Pilaf is a legend of oriental cuisine. Loose rice grains with an abundance of meat, spices and vegetables exude a light aroma of garlic and are gathered at a rich table by friendly families. There is a lot of subtleties and secrets in the recipe, so that the dish turns out appetizing and does not turn into ordinary rice porridge. Next, we find out how to cook crumbly pilaf, and reveal the secrets of oriental culinary specialists.

Tips for making loose pilaf

The most important thing is to prepare the dish so that the grains do not stick together in a tight mass, but scatter with each movement of the spoon.

Pilaf will be fragrant and saturated with any kind of meat, if you follow the basic recommendations for its preparation.

For example:

  • Rice with elongated grains and a small amount of starch is needed. Italian varieties of oshpar, devzira, kenja are best suited.
  • Before use, rice should be soaked in water overnight, after washing the grain 2 to 3 times. This technique will allow you to get rid of starch, which makes pilaf sticky.
  • It is necessary to use fatty fat in the recipe, which, like a film, envelops each of the grains and prevents them from sticking together. Optionally, the fat can be diluted in half with refined vegetable oil. If there is little fat, the pilaf will turn out dry.
  • It is impossible to cook a real pilaf, which crumbles, in a simple pan. For these purposes, a cast-iron pot with thick walls and a bottom is used. The secret of this dish is the ability to retain heat for a long time, evenly distributing it over the entire surface. From this, the meat is obtained as juicy and tender, and rice - friable.
  • When cooking meat, the fire must be strong, and when rice is poured and water is poured, the fire is reduced to make the dish simmer.
  • If possible, it is better to cook pilaf in the open air.
  • The rigidity of the meat is not important, since with the right cooking process it softens and breaks down into fibers.
  • Traditional oriental spices for pilaf are: cumin, sour barberry, aromatic zira and hot red pepper. Seasonings give the dish a moderate pungency and eastern piquancy. Also, the hops-suneli, thyme, garlic, saffron can become a supplement.

Step-by-step recipes for a delicious meal

There are many ways to cook a hearty, fragrant pilaf at home. Let us dwell on the best of them.

Pork

The crumbly and incredibly rich Uzbek pilaf with pork is not classic, but it has gained great popularity among fans of delicious meat treats.

Cooking ingredients:

  • pork ham - 600 g;
  • long-grain rice - 500 g;
  • carrots - 4 large pieces;
  • onions - 4 heads;
  • refined oil (can be replaced with melted fat) - 4 tbsp. l .;
  • salt - a big pinch to taste;
  • set of spices: turmeric, paprika, zira - a pinch, as you like;
  • garlic heads - 1 large piece.

The process of preparing a hearty and fragrant pilaf according to the Uzbek recipe:

  1. We wash the rice 4-5 times, changing the water. Pour the grains with water and leave overnight.
  2. We cut onions into thin half rings, and carrots into medium-thick bars.We do not recommend grating carrots, as small carrot chips will lose their taste and turn into shapeless carrot puree.
  3. At the bottom of a thick-bottomed cauldron, pour oil or ghee. When the cauldron is hot, dip the onion rings in the oil and fry them until golden.
  4. We wash the meat, dry it, cut it into small pieces and put it on the onion rings. Fry the pork until crispy.
  5. Throw the carrot bars into the cauldron and fry, without reducing the fire, for another 7 minutes. Salt and season the dish with spices.
  6. Gently pour water into the cauldron so that its level is a finger above the level of meat. Close the lid and simmer over low heat for about 50 minutes.
  7. When the meat becomes soft, we fill in the washed rice (without the liquid in which it
  8. In the center we press the washed, but not peeled head of garlic. We cook pilaf over low heat until the water evaporates completely.
  9. We set for 20 minutes to insist.

To the table we serve pork pilaf in one large ceramic dish, while the garlic head can not be thrown away, but decorate the top of the dish with it. Along the way, serve vegetables, thin Armenian pita bread and aromatic parsley.

From beef

Spicy crumbly rice with pieces of soft juicy meat, long carrot strips and caramelized onions will become the main dish of a hearty holiday table. The recipe is not classic, but beloved by many fans of this meat.

 

It is required:

  • beef tenderloin - 500 g;
  • rice with long grains - 300 g;
  • purified water - 500 ml;
  • onion heads - 2 pcs.;
  • juicy carrots - 4 large pieces;
  • turmeric powder, cumin seeds, barberry drying - 1 tsp each;
  • ground red chili and paprika - a small pinch;
  • peas pepper and coarse salt - as needed;
  • garlic head - 1 pc.;
  • refined vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l

Description of the step-by-step process:

  1. We chop the onion into thin halves of the rings, and cut the carrots into medium-thick bars.
  2. Separate the meat from the films and cut into small pieces.
  3. Put the onions in the cauldron on the heated oil and pass until golden. Add meat and fry for 7 minutes.
  4. We spread the carrots in the cauldron and hold on the stove for 8 minutes.
  5. After that, we enrich the taste of the products with spices and continue to fry the meat with vegetables.
  6. Pour ½ part of the indicated volume of water, boil and simmer for 40 minutes under the lid.
  7. We wash the rice, put it on the meat and level it with a spatula. It is important to add rice and do not mix it with meat.
  8. Pour the rest of the water, cover and simmer for 40 minutes at a reduced temperature without stirring.
  9. As soon as half the liquid evaporates and is absorbed by the rice, we press deep in the middle of the head of garlic.Close the dishes again with a lid and send to cook on the stove.
  10. After cooking, mix the dish with a spatula so that the meat juices envelop the rice.

