Today for lunch I have the most delicious pilaf, the recipe for which I got from my grandmother. Having prepared pilaf according to this recipe, you will forever forget what sticky rice is in a dish. I will teach you to choose meat so that it is not hard and dry in pilaf. I’ll also tell you a secret: what needs to be done so that the rice does not stick to the walls of the pan. The taste of this pilaf is simply fantastic, and the aroma is for the whole kitchen.

Ingredients:

• pork - 500 grams;
• onions - 250 grams;
• carrots - 500 grams;
• rice - 500 grams;
• vegetable oil - 125 milliliters;
• garlic - 1 head;
• seasonings and salt to taste.

The best pilaf. Step by step recipe

1. Take coarse-grained rice: it is ideal for making pilaf. But from the round-grained, ordinary porridge will turn out.
2. Rinse thoroughly and pour warm water. Water should completely cover rice. Leave for 30 minutes. Then the rice will cook faster and it will be better to absorb the aromas of meat and vegetables.
3. Peel and wash the carrots and onions. Chop the onion into large pieces. Finely chop the onion - this is not right, then it will burn. A carrot cut into large strips. If you grate the carrots, it loses its shape, boils, everything turns into porridge, and most importantly, the vegetable loses its taste.
4. Rinse the meat well and cut into small pieces: about 5 centimeters in size. The meat should be taken with a small layer of fat, then it will be juicy and soft.
5. We will cook in gosyatnitsa. It has a thick bottom: our pilaf does not burn and does not stick to the wall. We put it on fire. Pour in vegetable oil. When the oil warms up well, spread the meat and fry.
6. Fry until golden brown over high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. We send onions to the meat: it should also be well podzolotil.
8. Next we send the carrots: fry it until soft.
9. Now is the time to add spices to the meat. You can add turmeric: it gives a beautiful golden color to pilaf. It is still very good to add dried barberry to the pilaf.
10. Add boiled water, salt. Reduce the fire: let everything stew for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
11. After 25 minutes, add the head of garlic. When the garlic is stewed with all the ingredients for 5 minutes, it can be pulled out.
12. We put rice. Pour boiling water. Again, water should cover the rice. And be about 2 centimeters above the surface of the rice.
13. Making a strong fire. This is very important, because we need to ensure that the water that is on the surface does not boil completely, but leaves the surface. When the rice begins to boil, it must be stirred gently so as not to catch the carrots. When the water is absorbed, we collect the rice in a slide, from the sides to the middle. We make several holes so that the water evaporates.
14. It is already visible that the fat has become transparent at the edges. You can again in the center, in the recess, add a head of garlic. Garlic does not need to be peeled. He will languish and at the same time give his aroma: we will avoid some kind of garlic inherent in garlic. Cover with a clean towel, then a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes over low heat.

The most delicious pilaf is ready. And his readiness can be checked using a slotted spoon, patting it on top of the rice: if the pilaf makes a squishy sound, then he still needs to prepare. And if the sound is dull, then the pilaf is ready. The rice is very crumbly, the pilaf itself is fragrant, moderately juicy and moist. Carrots have retained their taste. Well, my family did not stay hungry. Be sure to try to cook pilaf according to my grandmother's recipe. To serve pilaf beautifully, first put it in a bowl, take it, and then turn the bowl on a plate: such a beautiful slide comes out. Serve pilaf with fresh or canned vegetables, various salads. But how to cook them, see the recipes on the site "Very tasty." Enjoy your meal!

Hello dear readers of the site!

I learned how to cook a delicious pilaf while in Ukraine. But I tasted the most delicious pilaf in my life in Uzbekistan, in the picturesque city of Samarkand, where huge cauldrons smoke on the streets on holidays and attract the smell of this yummy.

My pilaf is far from Uzbek, but tasty - that's for sure. And at the end of the article, the famous Stalik Khankishiyev will show his master class, watch and enjoy!

To prepare pilaf, we need:

• 1 kg of meat (lamb, pork, beef are suitable);
• a glass of vegetable oil;
• 1 kg of rice;
• 4 large onions (about half a kilo);
• 4 large carrots (also about 500 g);
• zira (can be replaced with ordinary caraway seeds, a bag of 12-15 grams);
• a glass of dried barberry;
• half a glass of raisins;
• a couple of heads of garlic;
• black peppercorns 10-15 pcs, bay leaf (optional);
• salt.

Wash our hands, start cooking.

