How to cook crumbly pilaf? How to cook real pilaf: crumbly rice as a secret! How to make pilaf from boiled rice

Pilaf is a dish that is prepared according to their national recipes in different countries of the world. Any cooking option for this delicious hearty treat will delight eaters with a rich meaty aroma, crumbly cereals and a bright aftertaste of various spices. And in order to cook the real pilaf, to cook, or rather, to stew it, it is necessary in a cauldron or other thick-walled dishes. In this case, the rice grains will not stick together and turn into ordinary porridge, but will remain intact. Numerous folk recipes involve the use of not only rice, but also other cereals for cooking pilaf. Traditional young lamb meat can be successfully replaced with beef, pork, chicken and even fish. A special kind of pilaf is sweet pilaf with dried fruits.

There is a great variety, but they are all united by the right choice of dishes, varieties of rice, meat, vegetables and spices. Let's start with rice.

Rice

To prepare pilaf, you need strong varieties of rice with transparent grains of medium length, with low starch content. Thai and Indian varieties of rice, long-grain, steamed and wild rice are not suitable for pilaf. The best option is Uzbek and Tajik rice. Choose scalded, belay alang, akmarzhan, devzira, Krasnodar round rice, barakat.

Before cooking pilaf, you need to properly prepare the rice - sort it out, rinse it several times, soak it in salted water for a couple of hours.

Meat

The best meat for the dish, no doubt, is lamb - brisket, shoulder and back. Take twice as much meat if you have it with bones. Pork and beef are also suitable for pilaf. But do not take veal - pilaf will turn out not so fragrant.

Oil and spices

Pilaf is cooked in corn oil or tail fat, seasoned with zira, barberry berries, hot peppers, and other spices are optional. But do not take ready-made mixtures of spices, supposedly made specifically for pilaf, they will not give the dish the desired flavor.

Tableware

You need to cook pilaf in a thick-bottomed cast-iron pan with straight walls. Never take thin-walled and enameled dishes for pilaf

Basic Classic Recipe

So let's start.

1. Take the meat, fry it until golden brown, remove it from the pan and fry the onion in half rings in the same fat. Put the meat back into the pot.
2. Mix the onion and meat, heat them for 5 minutes and add the carrots chopped (not grated!) into bars.
3. Fry everything for 2-3 minutes without stirring, then mix all the ingredients and fry for 10 minutes, stirring gently.
4. Add spices, fry a little more and pour boiling water.
5. Next, you need to add pepper and barberry berries.
6. Simmer over low heat until the water has completely evaporated. It usually takes between 40 minutes and an hour and a half. Approximately 10 minutes before the end of cooking, the meat part needs to be salted a little.
7. When the meat part (zirvak) is ready, you need to make the fire maximum, put the unpeeled head of garlic and washed, well-dried rice into the pan, then slowly pour in boiled water - it should cover the rice by 2-3 cm.
8. Bring the dish to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until rice appears from under the water, while it should be half cooked.
9. Next, you need to put a plate on the rice, close the pan with a lid, make the fire minimal and simmer the pilaf for another 20 minutes.
10. At the end of cooking, remove the pilaf from the heat, mix and immediately serve to the table.

Pork pilaf in a cauldron

The dish is quite high-calorie, it is better to eat it at lunch.

Ingredients:

• 200 g pork;
• 200 g of rice;
• 200 g carrots;
• 200 g of onion;
• 40 ml of vegetable oil;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• salt, ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking like this:

1. Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron, heat it up.
2. Cut the meat into pieces, fry until cooked on all sides.
3. Cut the onion into half rings, put on top of the meat.
4. Grate or finely chop the carrots, add to the bulk, stew the products.
5. Pour the washed rice, pour in warm water, it should cover the food by two fingers.
6. Salt to taste, add black ground pepper.
7. 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking, put a whole head of garlic.
8. Heat until the water evaporates, turn off the fire, let the dish reach under the lid.

Pilaf with pork can be served with vegetable salad.

Crumbly pilaf with chicken

Delicate and fragrant treat with poultry meat. The dish is suitable for a children's table

We will need:

• 750 g of chicken;
• 600 ml of water;
• 400 g of rice;
• 350 g carrots;
• 1 large onion;
• 1 head of garlic;
• Italian herbs, hot pepper - 5 g each;
• zira, thyme, turmeric, salt - 5 g each.

Cooking method.

1. Rice wash, pour into warm water, leave for 40 minutes.
2. Peel the onion, cut into half rings. Grate the carrots, peel the garlic and divide into slices.
3. Wash the chicken, cut into medium-sized pieces.
4. Pour vegetable oil into the pan, put the chicken, fry until a delicious crust.
5. Pour onions, brown, add carrots, warm everything together for 4 minutes.
6. Salt the mass, add cumin, thyme, hot pepper, turmeric, Italian herbs. Pour in 550 ml of water, add garlic.
7. Bring the mass to a boil, simmer covered over low heat for half an hour.
8. Add rice, add some water, simmer pilaf for 25 minutes. Remove the garlic when serving.

Decorate the pilaf with parsley sprigs.

Lamb pilaf recipe

A simple pilaf without spices and dried fruits, the dish is quickly prepared.

Required Components:

• 2 liters of water;
• 1 kg of stewed lamb;
• 400 g of rice;
• 100 ml of vegetable oil;
• 3 medium onions;
• 3 medium carrots;
• 2 heads of garlic;
• ground red pepper and salt - to taste.

