The culture of rice consumption in food goes back several thousand years. Today it is one of the main dishes not only in Asia, but also in Europe. There are many varieties of rice. But pink is considered one of the most expensive and best. He is a kind of Uzbek devzira. Connoisseurs call him "the pink pearl of the East."
General information
This variety is subjected to silky grinding. It has a delicate pinkish tint. It is more nutritious than its "brothers." Does not fall apart during heat treatment. Well suited for both appetizers and side dishes. However, the uniqueness of this product has led to the fact that a lot of counterfeit is found in stores. And this already harms the health of the buyer.
How to distinguish from a fake
True devzira is grown only in the Ferghana Valley. It is the specific climate of the foothills of the Central Asian mountains and the Syr Darya floodplains that determine the appropriate conditions for this culture.
Pink rice has an elongated long shape, dense shell and a characteristic red-brown color. If you touch it with your hands, you can hear a pronounced crunch - a sign of rapid absorption of water by the grains.
The fact that in front of you is a real pink devzira, several signs will indicate.
- High density. Even if you just hold the mixture in your hand, you will notice that it is much heavier than white rice.
- The grain is not glossy, but matte. The visible reddish scar does not disappear after cooking.
- When washed with cold water, the grains become light pink and transparent, almost amber.
- Fat, oil, water and spices are quickly absorbed. Due to this property, the devzira is perfect for Uzbek pilaf.
- High price. Devzira is never cheap. It is best to take it in specialized departments of the store dedicated to healthy eating.
The benefits and harms of pink rice
Devzira undergoes minimal processing, therefore it retains many substances useful for our body: amino acids, vegetable protein, fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, iodine, zinc, choline and vitamins of groups B, E, PP.
Eating foods fortified with these substances helps:
- strengthen immunity;
- cleanse the intestines naturally;
- stabilize blood sugar;
- prevent vitamin deficiency;
- reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease;
- support men's health.
You should not get carried away with pink rice, like any other grain crop, since with its excessive use there is a risk of developing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
If we are talking about a falsified product, then it is very difficult to predict harm to health. The fake can be ordinary white rice tinted with food coloring, or rice grown on soil with a high content of heavy metals. Some unscrupulous manufacturers paint red brick dust with rice. You can understand this by the characteristic plaque, if you hold the product in your hands. If it is filled with water, a precipitate will appear. Therefore, do not take pink Devzira in the markets or in stores by weight. It is simply dangerous for you and your loved ones. Trust in trusted specialist health food departments.
The energy value
Pink rice is an easily digestible and balanced product. It is suitable for athletes, just people leading a healthy lifestyle, and even diabetics.
In terms of 100 grams, its energy value is 319 kcal. When cooking, the volume of grains increases by 8 times. In accordance with this, the calorific value of the boiled product falls.
Product Combination
How to cook pink rice? It is possible with vegetables and fruits. It is combined with chicken, marine life, mushrooms and nuts. Ideal as a side dish or as an ingredient in snacks.
How to cook pink rice
Pink Devzira is ideal for Uzbek pilaf. Today, not everyone can afford to cook it in a cauldron in the open. Therefore, we will analyze a more familiar way, namely: how to cook pink rice in a slow cooker.
Step by step cooking.
- Soak the rice in salted cold water for several hours, and then remove the gluten. This procedure will need to be repeated until all starch is gone. Throw it in a colander. When the remaining water drains, leave the cereal on a towel until completely dry.
- As long as the rice picks up the remaining moisture, let’s take care of the base. Take the pork neck with fatty layers. Cut into pieces a couple of centimeters. Dice the onion. Rub carrots with straws.
- Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl. Turn on the "Frying" mode. When it is hot, add the onion. We are waiting for the appearance of a golden color. Add carrots and fry, do not forget to stir. After 10 minutes of the program we pour the pork. Fry for another 5 minutes. Salt, pepper, add other spices to taste. It is best to give preference to Zira. An important feature: the parts of meat, carrots and onions should be the same.
- Boil water in a kettle.
- We dump rice on the base. You don’t need to mix anything. Pour everything that is in the multicooker bowl with boiling water so that the water is a centimeter and a half above the level of the products. Close the lid and go to the "Pilaf" program. Important: boiling water should always be prepared in advance, otherwise the cooking technology will be violated from excessive opening and closing of the lid.
- 15 minutes before the end of the program, open the slow cooker and insert the head of garlic in the center of the pilaf, drowning it well. Close the lid. We are waiting for the signal to sound. We turn on the heating function to get the dish.
- Serve pilaf on a large dish, decorating with greens.