To cook a delicious pilaf, you need the appropriate dishes - aluminum or cast iron cauldron with a rounded bottom at least 6 liters. We pour a glass of oil into it, put on a strong fire.

While the oil is heating, in some dishes we wash the rice and soak it in warm water:

The best for pilaf are considered, as they are called, vitreous varieties that preserve the shape of the grain during cooking, but if there are none, any high-quality rice will do, I used basmati.

Cut the meat into slices the size of a plum. We throw a pinch of salt into the cauldron, if the oil then crackles, it means it is well calcined and you can add meat, put, mix.

We bring the meat to a state where all its juice from the cauldron will evaporate, and the meat in the oil will begin to brown. Until this happens, chop the onion into large strips:

Rub the whole carrot on a coarse grater, but if absolutely right, then you need to cut into strips:

And in a separate kettle, bring the water to a boil.

As soon as the meat has reached the desired condition:

I take it out for a while, and fry the onion in the remaining oil until golden.

Then I add carrots and also lightly fry, for about 5 minutes. Next, pour raisins, barberry, zira (caraway seeds) into the cauldron, I put another pepper and bay leaf.

Spread the meat back.

All this (zirvak) is poured with boiling water until it begins to become covered with water.

I still put a couple of heads of garlic, right in the whole form, unpeeled, just washed.

Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat, 30-40 minutes. A good zirvak is the key to a delicious pilaf. After a while, add salt (about half a tablespoon).

We try if the carrot is stale - order. All this mass should be slightly salted to taste, because rice will take part of the salt for itself. Salt if necessary.

The final stage - pour water from rice, carefully spread the rice with a spoon evenly over the entire surface of the cauldron:

Pour boiling water (carefully with a thin stream) so that the rice is covered with about 15-20 mm of water.

It begins to boil - we make the smallest fire, cover with a lid. Under no circumstances should rice be mixed.

After 15-20 minutes, the rice will absorb water, wait a little longer.

We try if the rice is almost cooked, make a hole in the rice with a stick and see how far the water has gone. If near the surface - wait for it to evaporate.

If the rice has not been cooked, and the water has evaporated, carefully pour boiling water. If the rice is almost ready, the water is almost gone - carefully collect the rice with a slide to the center, make several holes for the steam to exit.

Turn off the fire, cover the cauldron with a towel, and on top with a lid, and let it brew.

Thus, the evaporated moisture will not condense on the lid and drip into the cauldron, but will be absorbed into the towel.

So you have learned how to cook a delicious pilaf, aromatic, mouth-watering ...

Pilaf is heavy food. It is advisable not to drink alcoholic beverages, green tea is most suitable.

Now look at how the master of his craft prepares pilaf:

Mistresses often wonder, are looking for recipes, how to cook pilaf at home, experiment, practice to make it tasty, crumbly, it took a little time to cook. In our age of diversity and accessibility of food, household appliances, you can cook pilaf of any nationality or invent your own signature recipe for this dish.

How to cook pilaf

To cook a delicious pilaf, you need to choose the right variety of rice, meat, dishes. For example, Asian cooks claim that the best pilaf is one made from lamb, with fat tail fat, on an open fire, in a cauldron made of cast iron, and only a man should cook it. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to make a delicious pilaf from other ingredients at home. To date, there are many recipes that prove this.

What you need for pilaf

Classic real pilaf made from lamb. Often use the brisket, ribs, shoulder blade or back of the lamb. However, other types of meat can also be used as a meat component: pork, beef and even poultry, as is done in the East, in Central Asia. This food is of high nutritional value, so the meat variety directly affects the total calorie content.

According to the classical recipe, Uzbek pilaf is cooked on animal fat, for example, on melted lamb fat, and rarely on vegetable unrefined oils. The pronounced smell and taste of vegetable oil can drown out the taste of other ingredients. Often, a mixture of animal and vegetable fat is used for frying, which increases the digestibility of products.

The key to the recipe is spices. This is a kind of creative process, the combination of spices and spices completely determines the aroma. However, there is a basic set, which consists of barberry, hot pepper in a pod or ground. To make the dish fragrant, they often add zira, suneli hops, garlic, thyme, coriander. Saffron, which gives a characteristic golden color, is sometimes added to these spices.