Cooking:

1. Warm up the cauldron, pour in refined vegetable oil, fry the lamb.
2. Cut the onion into half rings, carrots into bars or strips.
3. Put the onion to the meat, fry for 10 minutes, add the carrots, simmer for 25 minutes, the fire is medium, stir.
4. Add salt, ground red pepper, dip the heads of garlic in the center.
5. Rinse rice, put on top of frying.
6. Pour in hot water, it should cover the food by 1 centimeter.
7. Simmer under the lid for 15 to 20 minutes, the fire is slow.

When serving, put the meat on top, decorate with herbs.

How to cook pilaf in a cauldron

Traditional pilaf must be able to cook. To help - a step-by-step recipe and the right products.

Compound:

• 1 kg of fatty meat pulp;
• 720 g of basmati rice;
• 60 g dark raisins;
• 2 medium onions;
• 2 large carrots;
• 2 heads of garlic;
• 1 glass of vegetable oil;
• zira, coriander grains, salt - 1 tbsp. (incomplete).

Step by step recipe:

1. Peel and chop the carrots into large strips without using a grater. Onion cut into half rings. Peel the garlic cloves from the husk.
2. Rinse fatty meat and pat dry.
3. Heat refined vegetable oil, fry vegetables and meat, cut into slices. Roasting time - 6-7 minutes.
4. Add washed rice.
5. 17 minutes after the start of frying zirvak, add salt, zira, coriander to it.
6. Put the cereal on top, pour in the water. The liquid should cover the food.
7. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
8. Add dark pitted raisins, salt. Press a few cloves of garlic into the rice.
9. Darken the dish for another half hour, then cover the cauldron with a blanket and let stand for 20 minutes.

When serving, remove the garlic, decorate the pilaf with herbs.

Pork pilaf in a slow cooker

To make the dish tasty and appetizing, you need to cook a good roast.

You will need:

• 500 g pork ribs;
• 150 ml of vegetable oil;
• 4 medium carrots;
• 2 cups long grain rice;
• 2 medium onions;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 1 dl salt
• ground black pepper, barberry, turmeric, paprika, suneli hops to taste.

Stages of preparation.

1. Soak long rice in hot water, then rinse with warm water.
2. Pour the cereal into the multicooker bowl. Set the mode "Frying" for 20 minutes.
3. Heat vegetable oil, put onions, fry until golden brown.
4. Add pork, cut into pieces, fry all together for 5-7 minutes.
5. Cut carrots into strips, put in a fryer, mix, warm for 5 minutes.
6. Pour boiling water over meat and vegetables, add spices for pilaf: ground black pepper, barberry, turmeric, paprika, suneli hops. Set the "Extinguishing" mode for 20 minutes.
7. Add washed rice, salt, add 500 ml of boiling water so that the water covers the rice by 2 fingers. Put in a whole head of garlic.
8. Close the slow cooker, cook in the "Pilaf" mode for 40 minutes. When ready, mix the cereal with meat.

Serve pilaf with fresh herbs and vegetables.

Uzbek pilaf with lamb

Mutton is traditionally used to create Uzbek or Samarkand pilav. Pilaf is the main dish of the East.

List of ingredients:

• 1 kg lamb;
• 1 kg of carrots;
• 1 kg of rice;
• 300 ml of vegetable oil;
• 4 bulbs;
• 2 dry hot peppers;
• 2 heads of garlic;
• 1 tsp coriander seeds;
• zira and dried barberry - 1 tbsp each;
• salt - to taste.

Recipe step by step:

1. Wash rice well. Wash the meat thoroughly and cut into cubes.
2. Peel carrots and 3 onions.
3. Cut carrots into 1 cm thick bars, onions into half rings. Peel the garlic, do not separate the cloves.
4. Heat the cauldron well, pour in vegetable oil.
5. Put a whole peeled onion, fry until black, then remove and discard.
6. Fry the chopped onion for 7 minutes, add the meat, fry together until golden brown.
7. Add the carrots, fry all together for 3 minutes, do not stir, then stir and heat a little stirring for 10 minutes.
8. Grind the coriander and zira with your fingers or in a mortar and pestle. Add spices to roast, salt, add barberry.
9. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes until carrots are soft. Pour in boiling water, it should cover the food by 2 centimeters. Put hot pepper, stew zirvak for 1 hour.
10. Put the pre-soaked groats in an even layer for frying, pour in boiling water with a layer of 3 cm. The water should be absorbed.
11. Put and drown the heads of garlic in the mass, continue to simmer the pilaf until fully cooked. Turn off the stove, cover the food with a flat plate, top with a lid. Let stand for half an hour.

When serving, decorate the pilaf with stewed heads of garlic and herbs.

Beef pilaf

A classic recipe for a hearty and beautiful dish for a family dinner or holiday.

We will need:

• 500 g of beef;
• 500 g carrots;
• 350 g of onions;
• 200 ml of vegetable oil;
• 1.2 liters of water;
• 3 cups steamed rice;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 1 pinch of hot pepper;
• zira, dried barberry, ground black pepper - ½ tsp each;
• salt and turmeric - 1 tsp each.

