - tips and useful tips
• In order for meat in the pilaf cooked and turned juicy, it should be cut into large pieces.
• In order to get pilaf, and not porridge-rice, rinse at least 7 times and leave for 2 hours in water. Excess starch will go into the water and rice in the pilaf will turn out crumbly.
• In order for the pilaf to knead well at the end of its preparation, you need to wrap gauze or towel in the form of a rope around the edges of the lid in diameter - this will be a kind of sealant.
• Almost all dried fruits can be added to the pilaf, then it can be called sweet, and it will come to taste with a certain pleasant sourness.
• If the frying in the pilaf to cook for a long time as a result, the rice in the dish will turn out to be dark in color, and if the components do not fry the dish comes out light and elegant.
• After absorbing such a delicious, aromatic and nutritious dish, you must definitely try and quench your thirst with hot green or black tea.
