Cooking pilaf is a special ritual. At first glance, it seems that there is nothing special about this. But real experts have many different secrets, without which a good Uzbek pilaf will not work . For those who want to learn how to cook this Central Asian dish correctly, we suggest using the following recipe.
Pilaf: recipe with photo
Lamb is very popular in the East. Therefore, to prepare the correct pilaf, it is best to choose this particular kind of meat.
Ingredients:
- lamb flesh and meat with ribs with a total mass of 1.5 kg;
- vegetable oil (better if you find tail fat) - 350 grams;
- carrots (ripe) weighing 1 kg;
- medium onion heads - 3-4 pieces;
- garlic - several medium heads (2-3);
- chilli peppers - 2-3 pieces;
- zira, salt (other spices at will and taste);
- rice weighing 1 kg (there is a special grade of “devzer”, if you find, then use it, if not, then take the usual medium grain).
Cooking homemade pilaf: step by step instructions
1st step
Cut the lamb pulp into cubes (1.5 x 1.5 cm). Add salt to the meat and put in a little marinate. Try to choose lamb with a low fat content.
2nd step
Do not underestimate carrots in pilaf. This is one of the important components. Be sure to cut it correctly. Do not use graters or shredders. Only a knife. Grind the vegetable into a thin straw. Ripe (not early) root crops are best suited for pilaf.
3rd step
Rice, rinse. Water should be clean and clear. After soaking the rice in warm water. Preheat the cauldron. Set the maximum level of fire. Slice lard into small cubes and put into a bowl. From it you need to drain the fat. Remove the greaves (they are perfect for snacks under vodka, so do not rush to get rid of them). If you have not found fat, then it can easily be replaced with good oil, which, in turn, should be heated until a light gray haze appears.
4th step
Cooking pilaf, start by frying the meat pits. This should be done quickly and over high heat. Turn the ribs over several times. As soon as they get a golden hue - pull out and set aside on a plate. Heat the oil again and pass the chopped onions in it until golden brown. And only now proceed to fry the pulp.
5th step
Fry the meat until golden brown. Shuffle. Then pour the carrots. Flatten and leave for a couple of minutes. Then mix and fry for about 15 minutes. Toward the end, reduce heat to medium. Pour some of the zira. The carrots became soft and the aroma of pilaf went - pour hot water. Its amount should cover all ingredients by 1.5 cm.
6th step
We continue to cook pilaf. Now it’s the turn of garlic (it must first be peeled from the top husk). Put it and chilli peppers (optional) whole. After cooking, you can simply throw it away or preserve the finished dish.
7th step
Return the fried bones back to the cauldron. Wait for boiling and reduce the heat. Cook with the lid open for 40 minutes. After make the fire maximum salt. The broth should be slightly salted.
8th step
Now it's the turn of rice. Drain water from it and pour into a cauldron. Flatten and pour a liter of boiling water. As soon as the liquid boils, wait until it has evaporated by half and reduce the heat. Darken a little pilaf, increase the heat and wait until rice is ready.
9th step
Cooking pilaf is almost complete. Cover the cauldron with a lid, let the rice evaporate, then fill in the remaining cumin, cover again for about 10 minutes. After that, loosen the rice, remove the pepper and garlic. Stir the pilaf and put it on the dish with a slide. Enjoy your meal!