Cooking like this:

1. Cut the carrots into small strips with a knife or using a vegetable cutter. Onion cut into small cubes.
2. Cut the beef into medium-sized pieces.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet or in a cauldron, fry the beef to a crust.
4. Add vegetables, simmer together for 5 minutes.
5. Pour salt, dried barberry, zira, hot ground pepper, black pepper, turmeric. Mix the ingredients, simmer covered over low heat for 35-40 minutes.
6. Pour boiling water, bring to a boil, add pre-washed rice. Cover the pilaf with a lid, simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the head of garlic, continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
8. Remove the finished dish from the heat, mix, wrap the cauldron with a blanket, let stand.

Serve the dish hot, garnish with herbs.

Cooking in Azerbaijani

The difference in cooking Azerbaijani pilaf from Uzbek pilaf is that rice is cooked separately from vegetables.

Required products:

• 700 g long grain rice;
• 700 g lamb;
• 200 g butter;
• 150 g dried apricots;
• 100 g prunes;
• 100 g chestnuts;
• 100 g raisins;
• 2 medium onions;
• 1 egg;
• 1 tsp turmeric;
• salt.

Cooking:

1. Soak rice in cool water, salt, leave to swell for 2 hours.
2. Cut the lamb into pieces, boil in salted water, remove the foam.
3. Rinse dried apricots, pitted raisins, dried prunes. Pour in boiling water for 10 minutes. Make cross cuts on the chestnuts. Blanch 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, pour over with cool water, remove the skin. Put the peeled fruits in water, cook for 7 minutes, the fire is weak.
4. Peel the onion, cut into strips.
5. Heat the pan well, melt the butter, fry the onion until golden brown.
6. Add dried fruits to the pan, put the meat. Simmer for 15 minutes, stir. You can add boiling water if needed.
7. Drain the rice, boil in a new portion of water, salt, put in a colander. It is important not to overcook the product.
8. In a small container, mix 5 tbsp. boiled long rice with turmeric and chicken egg.
9. Separately, melt the butter (leave 5 g), add salt and turmeric. You can use a water bath or a microwave oven. Grease a cauldron or a thick-walled pan with the remaining butter. Spread the egg mixture on the bottom. The next layer is Fig. Drizzle with spice oil. Cover with a plate, then with a lid, simmer over low heat. When serving, put the meat on the rice.

Decorate pilaf with dried fruits.

Real Tajik plov

For classic pilaf, lamb and tail fat are used.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg lamb;
• 1 kg of onions;
• 1 kg of carrots;
• 1 kg of rice;
• 250 g fat tail fat;
• spices, garlic, salt.

Cooking steps.

1. Cut the meat into large pieces. Grind fat tail fat. Heat the cauldron red-hot, add fat, heat until cracklings appear, remove the pieces. Put meat in fat, fry, stirring.
2. Peel the onion, cut into thin half rings, add to the meat.
3. Peel and cut carrots into bars, add half of the product to the cauldron, fry.
4. Add the rest of the carrots, pour water. Add salt and spices - to taste, cook everything together until the meat is ready.
5. Add washed rice, put a head of garlic in the center. Cook until cooked under the lid.
6. Pierce the rice several times with a chopstick. The fire is weak, the extinguishing time is 20 minutes. Hold the pilaf under the lid and serve.

For Tajik pilaf, you can use cumin, black and ground hot pepper, coriander, barberry, dried garlic, paprika, saffron.

With the addition of dried fruits

An original dish, for cooking pilaf with dried fruits, you can use dates, figs, cherry plums, dried plums, dried apricots, dried apples, raisins.

Would need:

• 500 g long-grain rice;;
• 300 g butter;
• 100 g of honey;
• 50 g nuts;
• dried fruits - 80 g each;
• cardamom, vanillin, cinnamon - ¼ tsp each

Cooking:

1. Wash rice well.
2. In a liter of boiling water, put butter, salt, add rice, cook over low heat.
3. Fry dried fruits and nuts in butter in a saucepan. Add natural honey, hot water. The liquid should cover the dried fruit by two centimeters. Boil five minutes. Recommended spices - cinnamon, vanillin, cardamom.
4. Put the finished rice on a dish, pour over the dried fruit sauce.

For cooking, it is better to use light honey, nuts - if possible and desired.

Content:

Every housewife, when preparing a delicious pilaf, worries about its friability. Indeed, for sure, all of us at least once have encountered such an unpleasant phenomenon as rice porridge with meat instead of a dish that is expected and loved in many countries of the world. And that's when experiments begin: we try to cook from different varieties of rice, several types of meat, we try to cook as moms advise, and so on. And often we just give up, because the result is not happy.

But what do the professionals say? Someone, let alone real chefs, knows exactly how to cook delicious pilaf, they will surely tell you how to cook such a dish correctly. This article will reveal to you some secrets that will allow you to never again worry about the unpredictability of this oriental food. In addition, by choosing the recipe described in it from several suggested ones, you can avoid most of the most common mistakes.

Firstly, any rice can be made crumbly, regardless of whether it is long or round. But it is the steamed one that absorbs the meat broth better than the others, so its preparation is easier for many housewives. Secondly, in no case should you neglect the washing of cereals. This must be done at least 8-10 times until the drained water becomes clear. Be sure to pour rice with cold water and let it get wet. In zirvak, cereals should be laid out with a slotted spoon so that excess liquid does not get there.

And most importantly, learn how to cook rice properly. It must be steamed, but the double boiler has nothing to do with it. It’s just that the fire under the cauldron must be made minimal, the layer of cereal should be pierced in several places to the very bottom and the lid tightly closed. Check the doneness of the rice once every 10-15 minutes, adding a little boiling water if necessary. At the last stage, when the cauldron has already been removed from the stove, it must be wrapped in a blanket and left for a while. Our great-grandmothers knew this secret of making any crumbly porridge, and now it is known to you. Below are several options for how to make crumbly pilaf, fragrant and truly delicious. Choose any recipe and improve your culinary skills!

