How to cook pilaf - tasty, crumbly, correct. How to cook real pilaf: secrets and rules that you can’t do without To make pilaf

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 "reach", 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”!

Talk 0

Similar content

Pilaf has been one of the most popular dishes of the peoples of the East since time immemorial. Mentions of him can be found in folk tales and in ancient chronicles. It was served as an honorary dish at big holidays, weddings and commemorations.

In the 16th century, French chefs tried to cook pilaf according to the descriptions of travelers who returned from Arab countries. However, the experiments ended unsuccessfully, because instead of crumbly pilaf, ordinary rice porridge with meat was obtained. European cooks only in the 19th century received the exact recipe for this dish and learned how to cook pilaf deliciously. In each country, the preparation of pilaf differs in its own characteristics and nuances, and hundreds and thousands of recipes for this appetizing and healthy dish have accumulated over the centuries. It is interesting that each cook turns out his own unique pilaf, even if the same recipe is taken as the basis, however, there are general cooking rules that it is advisable to follow if you want to get a dish close to the original.

Choosing products and utensils for pilaf

Asian chefs are sure that the best pilaf can be cooked only on an open fire in a cast-iron cauldron and certainly from lamb with fat tail fat. At the same time, a man must cook. But this does not mean that it is impossible to cook a real Uzbek pilaf, tasty, fragrant, fatty and crumbly, at home. Modern recipes are so diverse and versatile that every housewife can show boundless imagination and create a unique culinary masterpiece. Let's talk about what we need for a real pilaf.

Meat. Classic pilaf is cooked only with lamb - it is recommended to take the brisket, ribs, shoulder blade or meat from the back of the lamb. However, in the East and Central Asia, beef, pork and poultry are also used to cook pilaf. The most delicious and fragrant pilaf is obtained from fresh meat with fatty layers, which has not been frozen and kept in the refrigerator for several days. The meat in pilaf should be juicy, so it is better to cut it large - into pieces no smaller than a walnut.

Rice. If you strictly follow the advice on how to properly cook friable pilaf, then it is better to use exclusively long-grain varieties with a low starch content. This is Tajik and Uzbek rice for pilaf - devzira, scald, alanga, kenja, as well as Mexican, Arabic and Italian rice for paella. Durum rice is distinguished by long transparent grains and unusual density - it does not boil soft during prolonged heat treatment, it absorbs water well and remains crumbly even after cooling. Indian, Thai and Vietnamese varieties of rice (jasmine and basmati) are not very suitable for pilaf, as they are too soft and can stick together during cooking. If there is no other option, then rinse them well with cold water and soak for two to three hours, periodically changing the water to remove excess starch. Some recipes use wheat, pearl barley, peas, corn, or a mixture of different cereals instead of rice.

Butter. According to tradition, real Uzbek pilaf is cooked on animal fat (ghee, mutton fat) or vegetable oils. In this case, it is better to use odorless refined oils so as not to “interrupt” the aroma of the dish. Often fat tail fat is mixed with vegetable oil to increase digestibility and soften the specific odor.

Spices. Flavoring pilaf is a creative process in which you can show your imagination and inspiration. However, there is a basic composition of spices, without which the dish will not be considered a real pilaf - these are cumin (zira), barberry and hot pepper.

Cumin gives pilaf an exquisite oriental taste, dried barberry berries fill the dish with nutty notes with a slight bitterness, and hot pepper in pods or ground form makes pilaf piquant and spicy. Thyme, coriander, suneli hops, garlic and saffron can be used as additional spices, thanks to which the rice acquires a rich golden color.

Vegetables and dried fruits. In India and the Caucasus, pilaf is cooked without carrots, and in Central Asia this vegetable is an important ingredient in the dish, and it is recommended to cut it large - into cubes, straws, cubes or plates. Onions are usually cut into rings, and garlic is added with a whole head, previously peeled. In some recipes for cooking pilaf, you can find dried fruits, since prunes, raisins, figs, apricots and dried apricots set off the taste of the dish and add a pleasant sourness to it. It is better to lay them after frying meat and vegetables - along with the addition of water.

Tableware. How to cook the right pilaf in the "wrong" dishes? Alas, this is not possible. According to tradition, pilaf is cooked in a cast-iron or aluminum cauldron with a thick bottom. In a modern kitchen, a cauldron can be replaced with a duck or goose. In such a dish, rice warms up evenly and languishes over low heat, so it does not burn and turns out crumbly. It is not recommended to use thin-walled enameled dishes, French braziers and wok pans, because due to the lack of uniform heating, the pilaf in them burns and becomes viscous.

Zirvak. Zirvak is a mixture of meat and vegetables fried in oil, combined with dried fruits, spices and broth. In the East, the preparation of zirvak is considered a real art and a sacred act, since the taste, aroma and appearance of pilaf depend on its quality. Oriental chefs say: if you make a good zirvak, then you know how to cook pilaf, and step-by-step recipes with photos posted on our website will clearly demonstrate all the stages of cooking.

