Tashkent pilaf is a mercy, before this pilaf was prepared only on holidays, and now it is a very popular dish, which is served in restaurants and teahouses specializing in oriental cuisine. Tasty, rich - impossible to resist!
We want to offer you to learn how to cook Tashkent wedding pilaf yourself from available products. Let's get started.
Tashkent pilaf: ingredients
Cooking pilaf will require a lot of time, but the hours spent will pay off handsomely for an incredible taste and an unsurpassed aroma. What foods will we need for the preparation of this most delicious recipe for Tashkent pilaf:
- 1-1.2 kg of mutton;
- 300 g fat tail fat;
- 1 kg of rice "Laser";
- 1 kg of carrots;
- 100 g of raisins;
- 1 cup chickpea;
- 1 pod of chili pepper;
- 3 onions;
- 2-3 heads of garlic;
- a pinch of sugar, salt.
In addition to the fact that oriental cuisine is famous for its wealth, it is known for its variety of seasonings, so for the traditional festive Tashkent pilaf we need such spices:
- 1.5 tsp. Zira;
- 1 tsp paprika;
- 1 tsp barberry;
- 1 tsp ground black pepper;
- 1/5 tsp turmeric.
Let's get acquainted with our step-by-step recipe for Tashkent pilaf with a photo.
Cooking pilaf: chickpeas and rice, raisins
Let's start our recipe for Tashkent pilaf with a photo from the preparation of rice, chickpeas and raisins. To do this, pre-soak chickpeas in cold water and leave for 24 hours. Before cooking, drain the water and rinse the peas thoroughly.
Rice before cooking should be thoroughly washed, draining 7-8 water. Rinse the rice to the extent that the water from it becomes clear. Then boil water and cool to 37-40 degrees. Pour rice with it, sprinkled with plenty of salt, and leave for 20-25 minutes. Rice must be completely poured, otherwise it will be brittle.
Peel a raisin and fill with hot water.
Zirvak and preparation of vegetables
Zirvak is a kind of gravy for Tashkent pilaf. With it we will begin the main cooking process. First of all, process meat, prepare onions, carrots.
Rinse the meat thoroughly under running water and cut into 8-10 pieces. Cut 1/3 of a piece of fat tail fat and cut it into small cubes, not more than 1 cm. Carrots for Tashkent pilaf are chopped with thin straws 5-6 cm long and about 2 mm wide. Peel the onion and cut into thin, almost transparent half rings.
It will give the zirvak an indescribable aroma and add piquancy to the garlic, but we will not chop it, as for other dishes. At the whole head, cut the root and remove the upper layers of the husk. Such garlic in the process of cooking will for a long time fill the dish with aroma, giving all its juices away.
Place a cauldron or deep frying pan on the fire. Pour a little vegetable oil into it and bake until a characteristic haze appears. Dip the finely chopped fat tail fat and a large slice. The fat does not need to be stirred, it will evaporate to a golden color. Turn only a large piece so that it is fried on all sides.
When the whole fat has evaporated, take out a large piece with a slotted spoon. Do not throw it away, it will come in handy.
Meat, vegetables, spices
Put the meat into the melted fat and fry it until it is completely evaporated in pieces of liquid and a characteristic golden crust appears. When the meat reaches the desired degree of frying, put the onion on it and, slightly reducing the heat, fry the onion until golden brown. Line the meat on the bottom of the cauldron and sprinkle it with carrots.
The next step in cooking Tashkent pilaf is called “First Water”, pour 1.25 liters of pre-boiled water onto carrots. Press the carrots with a slotted spoon so that it is completely immersed in water.
Send the garlic to the cauldron, a pod of chili pepper, add all the spices presented in the list above (you need to grind the zira in your fingers first).
Chickpeas and rice
Next, lay the chickpeas on a carrot and smooth it over the entire surface. Cover the cauldron with a lid and simmer the chickpeas and other ingredients for 40-60 minutes over low heat. During this time, the peas will evaporate, soaked in the juice of vegetables and meat. Chili pepper and garlic will also give all their aromatic juices, so in the middle of the process, you need to get these ingredients from the cauldron. Set them aside, returning a piece of large fat tail fat to the cauldron.
Stew chickpeas, meat and vegetables is necessary until most of the poured water has evaporated.
Rice is also added to the Tashkent pilaf, so by the end of the stewing hour, drain the water from it. Level the zirvak where necessary, and carefully place the groats on it. Rice should not mix with chickpeas and gravy, but cover all the ingredients.
Stage of the "Second Water"
This is a crucial stage, it involves cooking rice. Boil water in advance. Armed with a slotted spoon, pour water into the cauldron through it, so that the stream does not beat the rice and does not leave grooves on the layer of groats. Pour enough water so that it almost does not reach the upper grains. Rice must be salted and smoothed again.
Powerful streams of steam should soak and process the cereal, you need to take as much water as it needs to get to the desired condition. To do this, increase the fire to maximum so that both the zirvak and the water boil evenly. Water should evaporate to zirvak. To check this, take a wooden Chinese stick and pierce it with the whole pilaf. Sticking it out, you will see where the fat zirvak is, and where is the water.
Rice can sometimes be turned over, changing layers in places or moving from the sides of the cauldron to the center. But be careful, in no case catch a zirvak or chickpea.
"Closing" pilaf
It takes about 30 minutes to evaporate the second water in the pilaf. Next, the completion phase will begin. How to understand, is it time to close the dish? Try rice, it should be almost ready, dry and uniform inside. If rice crunches on his teeth, then he needs more water. Top up the same way as pouring the second water, carefully, without disturbing rice.
Put garlic on the finished rice. With a slotted spoon, carefully assemble the cereal to the center with a hemisphere and immerse the head up. Using a stick, make several deep holes in the cauldron through the chickpea and zirvak.
If you still think that the rice still lacks water, add it with a teaspoon to the center of the hemisphere. Line the rice over the hole. Pound a little zira again and sprinkle the cereal. Spread evenly raisins.
Close the cauldron and cook over low heat. Leave this pilaf for half an hour and do not open the lid so as not to lose precious steam from zirvak and chickpea. At this time, you can cut a traditional salad for pilaf - achichuk.
After half an hour, your pilaf will be ready, you can finally mix it. Gently and gently, from the walls to the center, mix the ingredients together. Lift meat, carrots from the bottom.
The meat and a piece of fat must be removed from the cauldron and cut into small pieces, and again gently mix.
Your pilaf is ready. Now you know how to cook Tashkent pilaf, it remains only to serve it. Let it brew for a few minutes and arrange on plates.
We hope you enjoyed our Tashkent pilaf. A recipe with a photo and a detailed description should help you. Cook with pleasure, discovering new cuisines and recipes.