Crumbly lamb and pork pilaf

There is a lot of controversy over what kind of meat is better to use for cooking delicious pilaf correctly. Almost as much as around the question: “Which rice is more suitable?”. Each eastern or Asian country has its own opinion on this matter. It is clear that Muslims, due to religious beliefs, cannot cook pork, so it is customary for them to cook rice with lamb or chicken. But if there are no such restrictions in your family, then be sure to try the recipe described below and you will definitely be able to make delicious pilaf.

Ingredients:

• pork (pulp) - 500 g
• lamb (pulp) - 500 g
• long grain rice - 1 kg
• sunflower oil for frying
• onion (large) - 4 pieces
• carrots (large) - 4 pieces
• garlic - 2 heads
• bay leaf - 5 pieces
• salt, ground black pepper - to taste
• turmeric - 1 tablespoon

This recipe, judging by the number of its ingredients, is designed for a large company. But such pilaf can be cooked in a smaller volume. Just follow the indicated proportions, cutting down on grams. Remember that rice, meat, and vegetables should be taken in the same ratio - 1:1:1. Then you will be able to make crumbly pilaf, tasty, rich and having an extremely appetizing look. Equally important is the utensils in which you cook. It is better to take a cauldron made of cast iron, a large deep frying pan is also suitable.

So, to begin with, rinse the rice thoroughly, fill it with water and leave it for about an hour. Peel the onions and carrots, rinse and cut, respectively, into half rings and thin strips. Wash the meat, dry and cut into equal pieces of medium size. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat it until white smoke appears. Put the meat, quickly fry on all sides until brown and pour it into the cauldron. Send the onion slices to the pan, and when it becomes golden, place it on the meat. Carrots can not be fried, but sent to the cauldron immediately. Salt your zirvak well, season with spices and stir.

Strain the rice and spread in an even layer over the meat and vegetables. Now carefully, along the wall of the cauldron, pour in water, it should cover everything by about 1 centimeter. Make the fire as high as possible, wait until the pilaf boils, then reduce the heating temperature of the burner to medium, pierce the rice to the very bottom in several places and cover with a lid. You need to cook for 20-30 minutes, then turn off the fire, stick more garlic cloves into the top layer, cover the cauldron with a blanket or a blanket and let the pilaf “walk”, as they used to say in the old days.

Crumbly pilaf with chicken

In the summer I want to eat something light, tasty and nutritious at the same time. And if we, women, can be content with a vegetable salad and a cheese sandwich, then men will not be delighted with such a menu. Children also need good nutrition. The recipe described below will satisfy all these requirements and will not take you much time.

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet - 400 g
• steamed rice - 1.5 cups
• carrots (medium) - 2 pieces
• onion - 2 pieces
• sunflower oil for frying
• garlic - 4 cloves
• seasoning for pilaf - to taste
• salt - to taste
• greens - 1 small bunch

Cooking method:

As always, any recipe begins with the preparation of ingredients. Rinse the rice under running water until it turns white and soak. Cut clean dried meat into small pieces. Peel the vegetables, wash and cut in any shape. Preferably, of course, onions - in half rings, and carrots - in strips. But if there is no time, then it is possible in any other way, even grind with a grater. Pour vegetable oil into a cauldron, heat it properly and put the meat along with the onions. Saute until the onion is translucent and add the carrots. Cook until golden brown.

That's it, now pour some water and simmer the zirvak until tender, not forgetting to salt and season it properly. Greens can be added both immediately and immediately before serving. Rice, previously strained, also transfer to a cauldron and level. Remember to poke holes all the way to the bottom with a spatula, as any recipe calls for, so that the water boils away faster. You need to cook over medium heat until the liquid goes inside the cauldron from the surface. Now stick a few cloves of garlic into the rice, cover the cauldron with a lid and wrap it with something warm. After 10-15 minutes, the rice will absorb excess moisture and become crumbly and very appetizing. Can be mixed and served.

Crumbly Uzbek pilaf at home

Oh, how beautiful pilaf looks if you cook it according to all the rules of the Uzbek national cuisine! And how wonderful it smells! There is no hint of the notorious lumps, the rice is incredibly crumbly, almost amber. Yes, competing with professionals is a losing business. But even at home, you can cook an excellent tasty pilaf if you adopt this simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• lamb (veal) - 500 g
• onion - 500 g
• carrots - 500 g
• long grain rice - 500 g
• vegetable oil - 150 g
• garlic - 1 head
• salt, spices - to taste

Cooking method:

Wash rice and soak in cold water. Cut clean and dry meat into small equal pieces. Peel and wash vegetables, with the exception of the head of garlic. Cut the onion into large cubes, and simply grate the carrots on a coarse grater if you do not want to bother with slicing straws. Pour the required amount of vegetable oil into the pan, heat it properly and fry the meat until golden brown for 20 minutes, not forgetting to stir in time so that it does not burn.

Then add the onion and continue frying for another 5 minutes. After the specified time, you can pour out the carrots, season the vegetables and meat with spices and cook the zirvak for 5-7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully transfer its contents to a heavy-bottomed cauldron. Place rice on top of the zirvak in an even layer, from which do not forget to drain the water. Add 2-3 teaspoons of salt, some people like it to be more, and someone - to be less, so be guided by your own preferences.