Sequentially add meat, onions and carrots to the cauldron, fry them until golden brown, and ten minutes before they are ready, add dried fruits and spices to them. After that, fill the contents of the cauldron with boiling water so that the water covers a layer of meat and vegetables by two centimeters, and put everything to stew over low heat for 40-90 minutes. Ten minutes before the readiness, salt the zirvak (it is recommended to slightly oversalt it), add the head of garlic and rice to the cauldron, without mixing it with the meat. Add more boiling water so that the water covers the surface by two fingers, and cook the pilaf until the water evaporates, pouring it into the cauldron if necessary. It is desirable that the cooked pilaf simmer a little more, and tasting the dish right away or letting it brew is a matter of taste and personal preferences.

Salads of fresh vegetables are usually served with pilaf, which give it freshness and contribute to better absorption of fatty meat. However, the classic appetizer for pilaf is the achik-chuchuk salad, which includes thinly sliced ​​tomatoes, onion rings, hot or sweet peppers, basil and herbs, seasoned not with oil, but with grape or apple cider vinegar. Taking the classic pilaf recipe as a basis, you can make adjustments to it and create a unique signature dish that will decorate not only the festive table, but will also become part of your family's daily diet.

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.

Tveda.ru

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

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.

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.

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

Reading 6 min. Published on 01/05/2019

Pilaf is a popular dish of Uzbek cuisine, it has entered the "golden fund" of world cuisine. It's hard to mess up if you follow the recipe. There are many variations of pilaf, among which everyone can choose something for themselves.

Secrets of cooking friable rice

1. When buying rice, choose transparent packaging so that you can evaluate the quality. The grains should be free of additional impurities, white/beige or slightly translucent. At home, they check the quality of rice by smell: the grain should not smell like mold.
2. Before cooking, the rice is thoroughly washed with warm water, which is drained several times (5-7) until the liquid becomes transparent, thus getting rid of the starch contained on the surface of the rice. When washing the grain, rub it thoroughly with your hands.
3. Don't rush to use the washed rice right away. After draining the last water, let it brew for about forty minutes. Periodically stir the grain so that the remaining moisture is absorbed evenly.

It is known that round-grain rice contains more starch than long-grain rice, so when choosing rice, give preference to varieties with elongated grains.

Why pilaf turns out like porridge or cooking errors

1. It is important to observe the proportions of products: rice, meat, carrots and onions are taken in equal weight quantities. This is the only way to achieve a balanced taste of the Uzbek dish and not end up with rice porridge with meat.
2. You can not take a pan with a thin bottom and walls. Choose thick-walled dishes so that the heat is evenly distributed and retained. If there is no cauldron, then a cast-iron pan or ducklings will do.
3. A common mistake when cooking pilaf is a violation of the recipe when preparing zirvak (meat and vegetable component of the dish). Each of the three ingredients should be fried alternately in well-heated fat so that the products are instantly covered with a golden crust and do not have time to give juice.
4. The order of bookmarking products is not followed. It is supposed to cook zirvak first, bring it to a boil, then put rice on top and pour water over it.
5. Rice laid in a container on top of meat, onions and carrots should not be mixed, it is better not to open the lid during cooking and after another ten minutes.
6. The surface of the cereal is leveled, the water should cover it by a centimeter and a half. Holes are made on the surface with a wooden stick so that the steam rises up. Everything is cooked on a very slow fire, as if steamed.
7. Lack of flavor is a common cooking mistake. Spicy taste of pilaf is given by spices: zira, hot pepper, cumin, barberry. They emphasize the taste of meat, add spicy notes. Saffron, garlic, suneli hops will complement the composition.

The head of garlic is placed unpeeled, after cutting off the top.

Top 3 step-by-step crumbly pilaf recipes

Uzbek pilaf

Culinary specialists have more than five dozen recipes for Uzbek pilaf. And every housewife in Uzbekistan has her own cooking secret, which makes it unique. But still there is a classic recipe that is taken as a basis.

The dish is prepared on an open fire, certainly in a cauldron.

Ingredients :

• rice of the Devzira variety - 1.5 kilograms;
• lamb (preferably the shoulder part, brisket) - 1.5 kilograms;
• carrots - 1.5 kilograms;
• onion - 6-7 pieces;
• garlic - 2-3 heads;
• zira - half a glass;
• barberry - half a glass;
• fat cut from meat or fat tail - 200 grams;
• vegetable oil - 1 cup;
• salt - to taste.

Cooking :

Chicken pilaf recipe

Chicken pilaf will cook faster. It is suitable for a daily menu, as available products are used and the cooking process is simple. The recipe can be supplemented and used for a festive feast by adding prunes, raisins or mushrooms to the dish.

Ingredients :

• chicken - 1 kilogram;
• long-grain rice - 1 kilogram;
• medium-sized onion - 5-6 pieces;
• garlic - 4 heads;
• a mixture of zira and turmeric - 3 tablespoons;
• salt, ground black pepper, paprika - to taste;
• vegetable oil - ¾ cup.

Cooking :

Recipe for pilaf in a slow cooker

Cooking pilaf in a slow cooker requires a minimum of participation; this is a recipe for lovers of oriental dishes who have little free time. A slow cooker will allow you to cook pilaf in a hurry.

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.