Pilaf is one of the most beloved dishes in Russia. It is served everywhere - from canteen at gas stations to fashionable restaurants, and the significance of this dish for every housewife’s home table can hardly be overestimated. At the same time, the classic recipes for pilaf, which is full of the Internet, vary quite seriously. And the variability of the original versions of the traditional Middle Eastern dishes is striking in abundance.
The history of the origin of the dish
The origin of pilaf is associated with the beginning of rice cultivation in the Middle East and dates from the period no later than the II-III centuries BC. According to one version, the vegetarian version originally appeared in India, and it was supplemented with meat in Persia. One way or another, the descendants of Scheherazade with pleasure mythologize the invention of the legendary dish. Here are the most common stories:
- According to the Persian version, the recipe was created by none other than Avicenna, on the instructions of the Great Khan. The dish was intended to feed the soldiers on long trips, so it should have been easy to prepare, with high energy value, and the products from which it was created should be compact and well stored.
- Another legend connects the appearance of the dish with the name of Timur (Tamerlane), who was given the recipe for loose pilaf mullah before a military campaign in Ankara.
- The version that is told to tourists in Samarkand says that the recipe for pilaf was developed by Ugulbek, the cook of Tamerlane’s father.
- There are less heroic versions that do not contain glorious names. In particular, in Uzbek villages it is believed that pilaf is the invention of peasants grazing cattle in the mountains, because the calorie content and low cost of food also played a major role for them.
It’s almost impossible to confirm or deny any of the existing versions, since it’s very difficult to track the exact biography of pilaf, because in every locality from ancient times to the present day there are rules in accordance with which pilaf is prepared. Everything is varied - from ingredients to utensils. In this light, the hypothesis about the simultaneous invention of dishes in several regions of the Middle East seems fair.
The Turkish proverb says: there are as many types of pilaf as there are cities in the Muslim world.
Etymology of the word "pilaf"
According to etymological dictionaries, the token “pilaf” is a derivative of the Turkish “pilaf”. This borrowing is found in many European languages: the word pilaf is in English, German, Italian and French. By the way, in some sources, a vocabulary relationship between pilaf and Spanish paella (a national dish of rice and seafood) is claimed, but this is erroneous. Despite the coincidence of the recipe components, these are two different dishes, the occurrence of which is not connected.
In the Russian dictionaries, pilaf was first mentioned by Dahl, who defines it as Tatar or Turkish rice porridge with raisins, notes friability, yellow color (from saffron) and the possibility of adding meat - chicken or lamb.
Today, historical anthropologists conditionally divide the eastern dish into Uzbek and Armenian. And it depends on how the pilaf is cooked: in the first case, all the ingredients are processed together, and in the second - separately.
The benefits and harms of pilaf
Theoretically, the classic ingredients of pilaf - rice, meat and butter - are useful. So, rice contains potassium, which helps to remove water from the body, meat is a source of iron, and vegetable oil contains omega-three fatty acids and other useful vitamins and minerals. But the fact is that the nuances of recipes called classical, such as adding a large amount of salt and frying fatty meat in oil, can not only negate the whole benefit of the dish, but also make it dangerous for the figure and health in general.
One way or another, caution should be taken in pilaf in the traditional view of people who are prone to fullness, suffering from heart and vascular diseases, as well as the elderly.
Nutritionist Recommendations
If you can not imagine life without pilaf, but your energy consumption is poor, use the following recommendations:
- Nutritionists have long been saying that white rice does not carry much benefit and advise you to choose unpolished, brown or wild varieties - it is in these species that the largest amount of fiber and vitamins, in particular group B, have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
- We advise you to choose lean meats. Adherents of proper nutrition can limit themselves to turkey and chicken, but beef, low-fat parts of lamb and even pork are also quite suitable for a healthy table. In addition, offal is great.
- To reduce the calorie content of pilaf, it is possible to replace the protein element (meat) with an equivalent product with lower energy value, for example, mushrooms or Adyghe cheese.
Calorie pilaf
As we have already said, the utilitarian reason for the invention of pilaf was the need to develop recipes that would satisfy the needs of soldiers and cattle breeders. Therefore, the high energy value of pilaf is one of the main indicators of the "correctness" of the dish. Of course, calorie content depends on the ingredients used. Here are approximate calculations of energy value per 100 g of pilaf with different types of protein products:
- mutton pilaf - 200 kcal;
- from beef - 220 kcal;
- pork - 300 kcal;
- from chicken - 140 kcal;
- from mushrooms - 100-110 kcal.