Now carefully, in a thin stream, fill everything with water, it should cover the rice by about 1 centimeter. If you pour less, then the pilaf will come out too dry, and if you overdo it, then instead of friability you will get those very notorious sticky lumps. Put the cauldron on the fire, wait until its contents boil, and cover with a lid. The heating temperature of the burner must be made minimal, because in order to cook crumbly pilaf, steam is needed, and not liquid seething. After 20 minutes, the fire can be turned off, the rice will reach the desired state under the lid in a quarter of an hour. Mix everything and serve. Pilaf is delicious when hot.

Crumbly pilaf with beef

“Well, this is generally unrealistic to do!” - many housewives will exclaim and will be wrong. The recipe that follows will completely disprove your beliefs if you dare to try it. Indeed, this type of meat is not in honor of the cooks, because it takes patience and time to cook it correctly. But pilaf with beef is always very tasty, it turns out crumbly and moderately fatty. And its aroma will make the whole family come running to the kitchen and impatiently wait for an invitation to the table. The recipe does not contain any special secrets, so you can safely cook, conquering the culinary heights!

Ingredients:

• boneless beef - 300 g
• round grain rice - 2/3 cup
• carrots (medium) - 1 piece
• onion (large) - 1 piece
• refined sunflower oil
• salt, ground black pepper, bay leaf - to taste

Cooking method:

If the amount of ingredients seems too small for you, it can be increased, but only in compliance with the indicated proportions. Otherwise, the recipe will be violated, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to cook a truly crumbly and tasty pilaf. So, cut the washed and dried meat into small identical cubes, put in a small saucepan and pour 1 liter of water. It should be cooked over medium heat. As soon as the foam appears, carefully remove it, salt the broth, season with pepper and bay leaf. You have to cook within half an hour. Then remove the meat to a plate, and pour the remaining liquid into a cup, you will need it later.

Peel the vegetables, wash and cut: onions - into half rings, and carrots - into strips. Take a deep thick-walled frying pan, heat vegetable oil in it, lay out the meat, add carrots and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then pour the onion there and cook for another 3 minutes. At the same time, boil water on the other burner. Rinse rice quickly under running water, drain well and send to meat and vegetables for frying. This will take 3-4 minutes.

After the specified time, pour everything with boiling water and the broth in which the meat was cooked. In total, you should take 250 ml of liquid, no more. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat until the water has evaporated. In no case do not mix rice and zirvak. For the first 15 minutes, you can’t even look under the lid, but then watch the liquid level by making holes to the bottom of the pan. As soon as you see that the gravy is gone, turn off the burner, and leave the pilaf on a warm stove for another 10 minutes. It is better to serve with a salad of cabbage and fresh vegetables.

Each recipe described in this article has its own characteristics that allow you to cook delicious pilaf correctly and make rice crumbly. If you carefully follow all the recommendations, then the dish will delight you with its appetizing appearance and rich rich taste. As you can see, you should not blame the failures on rice of the wrong variety, as many housewives usually do. Of much greater importance is the observance of the pilaf cooking algorithm and the choice of the correct ratio of meat, cereals and vegetables.

But with spices, you can and even need to experiment. If you want to get a beautiful golden color of rice, add a little saffron, as is customary in Asia. Local cooks also put zira and barberry. The seasoning, traditionally used in Europe, includes paprika, black pepper, cumin, onion and garlic. A dish with it will taste different from Asian. Try, look for your own combinations of spices, do not be afraid to experiment, and then a delicious pilaf will become your culinary “horse”!

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Whatever we mix rice with when preparing pilaf. Every housewife has her favorite recipe. But, of course, any housewife should know that pilaf will be really tasty if it turns out crumbly.

It is then that pilaf will be pilaf, and not rice porridge seasoned with vegetables and spices. How to cook crumbly pilaf? There is nothing complicated in this, you just need to know the little secrets.

What to cook pilaf from?

The main components of the traditional pilaf are meat, rice, onions and carrots. For frying meat and vegetables, you can use any refined oil. Uzbeks, and it is they who are the creators of pilaf, overcook meat and vegetables exclusively on lamb fat. But lamb fat has a smell that not everyone likes, so you can get by with sunflower oil that is familiar to us.

The spices that are used in the preparation of traditional pilaf include hops-suneli seasoning, barberry, ground pepper, garlic and salt, of course.

For cooking pilaf, any rice that you have in your kitchen is suitable. But if the rice is over, then it is better to buy steamed durum rice. It is this rice that absorbs the broth well, and therefore it turns out crumbly and with a rich taste.

Recipe for friable pilaf

First, we prepare the basis for pilaf from meat, carrots and onions.

• Carrots are taken two times less than meat. Carrots are cut into long thin slices. If you want to speed up the process of slicing it, take a large Korean salad grater and chop the carrots with it. Carrots should not be finely grated, because at the end of cooking they should retain their shape.

• Add vegetable oil or fat to a thick-walled pan or roaster. Its quantity should be sufficient, do not save, pilaf should not be dry. Then we put the meat and fry it over high heat until golden brown. At this stage of cooking pilaf, it is better not to leave the pan at all, since burnt meat will give the pilaf a bitter taste and not very tasty aroma.
• After the meat is well fried, lower the heat a little and add the onion. Once the onion is soft, add the carrots. When the carrots become sluggish, then make sure that they do not break when stirred.
• We complete the preparation of the base for pilaf by adding spices. Be sure to add salt, black pepper, you can add a mixture of "Hmeli - Suneli", you can add barberry, as well as garlic. Fans of spicy dishes can put a little hot ground pepper in pilaf. Then add tomato paste or finely chopped fresh tomatoes.