We serve a fragrant oriental dish with a light salad or sliced ​​fresh vegetables with herbs.

With chicken

Pilaf with chicken is less greasy, but as tasty, nutritious and aromatic as with lamb.

Such products will be required:

  • skinless boneless chicken - 800 g;
  • long rice - 1 kg;
  • onions - 3 large pieces;
  • medium carrots - 7 pcs.;
  • refined oil - 1 cup;
  • condiments: black and burning peppers, dried barberry, salt with coriander - to taste;
  • garlic - 1 large head;
  • quince with dried apricots - as needed.

Step cooking method:

  1. In a cauldron, fry the sliced ​​meat in hot oil.
  2. We chop the onion in half rings and put it on the chicken, mix and fry until the pulp is golden.
  3. Cut the peeled carrots into strips and add to the onion. Fry to make it soft.
  4. Season the mass with spices, salt and fry for another 5 minutes.
  5. Figure 5-6 times wash. At the same time, boil 1.5 liters of water.
  6. We spread rice on an even meat layer and do not mix.
  7. Pour out water so that its level is 2 cm higher than rice.
  8. With the roof open, fry water at a high temperature for 15 minutes.
  9. Separate the rice from the walls of the cauldron and lay out a slide in which we make a hole to the bottom along the entire height.
  10. In the middle we place the washed, but not peeled garlic, sliced ​​in quinces or dried apricots.
  11. Close the cauldron with a lid and reduce the heat as much as possible. Cook for 20 minutes, leaving the lid closed.
  12. Before serving, mix the ingredients, while working with the spatula from the bottom up.

Uzbek-style pilaf is served in a wide dish - a lagan, on which the food falls out so that the meat remains at the top, and its juices drain, soaking in rice.

Along the way, we serve a salad of hot pepper, tomatoes and crisp cucumbers, as well as tandoor cakes.

Uzbek style with lamb

Lamb in pilaf is a classic of the genre, because in the East it is this meat that gives rice an incredible aroma, moderate fat and a delicious color.

You will need a list of products:

  • lamb flesh - 1 kg;
  • tail fat - 300 g;
  • rice with long grains - 1 kg;
  • fresh carrots - 1 kg;
  • onion - 3 large pieces;
  • garlic heads - 2 pcs.;
  • hot pepper - 2 pods;
  • salt, a mixture of ground peppers - 1 tbsp. l .;
  • dried barberry and zira - 1 tsp each.

Step cooking method:

  1. We cut the meat into slices the size of a walnut.
  2. We cut fat tail fat with pieces of size 1.5 x 1.5 cm.
  3. We chop the onion with thin rings. We divide the carrots into 3 parts, each cut into plates and chopped with medium sized bars.
  4. Add zira with a nutty flavor, grinding the grains in the palms of your hands, and the rest of the spices.
  5. In a cauldron of 6 liter cast iron, put the kurdyuk in 1 layer and melt the fat, removing the greaves.
  6. Strengthen the fire and heat the fat very much. As soon as a light haze appears, we send the meat to the cauldron. Put the meat in fat carefully, as it can splatter and burn.
  7. We fry the lamb first on one side, then on the other to “seal” the juices inside the slices.
  8. Pour onion, and continue toasting at medium temperature.
  9. As soon as the onion becomes transparent, send the carrot to the billet. Sprinkle pepper with salt and your favorite seasonings. Pour the contents of the cauldron with hot water flush with the surface of the carrots.
  10. Stew the dish for 40 minutes so that it gurgles quietly.
  11. Rice 7-8 times wash and fill with water for 30 minutes.
  12. We drain the liquid and pour the grains into the cauldron, leveling their surface with a spatula.
  13. Pour boiling water over the pilaf so that the rice grains are covered by 1.5 cm. Increase the heat - the dish should boil.
  14. In the center of the rice we press the garlic heads in the washed and unpeeled form. Garlic will give the dish its unique flavors.
  15. Stir the dish under a closed lid until rice is cooked.
  16. After 30 minutes, mix the rice from the walls to the center so that it boils evenly. Stew again under the lid until the water evaporates completely.

Real crumbling pilaf with sliced ​​meat slices, juicy vegetables and spicy long rice can be cooked on a fire, stove or in the oven. It is important to follow the recommendations that are made to ensure that the dish is rich and delicious.

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