In addition to meat and cereals, the composition includes vegetables, sometimes dried fruits. Traditionally, coarsely chopped carrots are added to the dish. In the Caucasus and India, this vegetable is not used at all. They also put onions, a whole head of garlic, previously peeled from the husk. Adding dried fruits sets off the taste, in some recipes you can find dried apricots, prunes, raisins, figs. They are laid after frying meat and vegetables. Croup should be mentioned separately.

How to cook loose pilaf

To make the pilaf tasty friable, it is better to use long-grain varieties of cereals with a low content of starch. Tajik and Uzbek varieties are ideal - alanga, oshpar, devzira, kenja. You can also use Arabic, Italian, and Mexican rice to cook paella. All these varieties are solid, practical do not lose their shape during prolonged heat treatment.

Other varieties are softer, they can stick together at the time of cooking. If you decide to use one of the soft varieties of rice groats, then you need to get rid of starch as much as possible, this will make pilaf crumbly. To do this, rinse it, soak it in cold water, periodically changing the water. To diversify the taste, barley, wheat, corn and even peas can be used instead of rice.

Utensils for cooking pilaf

It is impossible to make the correct pilaf in the “wrong” dish. Traditionally, it is cooked in cast-iron dishes or an aluminum cauldron with a thick bottom. How to cook the correct pilaf without suitable dishes? In extreme cases, the cauldron can be replaced with a lingonberry or a pan with a thick bottom. Such dishes do not allow the grain to burn, it slowly languishes and cooks evenly, in contrast to enameled products, French frypots, wok pans.

Pilaf Recipes

The ideal recipe for pilaf will depend on the taste preferences of each person or family in general. At first, you can safely experiment with types of meat, vegetables, dried fruits, spices, spices, dishes for cooking. Cooking books with a detailed description of recipes and the availability of photographs, relevant sites, which also often provide an extensive catalog of photos and cooking options, will be able to help. Over time, by trial and error, you will find the best recipe in your opinion or create your own culinary masterpiece.

Uzbek pilaf

• Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 10 Persons.
• Calorie content: 210 kcal per 100 g.
• Cuisine: Uzbek.

Pilaf is considered a traditional dish of Uzbek cuisine. To create an Uzbek or Samarkand pilaw, lamb is used. Oriental people are famous for their hospitality, and the key is table decoration. This dish is perfect for a feast. The composition includes a large amount of vegetable oil, so it is of great nutritional value. You can decorate the dish with spices (barberry, garlic), then your pilaf will not differ from photos on the Internet.

Ingredients:

• rice - 1 kg;
• lamb - 1 kg;
• carrots - 1 kg;
• sunflower oil - 300 ml;
• onions - 4 pcs.;
• dry hot pepper - 2 pcs.;
• garlic - 2 pcs.;
• dried barberry - 1 tbsp. l .;
• zira - 1 tbsp. l .;
• coriander (seeds) - 1 tsp;
• salt to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse rice in several waters, wash lamb thoroughly.
2. Peel the onions and carrots. Cut one onion into thin half rings, and carrot into finger-thick bars. Peel the garlic from the top husk without dividing into slices.
3. Heat the cauldron, then pour in the oil. When the oil is hot, put the whole peeled onion in the cauldron and fry it until it turns black, then pull it out - it will no longer be needed.
4. After prepare zirvak (base). To do this, fry the onion, then add the meat to it, fry until a characteristic crust appears.
5. Put the carrots, fry without stirring for three minutes, then mix everything, cook another 10 minutes.
6. Rub with a finger or stupa with a pestle the zira and coriander, add to the zirvak, then season with barberry, add salt to taste.
7. Reduce heat and cook until carrots are tender.
8. Pour boiling water with a layer of 2 cm, put hot pepper, reduce heat and simmer zirvak for an hour.
9. Drain the water from the cereal, put it in an even layer on the zirvak, then pour boiling water through the slotted spoon so that it covers the rice.
10. After the water is absorbed, plant the garlic in the rice heads, cook until the rice is cooked.
11. Turn off the stove, cover with a flat plate, and cover with a lid on top, let it brew for about 30 minutes.

Azerbaijani pilaf

• Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes + 2 hours.
• Servings Per Container: 6 Persons.
• Calorie content: 280 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Azerbaijani.
• The complexity of the preparation: difficult.

The recipe and technology is significantly different from the preparation of Uzbek pilaf. Groats for this dish are prepared separately from vegetables, spices, in a separate bowl. The base can be the most diverse, for example, lamb, poultry, game, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and even milk. Dried fruits, fruits, fresh herbs are often added to the recipe: mint, thyme, tarragon.