More accurate calculations can be made by accurately measuring the weight of all the ingredients in the dish. Do not forget that seasonings also have an energy value.
Best spices for pilaf
Of course, the recipe for a traditional oriental dish can not do without seasonings and spices. The right bouquet will not only give an impeccable taste and aroma to pilaf, but will also affect the appearance by adding colors and textures to it. In addition, seasonings for pilaf help digestion, which is very important in our case, since we are dealing with a rather heavy and relatively fatty dish!
So, here is a list of the best spices that no hostess can do without if she wants to cook a real pilaf:
- Zira or cumin (do not confuse with caraway seeds) is one of the main and most common seasonings for pilaf. Bitter grains (it is better to use whole, not ground spice) will emphasize the taste of meat.
- Barberry - Dried fruits give sourness and freshness to the dish.
- Saffron is a spicy-burning spice that gives the dish not only pungency, but also stains it in an appetizing yellow color.
- Turmeric - just like saffron, is an excellent natural dye, but does not have such a pronounced taste, but it will give the dish a pleasant aroma, which is often associated with Indian cuisine.
- Pepper is an infrequent companion of Asian pilaf, more often paprika and black variety of this seasoning are used by Europeans.
- Garlic is a full-fledged and integral participant in the “pilgrimage” celebration.
- Spicy herbs of Provence - rosemary, oregano and others - emphasize the taste of pilaf in a European version.
- A traditional Indian recipe necessarily includes the addition of fried cinnamon and sandalwood.
Regardless of the choice of spices, the most important condition is that they must be fresh, because only in this case can the guaranteed effect be guaranteed.
Classic pilaf recipe
According to Roskomstat, in Russia the so-called Uzbek pilaf is considered to be the most popular - the "correct", the ingredients of which are prepared together.
In Uzbekistan, any local resident, when asked about how to cook pilaf, will first of all say that an open fire and a special large cauldron are required. But, since not all of us can boast of the opportunity to go to the open air and conjure the most correct pilaf, we adapt the traditional recipe.
Ingredients:
- Lamb or other meat - 1 kg.
- Rice - 200 g.
- Onion - 4 heads.
- Vegetable oil - 300 ml.
- Garlic - 2 heads
- Carrots - 800 g
- Spices (zira, barberry, salt, pepper, etc.).
First you need to prepare the ingredients: peel the garlic from the husk, but leave the cloves undivided, 3 onions cut into half rings, chop the carrots into strips or cubes.
It is better, of course, to cook pilaf in a cauldron. As an alternative, a large pan is also suitable, in which it is necessary to heat the oil and fry the unpeeled onion until black, then pull it out. Sauté chopped onion until golden, then add the mutton, cut into pieces, and fry together until a crust appears. An important point: do not reduce the temperature so that the meat juice remains inside. The main thing is to constantly stir.
Then add carrots and fry for about 3 minutes, without interfering; then another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour boiling water so that the water level is 1 cm higher than the contents. Add pepper, reduce heat and leave to simmer for an hour.
Add the remaining spices, reduce heat again and simmer for about 10 minutes. Put well-washed rice, pour boiling water (3 cm above the contents). At this stage, you can push the heads of garlic into the rice, but you can also wait until the water is absorbed. After about 30 minutes, make a few punctures in the rice to the meat and cook the pilaf on the stove for another half hour under the lid on a minimum heat.
Alternatives to rice
There are a great many alternative recipes for pilaf, in which instead of traditional ingredients completely different, sometimes very unexpected, products are used.
So, rice can be replaced with almost any other grain: bulgur, wheat, lentils, millet, buckwheat, lentils and even corn. If time is running out, and guests are on the doorstep, you can even use couscous - it takes 5-10 minutes to cook it. In addition, in some regions, only pilaf cooked with peas, or at least with the addition of chickpeas, is recognized. Turkish pilaf recipes often contain an ingredient with a difficult to pronounce name, which is small pasta - in the heart of the former Ottoman Empire it is believed that only they can reveal the true taste of meat and seasonings.
