How to cook real Uzbek pilaf: step-by-step recipe with photos and videos

Any chef in the world will say that you can only get real pilaf if you cook it over a fire. Let's not forget that the preparation of this dish dates back to ancient times, where, of course, there was no gas stove. Pilaf is a dish that always turns out differently, even if you cook it according to the same recipe. However, general cooking rules must be followed. In all countries where this dish is prepared, the recipe is no different, except perhaps the proportions of meat, spices and grain components.

How to properly prepare delicious pilaf, some best video recipes

Ingredients for pilaf

Let's prepare the necessary products:

long grain rice, lamb, carrots - 1 kg each;
vegetable oil - 300 ml;
onions - 4 pieces;
garlic - 2 heads;
dry hot pepper - 2 small pods;
cumin, dried barberry - a tablespoon;
coriander - teaspoon;
salt to taste.

The original recipe uses fat tail fat instead of butter, but getting it on domestic shelves is problematic.

They make pilaf in a cauldron, or in a hopeless situation a thick-walled pan will do.

Photo gallery: necessary products

Video recipe for pilaf on fire

Let's prepare pilaf according to the classic recipe - meat, rice, carrots and spices. The cauldron for cooking over a fire is only cast iron. We choose meat with a layer of fat; the dish will be juicier. The best choice is lamb, the back of the leg.

Since rice is a very important component of the dish, you need to choose carefully. Rice should be steamed long grain or contain little starch.

As for spices, the classic combination can be bought in a ready-made blend for pilaf. Or according to your taste, but cumin, turmeric, and saffron are considered mandatory.

How to cook delicious pilaf

It is customary to take 1 kg of carrots and 1 kg of rice for 1 kg of meat. Usually 2 heads of onion, 2 heads of garlic. The meat should be cut into large pieces and lightly dried from water. Cut the carrots into strips, 0.5*0.5 cm in size. Chop the onion into half rings. Leave the garlic whole. Rinse the rice well and leave in water. Prepare 250 ml of sunflower oil.

In order for the dish to turn out real, crumbly, the cooking cauldron must be thick-walled and made of cast iron.

A lid is also necessary for the process.

Friable pilaf with chicken

With chicken, this dish is no less tasty and cooks even faster. All parts or just the breast are suitable for this, as you wish. Find out how to make crumbly chicken pilaf at home right now.

Ingredients:

400 grams of long grain rice;
3 medium onions;
half a kilo of chicken fillet (breast or thighs);
2 large carrots;
a whole head of garlic;
half a glass of vegetable oil;
a pinch of red and black pepper, coriander, sweet paprika and cumin;
salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel the onion and cut it into medium cubes.

2. The carrots for this dish need to be cut into large or medium pieces. It needs to be peeled and cut into bars or slices, to suit your taste.

3. Rinse the chicken. If it was frozen, then it needs to be completely defrosted. Remove from the bone if using thighs or another part of the bone. Cut into medium sized cubes.

4. Let's prepare the bowl first in a frying pan, and then move it to the cauldron. To do this, heat the vegetable oil until it begins to crackle. Then add the chicken and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, over maximum heat.

5. Add vegetables to the meat, add all the spices and add salt. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes more.

6. When the bowl is ready, you need to transfer it to a heated cauldron. Rinse the rice in 5-7 waters until the liquid becomes clear. Drain the water and place it on the meat in an even layer.

7. Peel the garlic from the top husk, without peeling the cloves themselves or separating them from each other. Carefully cut off the root, you can even add the first layer of garlic. Now you need to fill it with water so that its level covers the rice by about one and a half centimeters. Add salt on top without stirring after that.

8. Simmer the rice over low heat for about half an hour. The readiness of rice can be easily determined by its appearance and the absence of liquid.

9. Stir the pilaf, cover with a cotton towel and a lid. Leave for 10 minutes. The cotton will absorb the evaporating liquid and the dish will then be more crumbly.

Video recipe for pilaf on the stove

Pilaf is a dish that came to us from ancient times, so it is impossible to reliably establish its origin. Presumably the homeland of pilaf is the Middle East and India somewhere in the 2nd-3rd century BC, that is, when they began to cultivate rice. Over time, the dish became widespread in all parts of the world. The method of preparation differs slightly in different countries, but in general, it consists of meat and cereal components. In some countries, not a single celebration is complete without this dish. We are accustomed to pilaf as an everyday food.