Ingredients:

• lamb - 700 g;
• long-grain rice - 700 g;
• butter - 200 g;
• dried apricots - 150 g;
• raisins (seedless) - 100 g;
• dried prunes - 100 g;
• chestnuts - 100 g;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• chicken egg - 1 pc.;
• turmeric - 1 tsp;
• salt to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the rice in cool water, add a little salt, leave for about 2 hours.
2. Cut the lamb into pieces weighing about 50 g. Boil in salted water, at the time of boiling, remove the resulting foam.
3. Rinse dried fruits under running water, then pour boiling water for 10 minutes. Make a cross-shaped incision on each chestnut. Blanch for 5 minutes. Discard in a colander, under a stream of cool water, remove the skin. Throw the peeled chestnuts into fresh water and cook for 7 minutes. over low heat.
4. Peel the onions, cut into strips.
5. Heat the pan, melt half the available butter. Pour onion, passer until golden hue. Drain the dried fruits, add them to the pan, then put the meat. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the liquid evaporates quickly, add boiling water if necessary.
6. Drain the rice bowl, boil in fresh slightly salted water, do not digest. Throw it in a colander.
7. In a separate container, mix 5 tbsp. l boiled long rice with chicken egg, add a little turmeric.
8. Melt butter in a separate bowl (leave a small slice of about 5 g), salt and turmeric using a microwave or water bath.
9. Grease a cauldron or a thick-bottomed pan with the remaining butter, put the egg-rice mixture on the bottom. After the layer, lay out the rice groats, soak each layer with melted butter and spices.
10. Create a small press using a plate, cover and simmer over low heat.

Tajik

• Cooking time: 2 hours.
• Servings Per Container: 6 Persons.
• Calorie content: 230 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Tajik.

The difference between the Tajik pilaw lies in a special variety - devzira. This is one of the simple recipes for cooking a spicy dish. Of the spices used only zira (cumin). A pilaf of Tajik cuisine is traditionally prepared from lamb, mainly from the lamb fillet. Such a simple, but very satisfying dish will provide a good charge of energy throughout the day.

Ingredients:

• devzira rice - 600 g;
• lamb (fillet) - 600 g;
• carrots - 600 g;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• garlic - 2 pcs.;
• zira - 1 tsp;
• vegetable oil, salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetables, chop the onion into rings, and the carrots in large strips.
2. Soak the cereal in cold water for half an hour. Rinse the mutton and cut into arbitrary pieces.
3. Chop the cooking container, pour in the vegetable oil and fry the onion, then add the meat to the onion. When the meat is gilded from all sides, add carrots, fry until tender.
4. Pour half a liter of boiled water into the frying pan, season well with salt, stick the garlic and bring to a boil.
5. Remove the garlic and sprinkle pre-strained rice. Distribute and check evenly so that the liquid slightly covers it. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
6. After 10-15 minutes, re-insert the garlic and season with zira. Cover the pan and simmer another 20 minutes. over low heat.

Lamb

• Cooking time: 2 hours.
• Servings Per Container: 20 Persons.
• Calorie content: 145 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Caucasian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

A simple lamb pilaf without the addition of specific spices, vegetables and dried fruits is quick to prepare, while taste and high nutritional value are not lost. Lamb is fatty meat, therefore, while cooking, you need to control the amount of other source of fat, otherwise one portion will be able to exceed the daily norm of this nutrient for an average person.

Ingredients:

• stewed lamb - 1 kg;
• rice - 400 g;
• water - 2 l;
• carrots - 3 pcs.;
• garlic - 2 pcs.;
• onions - 3 pcs.;
• sunflower oil - 100 ml;
• ground red pepper, salt to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Heat the cauldron, pour in the sunflower oil, fry the lamb over high heat.
2. Peel the vegetables, chop the onions in half rings, carrots with straws or sticks.
3. Send the onion to the meat, fry for 10 minutes, then add the carrots and simmer for 25 minutes. over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Salt the contents of the cauldron, add red ground pepper and deepen the peeled garlic heads in the center.
5. Rinse the grain and evenly distribute on top of the fry.
6. Pour the dish with hot water so that the level is about 1 cm higher than the ground.
7. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

From chicken

• Servings Per Container: 12 Persons.
• Calorie content: 165 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

In the wake of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, chicken has become one of the most popular diet foods. You can reduce calorie content and balance the BZHU with the help of the “right” cereal and chicken meat. An easy recipe for pilaf from chicken will provide you and your family with a healthy and nutritious dish that can be safely consumed for both lunch and dinner.