How to replace meat in pilaf
We have already said that mutton pilaf is not the only option that can be considered correct. You can choose any meat, guided by your own principles. But many people today prefer lightweight versions of the national dish, adding raisins, other dried fruits and nuts (from peanuts to pine nuts) to it instead of meat. But in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan they use fish or pieces of minced meat wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves. Refined options for pilaf are preferred in the homeland of haute cuisine - in France, adding shrimp or even snails to it.
In general, even the vegetable component of pilaf has variations: carrots are replaced or supplemented with tomatoes and potatoes, onions - cabbage and even apples, so this dish is a huge field for culinary experiments.
Sweet pilaf recipe
Here is a recipe for an original sweet pilaf, which is popular in Azerbaijan. It is worth noting that rare ingredients for Russian latitudes can either be excluded or replaced with similar products.
Ingredients:
- Rice 200 g
- Wheat flour 100 g.
- Chicken eggs 4 pcs.
- Butter 40 g
- Raisins, dried apricots, prunes - 50 g each
- Cranberries (you can take fresh, frozen or dried) 1 tbsp. the spoon.
- Chestnuts (can be replaced with a mixture of walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans) - 40 g.
- Mango (you can take dried) - 50 g.
- Turmeric and other spices to taste.
Since the recipe is from Azerbaijan, the ingredients are prepared separately and only mixed at the end.
First you need to boil the rice until half cooked, then drain the liquid and rinse well with hot water.
Beat eggs with flour until the consistency of the pancake dough, add a tablespoon of cooked rice and a pinch of turmeric. Melt one fourth of the butter in a large saucepan, reduce the heat and put out the dough, which, when ready, will turn a bright orange color, and cover with a crust on top. Then put the rice on top and carefully distribute it, pierce it in several places with a wooden stick and put the butter cut into slices (about 20 g) on top. In hot water (a third of a glass), dissolve turmeric and pour on the cereal. Wrap the lid with a wet towel, close it tightly and send to low heat for 15-20 minutes.
At this time, combine the washed fruits in a pan with 1 cup of water, the remaining oil and a pinch of turmeric, put on low heat and simmer for about half an hour under the lid, then fry for 10-15 minutes.
Serve this option of lean pilaf on the table, laying out in layers: rice, lower crust and fruit.
Pilaf with mushrooms
In general, the method of preparing a traditional oriental dish with mushrooms is not much different from the classic recipe for pilaf, but it takes much less time, because mushrooms cook much faster than meat. Take 1 kg of champignons and follow the instructions above, given that it takes only 10-15 minutes to stew the mushrooms before falling asleep.
Cooks Secrets
And in the end, here are some tips from the world's leading chefs to help you become a true kitchen fairy.
Many housewives were faced with the fact that instead of a traditional oriental dish, the output is a regular rice porridge with meat. The secret to friable pilaf recipe lies in the intricacies of cooking rice: it is very important not to open the lid, and after the water is absorbed, leave the cereal to steam for at least 30 minutes. Theoretically, you can make the right pilaf from any kind of rice, but experts advise you to choose species with a low starch content and soak the cereal in cold water for 2-3 hours, periodically changing the water.
Pilaf is a very satisfying dish that is poorly stored - rice dries up, vegetables lose their elasticity, so chefs are advised to cook the dish for one meal, without trying to stock up for the future. How much rice per pilaf costs to take depends on the number of people: 250 grams of raw cereal is enough for 10 medium portions.
The meat (or its substitutes) in the pilaf should turn out to be juicy, so special attention should be paid to choosing a fresh product, ideally not subjected to freezing. It is necessary to cut meat into large pieces - with a side of at least 1.5-2.0 cm.
Of course, there is no better way to cook pilaf, as in a cauldron. But you can use other thick-walled dishes - only true connoisseurs and gourmets will be able to guess this.
The correct Uzbek pilaf is cooked on animal fat (in particular, lamb fat), but the dish not only becomes very difficult for digestion, but also acquires a sharp characteristic smell. To avoid this, you can either use only vegetable oil, or mix oil and animal fat.
Many housewives, in order to save time and energy, rub carrots on a grater, but real cooks do not allow themselves to do this, because it is in the orange vegetable that all the charm of pilaf lies for many oriental gourmets.
Raisins, figs, chickpeas and other nationally favorite plant ingredients are added not only to lean pilaf, but also meat variations. Searches should be introduced after the meat is fried - before adding water.
Some spices are worth adding to dilute in water. This primarily concerns natural dyes - saffron and turmeric. This method will achieve uniform coloring and a more harmonious taste.