Without a doubt, seasoned pilaf is not pilaf, but simply plain rice porridge with meat. A wide range of spices and spices are sold in any bazaar in each country. You can buy already prepared mixtures collected by other people who are knowledgeable in their field, taking into account the ideal ratio and composition. Spices for pilaf with chicken - this is an extremely important component, with the help of which the finished dish will gain a stunning appearance and taste. The quality of pilaf largely depends on the harmonious composition of spices. Undoubtedly, there are a huge number of varieties of recipes for mixtures of pilaf.
In order not to deal with calculating the correct proportions and not spend time on manufacturing, you can use ready-made spice mixtures. When seasoning is added to pilaf, the dish is made especially aromatic and mouth-watering. Let us consider in more detail the composition of seasoning mixtures for pilaf with chicken and each ingredient separately.
What types of seasonings are ideal for chicken pilaf?
In order for the dish to acquire a special taste and aroma, culinary specialists season it with spices. For a delicious pilaf, it is recommended to use the following components:
- caraway seeds (seeds) - 1 tsp;
- saffron - 1/4 tsp;
- barberry (dried fruit) - 2 tsp;
- peas of black pepper - 1/3 tsp;
- dried hot pepper - 1 pc.;
- chili pepper - 1/3 tsp;
- thyme (dried) - 1/2 tsp;
- parsley - 1 bunch;
- garlic - 150 g.
Cooking method
To prepare a mixture of spices for pilaf with chicken, you first need to crush the dried red pepper in a mortar. The most commonly used sweet variety. Small pieces should be obtained, which, as the pilaf is cooked, will boil and become soft. Black pepper must be ground with a spice mill or a coffee grinder can help. Dried thyme with a crush in a mortar or grind with your fingers. In a prepared jar, mix the ingredients: caraway seeds, dried berries of barberry (they do not need to be crushed or rubbed), saffron, all varieties of pepper (chili, ground black and red) and crushed thyme. We close the resulting seasoning for pilaf with chicken tightly with a lid and now we can use it at any time. It is better to put garlic and parsley in a dish during its preparation, so these ingredients should always be kept handy fresh.
It is not necessary to completely modify the seasoning for pilaf, you can replace only individual components, for example:
- saffron - turmeric,
- zira - caraway seeds
- barberry - dried cranberries and raisins.
Garlic must be added only fresh. The taste of the finished dish can be lost if you use a dried vegetable.
Let us dwell on the components of seasoning mixtures.
Zira
Probably the most common seasoning for pilaf with chicken is zira (also known as cumin). It comes from North Africa, but in Asian countries it is a popular ingredient for cooking pilaf and many other dishes. Its seeds have a pleasant aroma, which only intensifies during the preparation process. Cumin seeds look brownish in appearance, but there are still yellow and black.
Barberry
Its berries are first harvested and then dried. The fruits are usually placed in the dish without chopping. The taste of pilaf is ideally combined with the sour taste of barberry. But chopped berries are usually placed in the prepared spice mixtures.
Coriander
One of the most popular spices is coriander. Whole seeds are most often used in dishes. But in the finished mixture it can be found in the ground form. It has a specific aroma that not everyone will like.
Saffron
An indispensable ingredient in any seasoning mixture for pilaf with chicken is saffron. It is also known to some as crocus. How to use saffron in cooking? It is valued, first of all, for its amazing taste and a special, unlike anything aroma. It is usually put in a dish in order to give the rice a yellow-golden hue. But when using it, it is important not to make a mistake with the dosage.
Not everyone can afford such a spice. But there is a way out of this situation. Saffron is easy to replace with inexpensive turmeric, which is in no way inferior to it in its intended purpose, but it will save a considerable amount. It is also used as a way to add yellow to the dish.
Other spices
Sweet paprika, chili pepper, chopped garlic are also added to pilaf with chicken. Different types of dried fruits are used less often: raisins, prunes, dried apricots. They significantly affect the taste of the finished pilaf. These are not seasonings, but dried fruits add a spicy touch to the dish.
Garlic
This is also not a spice, but it is an almost constant ingredient in classic pilaf. He gives the dish its smell and irreplaceable taste. Often a whole head of garlic is placed in the pilaf, in which the roots are removed and peeled. After cooking pilaf, boiled garlic is eaten. Asian people like this garlic.
You can also add nuts (even though they are not spices) in the dish, which also saturate the pilaf and themselves are saturated with a special taste.
If the ingredients in the spices of local stores are not to your liking, then you can choose them yourself according to your own preferences. They do not even have to be mixed, you can supplement them with the dish separately. To begin with, we go to the store or even to the market and get the spices that we like best and are best suited for pilaf with chicken. After all, the composition of spices directly depends on what pilaf you plan to cook. There are subtleties. Pilaf is seasoned with spices to add a pleasant aroma and taste. The bay leaf is placed exclusively in chicken pilaf. Not all chefs add it, but nonetheless it is a very popular ingredient.
Spices sold in stores are already prepared for use. It is important not to forget to study the components of such seasonings, because for the preparation of a certain type of pilaf only those spices are used that are indicated in the recipe.
Proper use of spices in chicken pilaf
The use of seasonings in a dish should be taken seriously. Spices are added at a specific step in the cooking process. And the amount of seasoning depends on personal preference.
Traditionally, cooking any recipe, such as pilaf with chicken with tomatoes and peppers, involves two main steps:
- the first, when meat and vegetables are roasted;
- and the second, when they put rice, which is slowly stewed.
The ratio of spices for cooking pilaf is selected individually.
What time do you need to add spices to pilaf? They are added during the first cooking step, or rather in the middle. In this case, the meat is better saturated with seasoning, and rice will find a pleasant color and aroma.
Having in stock all the necessary knowledge on how to cook spices for pilaf with chicken, you now need to learn how to properly store them. It is wrong to leave them on a shelf right next to the stove, because high temperature is harmful to them. It is ideal to store spices in small dark bottles or airtight tin containers in a dark and cool place.
Spices for pilaf - this is its mandatory component. There is a way to make the dish golden brown, even if you have not found either turmeric or saffron. Add a little dark sesame oil to the cauldron, along with vegetable oil. Under this condition, pilaf will necessarily turn out to be a beautiful yellow-golden hue.
Pilaf can not rightfully be considered pilaf if there are no seasonings in it. But how and in what proportion to add spices to this dish is up to you and your imagination.
Enjoy your meal!