Ingredients:

• chicken (fillet) - 700 g;
• steamed rice - 450 g;
• carrots - 200 g;
• sunflower oil –150 ml;
• water - 1 l;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 pcs.;
• ground red pepper, salt to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Chop the cauldron, pour in all the sunflower oil and warm it well.
2. Throw the chicken pieces into the cauldron in portions, fry evenly on all sides, then take out the finished pieces and throw the raw ones.
3. In the oil from the meat, fry the onions, then add carrots and chicken to it, fry not medium heat, stirring constantly.
4. Pour the mixture with hot water so that the level is about 1 cm higher than the ground, add peeled garlic cloves and ground pepper, boil for 10 minutes.
5. Pour a spoonful of salt and lay out the washed cereal.
6. Pour the whole mixture with boiling water and mix thoroughly, cover the cauldron with a lid and cook until the cereal is ready (about half an hour).

How to cook fruit pilaf

• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Purpose: for breakfast, for lunch.
• Cuisine: Tatar.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

The recipe for fruit pilaf comes from Tatar cuisine. In the classic version, in addition to dried fruits, white sugar (sweet spices) and wheat flour are added, but the taste of the dish will not lose at all without these components. Sweet fruit pilaf is suitable for children who do not really like cereals as a healthy dessert. Adults are not recommended to eat this dish for dinner - sweet foods are best to eat in the morning. The dish is cooked in a slow cooker or pan with a thick bottom.

Ingredients:

• rice - 200 g;
• water - 200 ml;
• raisins - 100 g;
• prunes - 70 g;
• dried apricots - 70 g;
• figs - 70 g;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l .;
• turmeric - 0.5 tsp

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetable. Cut the carrots into cubes or any other convenient way.
2. Pour vegetable oil into the bottom of the bowl, put chopped carrots and raisins.
3. Grind prunes, dried apricots and figs, put on top of raisins and sprinkle with turmeric.
4. Pour in water with a small amount of dissolved salt.
5. Turn on the slow cooker in Pilaf mode for 30-60 minutes. The speed of cooking will depend on the variety of cereal.

Pork

• Cooking time: 1.5-2 hours.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calorie content: 205 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Uzbek.
• The complexity of the preparation: medium.

Uzbek dishes often use pork. This is a variety of fatty meat, so the nutritional value of a dish with the addition of pork is higher than other varieties. The recipe includes a standard set of vegetables and spices, but their combination with pork gives a completely different taste to the dish. A pilaf with pork is better to eat at lunchtime, and for dinner - limit yourself to a light salad.

Ingredients:

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

Cooking method:

1. Pour in vegetable oil into a cooking container and chop well.
2. Slice the meat in portions and fry evenly on all sides until cooked.
3. Cut the onion into half rings and put on top of the meat.
4. You can cut carrots in any convenient way or rub on a coarse grater.
5. Add carrots to the fry and simmer until cooked.
6. Pour the washed grain, fill the mixture with warm water. Level two fingers above the thick.
7. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
8. In 10-15 minutes until the rice is ready, stick a clove of garlic for flavor.
9. When the water evaporates, turn off the pilaf, cover the pan with a lid and let the dish go.

How to cook pilaf without meat

• Cooking time: 30-60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 10 Persons.
• Calorie content: 63 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Many people wonder how you can cook pilaf without meat. Such recipes can be attributed to vegetarian dishes, they are prepared during the fasting period and people who adhere to a low-calorie diet. Low-fat pilaf can be given to children. Vegetables that are uncharacteristic for pilaf, such as tomatoes, bell peppers, etc., are placed in rice grains, so simple rice with vegetables is hidden under the prefix “without meat”. The time it takes to cook pilaf depends on the dishes and rice variety.

Ingredients:

• rice - 400 g;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• vegetable oil - 20 ml;
• water - 2 l;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetables, chop the onion finely, chop the carrots or grate.
2. In a deep frying pan, heat the oil and pass the vegetables.
3. When the vegetables are significantly reduced in volume, add the cereal and lightly fry.
4. Pour the mixture with water, add salt, garlic, a mixture of peppers to taste.
5. Simmer under the lid until cereal is cooked.