• After adding spices, mix everything well. Then pour water into the pan so that the water covers all the products 1 centimeter from their level. Cover the pan tightly with a lid and simmer for half an hour over low heat.

It's time to add the rice.

Secrets of cooking friable rice

• Any rice can be made fluffy. Just steamed rice absorbs the broth better.

• Be sure to wash the rice in clean water up to 8 times.

• Then fill it with cold water. This can be done before the pilaf base is cooked to give the rice time to soak up the water.

• Put the rice in the pan with a slotted spoon so that the excess water drains.

• And now remember, in order to cook friable rice, and, therefore, friable pilaf, rice should not be boiled in water, but should be steamed.

• To do this, make a minimum fire under the pan, put the rice in a slide. Using a wooden stick, make a few holes in the slide so that the steam rises more easily. And tightly cover the pan with a lid.

• When the rice is completely cooked, turn off the heat, but do not remove the lid, leave the pilaf, as they say "walk", for 10 minutes.

During this time, you can set the table or cook fresh onions marinated in vinegar, which goes so well with pilaf.

When you lift the lid, you will see a real crumbly pilaf. Onions should not stand out from the general dish, but carrots, on the contrary, should be noticeable. Large pieces of meat can now be cut into smaller pieces. Cut if you want, or don't. After all, it is the big piece that makes the mouth happy. But most importantly, you must cook the rice fluffy. It should acquire a golden color, unique aroma and taste.

Now you know how to cook crumbly pilaf. If you have all the necessary products at home, you can already today please yourself and your family with this Uzbek dish, which has taken root so well with us.

Rice

This is the main stumbling block of all cooks who have ever cooked pilaf. Nevertheless, almost all of them agree that devzira rice is the best, as well as other Uzbek and Tajik varieties.

You can try to cook pilaf with other types of rice, but preferably not too starchy. And in any case, the rice should be washed well before laying (until the water is clear). This will wash away the starch dust and prevent the pilaf from sticking together. Cooks also advise soaking it in cold water for an hour or more.

By the way, instead of pilaf, you can use wheat, chickpeas, corn and mung beans. But that's a slightly different story.

Meat

Lamb is traditionally used for pilaf, but beef is also suitable. You can also use pork, although Muslim cooks are unlikely to forgive you for this. A chicken option is also possible, but it already has little in common with the classic Uzbek pilaf.

It is better to choose the meat of adult animals: it gives the necessary rich taste.

The meat must be cut into fairly large pieces, about 5 × 5 cm or a little more. You can fry meat in large, non-portioned pieces and grind it just before serving. It is believed that the larger the piece, the juicier the finished meat will be.

Vegetables

There are two main vegetables in pilaf: onions and carrots. Onions can be used. It is more difficult with carrots: in Central Asia, pilaf is often cooked with yellow carrots, but in its absence, the usual orange one is also suitable.

The main rule is not to grind. Onions are cut into rings or half rings, carrots are cut into large sticks about 5 mm thick. If you finely chop vegetables and meat, you will no longer get pilaf, but rice porridge.

Butter

For the preparation of pilaf, either odorless vegetable oil, or animal fat (tail fat), or both types together are used. At home, the easiest way to use refined sunflower oil.

No need to skimp: pilaf is a fatty dish. On average, 1 kg of rice takes about 200–250 ml of oil.

Spices

There is a lot of room for experimentation here. And yet, more or less traditional seasonings can be distinguished:

• garlic (slightly peeled and laid with whole heads);
• hot red pepper (laid with a whole pod);
• zira;
• barberry;
• ground black or red pepper.

You can also add thyme, coriander, suneli hops, saffron or other spices to your taste in pilaf. The easiest way is to use a ready-made seasoning mix.

Other Ingredients

In addition to the components listed above, pre-soaked chickpeas and dried fruits are often added to pilaf.

What dishes to choose

A cauldron, a cauldron and another cauldron. With thick walls. In it, the meat does not stick, and the rice cooks evenly and remains crumbly. It is best to use a cast-iron cauldron (especially if you cook pilaf on a fire), but aluminum will do.

A duck can be a good substitute for a cauldron. But a saucepan, a deep frying pan, a wok and other kitchen utensils will not give the desired effect, no matter how much you want it.

The basic principle of pilaf is as follows: first, zirvak is prepared (meat and vegetables fried in oil with spices and broth), and then rice is poured on top.

The standard proportion for pilaf is equal parts of rice, meat and carrots. The number of onions may vary, but be at least 1-2 heads. The same with garlic.

Heat up the pot and pour the oil into it. It should warm up well so that later the ingredients can brown quickly.

Next, the onion or meat is fried. If you are cooking pilaf with a lot of onions, you can fry the meat first. Spread it into the cauldron gradually so as not to bring down the temperature, and do not turn over immediately - otherwise it may begin to release juice.

Onions need to be fried until golden brown so that the finished broth gives color to the rice.

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When the meat and onions are fried, carrots are laid. It is fried for several minutes until softened.

