Pilaf is prepared from meat, rice and spices. This dish is very popular among many peoples, especially in Central Asia, where it has been revered for many centuries. Local residents have always paid great attention to the question of which rice is better for pilaf.
The modern food industry offers several varieties of rice. It is round and long-grain, polished and unpolished, white and brown. And in order to find out which rice is better for pilaf, necessary pay attention to quality characteristics various types of cereals.
Round rice is very boiled, it is more sticky, and therefore often sticks together. Good for soups, liquid cereals. Long-grain - dryish, but all grains remain intact during cooking, the dish turns out friable. This rice is good for cooking pilaf, a side dish for meat dishes, salads.
The inhabitants of Central Asia know which rice is better for pilaf to simply rinse, which need to be doused with boiling water, and which need to be soaked for several hours before cooking.
The word "pilaf" in the Uzbek language consists of 7 letters, which are the capital components of which Uzbek pilaf is cooked : onions, carrots, meat, fat, salt, water and rice.
Now there are many ways to cook this dish. Each nationality brings to this recipe some of its own characteristics and ingredients. The addition of new ingredients leads to the creation of ever new flavors of this popular dish. And now it’s impossible to say with certainty which of all recipes is the most correct, and which rice is better for pilaf.
The classical process of cooking pilaf "in Uzbek" includes three stages:
- calcination of oil;
- preparation of zirvak;
- bookmark rice.
It is considered traditional to cook this dish in a cast-iron pot with a thick bottom. Therefore, we, without departing from tradition, prepare pilaf in a cast iron. We put it on fire and heat it well. Add oil and reduce heat. Readiness is determined by the emission of white smoke.
Zirvak is a mixture of meat and vegetables. We cook it over high heat, and at the half-ready stage we reduce the temperature and simmer the mixture for another 25-30 minutes. So, put the prepared meat in a cauldron with hot oil and fry over high heat. When it acquires a characteristic ruddy color, we begin to add vegetables, while reducing the intensity of the glow.
In the finished zirvak add barberry, pepper and other spices. Then salt and fill with boiled water, which should cover the zirvak by 2 cm. Stew.
We cover the cooked assortment with a layer of pre-soaked rice. Leveling, but make sure that it does not mix with zirvak. After this pilaf add salt to taste, slightly increase the heat until it boils, and then continue to cook pilaf at a moderate temperature (it should boil evenly).
So that water can evaporate, it is necessary to pierce pilaf several times with a knife throughout the depth of the cauldron. We cover the cast iron with a lid and leave it to simmer for 15 minutes.
In the same way we cook pilaf at home for our loved ones, on holidays and weekdays, in winter and summer. After all, he never bothers, always relevant and loved. Enjoy yourself and your family and friends!