How to cook pilaf with long grain rice

• Cooking time: 60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calorie content: 150 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

During cooking, the croup should not lose its shape. There are special varieties for this, for example, long-grain steamed rice. The grain has an elongated shape and transparency. You can cook pilaf with poultry, pork or lamb. This variety goes well with a variety of vegetables and spices. Long-grain rice does not require special preparatory processes.

Ingredients:

• long grain rice - 200 g;
• chicken (fillet) - 200 g;
• water (broth) - 1 l;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 1 clove;
• spices for pilaf, salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetables, rinse the grits, and drop them into a colander.
2. Heat a cauldron and pour vegetable oil into it.
3. Next, you need to cut vegetables and chicken into portions.
4. First, fry the meat, remove it, then pass the vegetables.
5. Return the chicken to the prepared vegetables, put the rice, cover it with water or broth and let the mixture boil.
6. Reduce the heat, cover the cauldron and simmer until cooked.

Video

It is good and joyful to gather with friends and family at a common table. To chat, laugh, talk enough with people close and dear to the heart. And for pleasant conversations, you just need to treat yourself to delicious homemade dishes.

But, expecting guests, you always have to cook a lot. Admit it, it often happens like this: you just spend the whole day by the hot stove, conjuring over the hot one, building complex sandwiches and canapes, slicing a bunch of different salads, and as a result, by the festive moment there is no more strength to smile and play the role of a hospitable hostess. Is that familiar?

But going to invite guests, it is not at all necessary to plan many different dishes. Sometimes it is better to serve only one dish on the table, but such that all loved ones gasp with delight, having tasted it, and in the end they would be well-fed, satisfied and happy. It is such a crown dish that pilaf is known to all. It alone is enough for a full holiday.

Therefore, in the next warm and sunny day, call everyone to the country. Stock up on rice, meat, patience and a good mood in advance. We will carefully and thoughtfully conjure a dish that will definitely provide delight to your guests.

The most correct recipe is classic with lamb. And here there are many subtleties and tricks. So let's get started:

How to cook a real Uzbek pilaf

What do we know about real pilaf? Perhaps everyone knows only what to cook it is a whole art that requires considerable skill, training and experience. However, it, like other complex dishes, has its own secrets and subtleties of cooking, which ensure the transformation of rice, meat and vegetables into a delicious and unique dish.

First of all, check if you have the necessary utensils. Today it is no secret to anyone that they cook it in a cauldron - a pot with thick walls. The cauldron can be both cast iron and thick aluminum. The main thing is to get a larger container, you will not lose. Just don’t take the coop. Cookware must be round and with a convex bottom.

Now let's talk about the necessary products:

• Cook about a pound of lamb. Yes, traditional Uzbek pilaf is prepared only from it. Lamb must be fat, so when buying in the market, take a lamb ham. Although the shoulder blade is also suitable, but this part of the meat is more lean.

Instead of lamb, you can take beef or pork, but this will not be a classic option.

• Now we need a pound of rice. Naturally, long-grain, the higher its grade, the better.
• A pound of onions
• A pound of carrots
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• Ground spices. They will also need a lot, about 5 teaspoons. This is a mixture of ground black pepper, paprika, zira. You can take barberry.
• Fat for frying. It should be noted here that for a classic dish only kurdyuk is used - mutton fat. But since this product is a rare guest in our kitchen, we will replace it with sunflower oil. It will take a lot of oil - not less than a glass. If, nevertheless, you are determined to get a fat tail, then it will need much less - 70-80 grams.

If you want to enhance the bright and unique taste of pilaf, be sure to add zira. She perfectly emphasizes the aroma of lamb, and in the absence of it even imitates its taste (so you can go to the trick and take beef instead of lamb, but be sure to use zira).

And a few more words about rice. We need only long-grain, ideally, varieties "Jasmine" or "Basmati." Round is suitable exclusively for cereals, casseroles and sushi. It must be washed very well with cold water, it should be clean and transparent. Usually you have to change the water 7-8 times. I wrote all the secrets of making friable rice in a previous article, be sure to read it.

Be sure to try raw carrots before cooking - we only need sweet, if it is bitter, it will ruin the taste of the whole dish.

Step by step recipe:

There are 3 key cooking steps that you need to focus on, and these steps need to be followed by all the rules.

Prepare butter or fat tail fat

At the first stage, we will deal with fat transfer. Yes, such a seemingly banal action must be performed very accurately. This is the foundation for preparing the right pilaf.