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Then all the ingredients are poured with hot water. It should cover the meat by 1-2 cm. Garlic, red pepper pod, spices and other ingredients are put next. Everything is salted to taste (or a little more salt is added than you like: the rice will absorb it) and cooked over moderate heat for at least 40 minutes until the meat is tender.

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After the zirvak is cooked, rice is laid. It is better to do this with a slotted spoon to distribute the rice evenly. From above it can be flavored with a couple of pinches of cumin - for flavor.

1. Rice is drowned in the broth (if necessary, more hot water is added through a slotted spoon so that it covers the dish a little) and stewed open until the water is completely absorbed (about 20 minutes). Then the fire is turned off (if the pilaf is cooked on a fire, then by this moment the firewood should just smolder), the cauldron is covered with a lid and the rice is left to steam for about 15–20 minutes.
2. After laying the rice, the cauldron is immediately closed with a lid and the contents are stewed for about half an hour at minimum heat, and then for about 10 minutes it comes without fire.

When the fire is turned off, wrap the lid with a towel: it will absorb the condensation and prevent it from getting into the dish.

Garlic and pepper are removed from the finished pilaf. If large pieces of meat were used for cooking, then they are also taken out, cut and spread on top of the mixed pilaf. If small pieces were used, you can mix the pilaf with them.

Pilaf is traditionally served on a large plate and topped with a head of garlic. This dish goes best with fresh vegetables.

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Do you know other secrets of cooking pilaf? Share them in the comments.

Housewives who cannot boast of any experience in cooking pilaf often get rice porridge filled with a whole mass of sticky lumps, but not a traditional Uzbek dish. When this happens every time, all sorts of experiments begin. Cooking enthusiasts use different types of rice, certain types of meat, try to follow the advice of friends. Quite often, the results of such actions are deplorable, which makes you give up.

How to cook crumbly pilaf? What recipes should be adopted? We invite you to learn about this by reading the practical recommendations presented in our publication.

About the choice of dishes

How to cook pilaf? It is difficult to achieve the expected results using the first pot that comes across, which has a thin bottom and walls. Following proven solutions, it is worth using a cast-iron cauldron. The latter is better to put not on the stove, but on an open fire. If it is not possible to cook outdoors, you can choose the first option. The main thing is that the dishes correspond to the canon. Suitable here is not only a cauldron, but also a capacious cast iron pan or a deep duckling.

The above samples of containers have specific qualities. The main property is the ability to retain heat inside, uniform temperature distribution. Ready pilaf is not taken in lumps. The meat comes out as juicy and soft as possible.

What kind of meat is better to give preference?

How to cook delicious pilaf? To achieve the traditional taste, lamb should be used. However, there are many noteworthy recipes that allow the use of beef, poultry and pork. If you plan to get a classic, spicy taste, lamb should be preferred.

It is recommended to choose meat obtained from the shoulder blade or brisket. The flesh of the femur is also suitable. You can add meaty ribs. Pronounced hardness of the product is not a problem. Due to the languishing of the meat on the fire, the product will definitely soften.

How to cook rice for pilaf?

Nowadays, there are an impressive number of individual varieties of rice available to lovers of cooking. You can use traditional Uzbek and Tajik varieties. We are talking about groats of the category Alanga, Devzira, scalded, kenja. Good solutions - Mexican, Arabic, Italian rice.

When choosing the basis for the preparation of pilaf, the nature of the product should be of decisive importance. It is better to use long-grained varieties. It is desirable that the indicators of the starch content are at the lowest level. Cooking masters advise pre-soaking rice. It is recommended to wash the grains and drain the water 6-8 times. Such actions ensure the removal of excess starch from the structure of the product. As a result, the risk of grain sticking will be minimized.

Fat or vegetable oil?

During cooking, you can use vegetable oil or animal fat. The final decision always rests with the chef. The use of an extremely limited amount of the ingredient will make the finished dish dry. Therefore, it is better to make pilaf fatty. Refined oil does not have a pronounced taste and aroma. On the contrary, animal fat will bring specific shades to the character of pilaf, which will not appeal to every consumer.

A few words about spices

The classic recipe involves the use of zira, cumin, barberry and hot pepper as seasonings for pilaf. These spices have a bright, spicy aroma, giving the dish a moderate spiciness and perfectly complementing the meat component. Garlic, thyme, suneli hops, saffron will serve as a good addition to such a composition. It is recommended to put the garlic in the whole pilaf, having previously cleaned the head from the husk.

Fried pork pilaf

According to cultural beliefs, Muslims never use pork as an ingredient in pilaf. If there are no such restrictions in the family, you should use the recipe, which will be discussed later.

How to cook pork pilaf? The following set of ingredients should be used:

• Pork pulp - 500 grams.
• Long grain rice - 1 kg.
• Sunflower oil - half a glass.
• Onions - 4-5 pieces.
• Large carrots - 3-4 pieces.
• Garlic - 2 heads.
• Black pepper, bay leaf, salt, turmeric - to taste.

Meat, rice and vegetables are taken in approximately equal proportions. In this case, the dish will turn out to be balanced in all respects and will give a rich taste. Cooking must be done in a deep cauldron.

So, how to cook pork pilaf? Rice is washed several times first. The water should become clear, which will tell you about the high-quality leaching of starch. Carrots and onions are peeled. Vegetables are rinsed and then chopped. Carrots are cut into thin strips, and onions are cut into half rings. Pork is soaked in water, dried and divided into pieces of medium size.