We put the cauldron on the stove. The first step is to warm it up properly, so don't rush it.

Our cauldron has warmed up enough. Pour oil into it, pour it necessarily on the walls of the pot.

Attention: now the fire under the dishes should be small! It is important that the oil is well heated, but in no case boil.

Remember the important point: if you over-heat the oil, then the products that we then put in it will be stewed. And our goal is for meat, onions and carrots to be definitely fried.

So, heat oil over low heat. Do not go anywhere, watch carefully. When the oil begins to crackle and give off a whitish smoke - it's time to move on to the second stage.

For those who decide to cook in accordance with all the rules in fat tail (it must first be cut into pieces), the recommendations remain the same. The main thing is, when the kurdyuk is overheated and a white smoke starts, immediately remove the greaves.

Cooking zirvak for pilaf

The second stage of preparation includes the preparation of zirvak. What is zirvak? This is a special “pillow” of fried meat, onions and carrots, on which rice will later be cooked. Zirvak must be right too.

So, cut the lamb with identical pieces of any size, the main thing is not to be very small.

Now increase the fire under the cauldron to a fairly strong one. Send lamb to the bottom of the pot. Let fry until light brown.

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.

Be sure to dry the peeled onion with a towel so that not a drop of moisture remains on it! Cut into half rings.

Send the onion to the meat, let it fry for a while.

Here you have to work with carrots - it should be cut into long and neat little sticks. Not thick, about 0.3 cm. You can’t use a coarse grater, otherwise carrots will give off too much juice and stew instead of frying.

Meanwhile, our onion has acquired a slightly golden color, so we add carrots to the cauldron. Mix gently and continue to fry for another 5 minutes.

Properly salt our zirvak, it should even be slightly salted. Later, when we put rice in the cauldron, it will be impossible to add the dish, so try to calculate everything correctly.

Add prepared spices.

The second stage of cooking pilaf came to an end.

The third stage - we prepare friable rice

Now we smoothly proceeded to the third stage of cooking - cooking rice. A feature of this stage is that the rice will be steamed. In pilaf, rice must be crumbly, and steam serves this purpose. How is rice cooked over steam here? Very simple: rice is cooked over zirvak. It is a correctly made "pillow" for rice - zirvak - that ensures the crispness of the future dish.

So, washed rice very carefully spread on top of zirvak. Gently smooth it with a spoon on top. Be careful not to mix rice with zirvac in any case.

At this point, you should already have a boiled kettle ready.

The following actions will require extreme caution and concentration.

Place a flat saucer on top of the rice. Now very carefully pour boiling water on a saucer. When the water covers the rice one and a half centimeters, stop. Instead of a saucer, water can be poured onto a wooden spatula or spoon.

Very, very carefully remove the saucer from the cauldron, acting in such a way that in no case affect the layer of rice and disturb it.

Why are such complex actions necessary? Our task is to keep all layers of pilaf unchanged and not mixed, and rice - well-packed. If you pour water without the participation of the saucer, there is a great risk that it will slightly wash the rice and the tightness of the layers will be damaged, and then the dish will not work out as intended.

We continue to cook over sufficiently high heat. Do not cover with a lid! Never interfere with anything!

When the water has boiled completely and the rice will visually look ready, arm yourself with a spoon with a long thin handle. Now, very carefully, with the handle of a spoon, pierce several holes from the surface of the rice to the very bottom through all the layers. Carefully pour hot water into these holes. It’s not necessary to pour a lot, a little bit. From above, carefully stick the garlic cloves cut in half.

Close the cauldron with a lid and immediately reduce the heat to the minimum. Let the pilaf go on for another 20 minutes. After turning off the fire, do not open the lid for another 10-15 minutes, the dish should finally reach.

Tip: the lid, under which rice is cooked at the final stage, should be very tight, literally without the slightest gap. If the lid of your cauldron does not cover it so well, replace it with a suitable flat dish.

So your real Uzbek pilaf is ready! We guarantee that if you are not too lazy and regularly follow all the recommendations, your guests will be completely delighted with him.

Put the finished dish from the cauldron on a tray or a large plate with layers in the reverse order compared to how they were prepared: first, rice, and on top of it is a zirvak topped with slices of juicy roasted meat.

Well, be sure to serve fresh pita bread, a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes and hot green tea.

I hope my recipe will help you please family and friends. Write, I will be glad to reviews and comments!

Good afternoon dear friends!

Today I would like to treat you to pilaf! But the Internet is not omnipotent, with its help I can’t give you the dish itself, so I’ll just tell you how to cook a delicious Uzbek pilaf.

Delicious Uzbek pilaf

And my good friend and girlfriend of my daughter Annette pushed me to write this article. She lives in Germany, but in past years, when she worked in Belarus and stayed with us at home, she really liked pilaf. And the other day I asked Facebook a recipe for cooking pilaf.

Briefly, I wrote to her, but decided to cook pilaf on the weekend, and lay out the recipe on the blog. I hope you will like it. The wife of my cousin Nazir taught me how to cook pilaf, she is from Tashkent. So I cook pilaf according to the Uzbek recipe, but perhaps in my interpretation.

Let the inhabitants of the regions where pilaf is a national dish do not take offense at me. Perhaps, in my recipe, something will not be the same as in the East. By the way, I propose to continue the conversation about pilaf in the comments - write how you cook it, what “highlights” are in your recipes. I know that among my friends there are many cooking enthusiasts.

How to cook Uzbek pilaf.

First we need to stock up on a cauldron and groceries. We will need meat, rice, carrots, onions, vegetable oil and spices.

The best meat for pilaf is lamb, but with pork it also turns out delicious. For Muslims, this, of course, is an incompatible composition, but for others it is very suitable. You can do it with chicken.

I took veal and chicken for today's recipe. Veal - lean meat, not very suitable for pilaf. It is advisable to put leaner meat in the pilaf. So I added chicken.

I have meat - a little more than a kilogram, the same amount of carrots.

Carrot for pilaf

Pilaf can be cooked in cottonseed oil, but we don’t have it, so we’ll cook it in a normal, odorless sunflower.

Still need 3-4 onions, a few cloves of garlic, and spices - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried barberry (can be replaced with small sweet and sour raisins), 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon hazel or black pepper and turmeric.

Well, and of course rice. He will need 400-500 g.

The recipe for pilaf.

In a cast-iron cauldron or stew-pan with a thick bottom (you can use a duckweed), pour a little vegetable layer with a layer of about 1 cm and put on fire. Put the peeled small onion in the oil, heat the oil until the onion turns brown.

Pilaf oil should be well calcined.

While the oil is warming up, you need to cut the meat. We cut into small pieces, about 4x4 cm. As soon as the onion turns brown, take it out, we no longer need it. And the meat is dipped in hot oil. The meat quickly sets in a crust. Fry the meat for several minutes.

During this time (or better in advance) cut the carrots into strips. Add it to the meat, and fry a little more. Next, put the onion cut in half rings, And fry a little more, first over a large fire, and then over a small one.

What we have is called zirvak. This is the basis of pilaf. Add spices here - 1 tsp. cumin, cumin (cumin), hazel, pour hot water, so as to cover meat and vegetables. You can put turmeric or saffron, black pepper, a little dried herbs. Next, add barberry or raisins and 5-6 unpeeled garlic cloves, salt.

The recipe for pilaf

You can use the aromatic salt, which I wrote about in the recipe for stuffed pike. The salt is aromatized with essential oils of caraway, basil and lemon and goes well with the taste of pilaf. Do not peel the garlic cloves; they will taste like beans in the pilaf.

Rice is better to use round Krasnodar. It should be washed several times with cold water and put in an even layer on a layer of meat and vegetables. Flatten and gently add more water to the wall. Water should cover a layer of rice with about two fingers.

Pour rice and zirvak with water

After pouring water, all the aromatic oil will rise up, and as it cooks it will go down, soaking the rice with smell and taste.

Top with a little more salt, cover with a lid (but not completely) and cook over medium heat.

Do not interfere!

Watch that would not burn! After 15 minutes, check the water level. If necessary, pierce the pilaf with a spoon and pour a little hot water into the hole. Cook the pilaf for about 25 minutes, then close the lid tightly and let it stand for another 15 minutes. That's the whole recipe.

The rice in the finished Uzbek pilaf should be yellow in color, and each grain will separate from each other.

When serving guests, pilaf should be laid out on a dish, first rice, and then up the meat with vegetables.

Delicious Uzbek pilaf is ready.

When I make pilaf for the family, we simply put it on a plate, picking from a cauldron in such a way as to capture rice and the lower meat portion.

That's how I cook a delicious Uzbek pilaf with a Belarusian accent.