Half the norm of vegetable oil is poured into a pan, and then heated until the first bubbles form. Prepared pork is placed here. The meat is fried until a light brown crust appears. The product is sent to the cauldron. Add oil to the frying pan and place onion and carrot slices. Vegetables do not need to be fried. It is enough to soften them a little. The ingredient is also moved to the cauldron. Then everything is seasoned together with a mixture of spices.

Strained rice is laid in an even layer on the meat, mixed with vegetables. Inside the cauldron, water is slowly poured along the wall of the container. The liquid should cover the cereal by a few centimeters. They make a big fire on the stove. When the water boils, the flame level is set to minimum. The pilaf is covered with a lid.

Cooking continues for half an hour. Then the cauldron is removed from the fire. Garlic is stuck into the pilaf. The container is again covered with a lid and wrapped in a warm blanket. The dish is allowed to reach the condition.

Pilaf with chicken meat

The recipe should be used by those who want to enjoy a tasty and fragrant, but at the same time quite light in content dish. How to cook pilaf using poultry as a meat ingredient? As in the previous case, first we note the necessary ingredients:

• Chicken fillet - 400 grams.
• Long steamed rice - one and a half cups.
• Onions - 2 pieces.
• Carrots of medium size - 2-3 pieces.
• Sunflower oil in an amount sufficient for high-quality frying of the ingredients.
• Garlic - 1 head.
• Special seasoning for pilaf.

How to cook chicken pilaf? Rice is washed with starch under running water. The bird fillet is cut into moderately small pieces. Clean, wash and cut vegetables. You can grind carrots on a grater. Onions should be cut into half rings.

The bottom of the cauldron is covered with vegetable oil. A mixture of meat and vegetables is placed here. The ingredients are fried directly in the container over low heat. Pre-heat treatment is carried out until the products get a slight golden hue.

How to cook pilaf in a cauldron? Pour a small amount of water into the container. A mixture of meat and vegetables is slightly dried, salted and spices are added. Washed and strained rice is laid on top. The groats are leveled and a series of holes are made inside. Cooking is carried out on medium heat. When the liquid does not remain on the surface of the rice, stick the garlic cloves.

Pilaf is left to languish under the lid for 5-10 minutes. This time is enough for the rice to absorb the residual moisture and become crumbly. At the end, the dish can be mixed and resorted to tasting.

How to cook Uzbek pilaf?

The dish will turn out worthy of the highest praise if you resort to using the traditional Uzbek recipe. If everything is done correctly, there will be no hint of the presence of rice lumps. Pilaf will come out extremely fragrant and crumbly.

How to cook pilaf according to the Uzbek recipe? You need to use the following set of ingredients:

• Lamb - 500 grams.
• Large carrots - 3-4 pieces.
• Large onion - 4 pieces.
• Long rice - 500 grams.
• Vegetable oil - about 150-200 grams.
• Head of garlic.
• A mixture of spices: zira, thyme, cumin, barberry, saffron.

The rice is washed several times and then left to soak in cold water. The lamb is cut into medium pieces. Vegetables are cleaned and washed. The onion is cut into large cubes. Carrots are crushed into strips.

Vegetable oil is heated in a frying pan. Meat is placed here and fried until a blush appears. Add a mixture of vegetables and spices. Roasting is continued for another 5 minutes.

The contents of the pan are sent to the cauldron. Rice is laid on top and a few teaspoons of salt are added. Rice is carefully poured with water. The container is sent to the stove, setting a medium fire. After boiling, the cauldron is covered with a lid. The flame is reduced and the pilaf is left to cook for 20 minutes. Then the dish is left to infuse for a quarter of an hour.

Once again, let's return to the question of how to properly cook crumbly pilaf? So that the finished dish never disappoints with its qualities, it is enough to pay attention to the following points:

1. Products must be added in a specific order. The best solution is to pre-fry the meat ingredients with onions. Chopped carrots are also added here. The mixture of ingredients is seasoned with spices, and then placed in a container that will be used to cook pilaf. Everything is poured with hot water so that the liquid level is at least 2-3 cm above the meat layer.
2. Putting rice in a container, do not mix it. It is recommended to carefully level the surface of the cereal and place the head of garlic inside.
3. In the process of cooking, rice should not be boiled, but slowly steamed, languishing over moderate heat. To achieve uniform cooking of cereals, it is worth making a series of holes on the surface with a wooden stick. Through such holes, it will be easier for a couple to rise up.
4. Rice should be covered during cooking. The latter can be raised briefly to make up for the lack of water in the tank.
5. After the dish has reached full readiness, it is important not to remove the lid for the next 10-15 minutes. Pilaf must be removed from the fire and let it brew. Otherwise, unwanted lumps may form.

Cooking pilaf in a slow cooker

If desired, you can cook a dish using a modern solution. How to cook pilaf in a slow cooker? The features here are identical to the specifics of cooking a dish using a cauldron. The main thing is that the multicooker has a special “Pilaf” mode. It remains only to prepare meat and vegetable frying, based on the advice from our article. Then it is enough to put the ingredients in the container of the device, add rice, pour water and set the desired mode. A "reasonable" device will do everything on its own.

Finally

The recipes discussed in our publication have some specific differences. At the same time, regardless of the option chosen, strict adherence to the recommendations allows you to achieve the canonical taste and make the rice crumbly. As for the use of spices, there is room for experimentation. Do not be afraid to use different combinations of seasonings. After all, this is the only way to achieve a taste that will fully satisfy individual preferences.