Ich pilaf: Turkish pilaf with chicken liver

Homemade
pilaf with chicken liver

One of the most popular in Turkey. I first tried this pilaf several years ago in its homeland. Then ich pilaf did not make a strong impression on me - maybe I was not in the mood for new taste sensations, or maybe the pilaf itself was not very well prepared. This small injustice pushed me to recreate real Turkish ich pilaf at home, and now I adore this pilaf. An excellent balance of flavors: subtly spicy, warming and very filling, ich pilaf is great for the cold season. If you love oriental cuisine and gravitate towards the unknown, be sure to cook this pilaf!

RECIPE FOR TURKISH PILOV WITH CHICKEN LIVER

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. white long grain rice boiling water 70 g butter a small handful of pistachios 1 onion 150 g chicken liver 0.5 teaspoon each ground black and white pepper a small handful of dark raisins 6 tbsp. water or meat broth salt 1 teaspoon sugar bunch of parsley

How to cook Turkish pilaf with chicken liver:

1. Pour boiling water over the rice. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and leave for half an hour. Rinse well in cold water.

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2. Heat the butter in a cauldron and fry the pistachios until a pleasant aroma appears. Then add chopped onion and fry until golden brown.

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3. Add liver and rice. Mix well.

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Add two types of pepper and washed raisins. Mix again.

4. Pour in water or broth, add salt and sugar. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

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Turn off the fire.

5. Wrap the lid in a towel and cover the cauldron. Leave to infuse for 10–15 minutes. Serve with chopped parsley.

6. Turkish pilaf with chicken liver is ready!

How to cook pilaf video

There is a strong opinion that excellent pilaf is obtained only over a fire in a cast iron cauldron. But this does not mean that it is impossible to prepare this delicious dish in the kitchen at home. Every housewife has a cauldron with a thick bottom or cast iron in her arsenal; this is a prerequisite for cooking. So, what is needed, watch the video recipe for delicious pilaf.

Meat 1 kg. According to the classic recipe, you need lamb; you should choose the shoulder or the meat of the back of the lamb. It is advisable to use fresh meat, with a layer of fat, so the dish will be juicy. It is recommended to cut into large slices, about the size of a walnut.

Carrots 1 kg. You need to cut the carrots into long pieces, 0.4*0.4 cm in size. Pay attention to the video.

You can use cumin as a spice. Turmeric also goes well with the dish, depending on your preferences.

Rice 1kg. We choose long-grain steamed. Rinse the rice until clean and soak at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours.

Onion 2 pcs. Cut into half rings.

Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron over a fire - the easiest way for beginners

I would also like to say something about the amount of water for the zirvak. After all, we initially took the amount of onions, meat, and carrots so that it was in the right ratio for a pack of rice. And of course, it won’t be a big mistake if you add a little more or less of this or that ingredient. But we stick to the recipe. And a very simple point with water at this stage - you can add enough of it so that all the ingredients are literally hidden in the water. I think it was worth writing about this and taking this nuance into account. This way there won't be too much water. After all, the zirvak will turn out to be rich, thick, and golden in color. And its role is to transfer all the flavors to the rice. See more...

Step 6. It's time for rice

Here they told me for a long time that they did not find such rice as in their homeland in Uzbekistan in our area. But we have two types of rice that are closest in composition and suitable for pilaf:

Adriatic and the second Devzira.

Devzira is already red rice, and they say it is from it that a truly luxurious and correct pilaf is obtained. They promised to find him upon completion of construction. They will treat you to pilaf with exactly that rice. I'll write about how delicious it is later. I am 100% sure of this.

If you don’t look for a long time, there is good rice like this - Krasnodar. This is what is used in the recipe. My next pilaf recipes will definitely be with rice - Adriatic or Devzira. Just curious to feel the difference. Probably with the second, there is a certain secret in the preparation. Therefore, we are in no hurry to cook with red. After all, this pilaf recipe is prepared with white rice.

First, the rice must be washed in running water from a cold mine. Of course it's a joke. Where will we find him? Just rinse in a bowl with plain tap water. The rice was washed for literally 3-5 minutes until the water became clear. Next, drain the water and the rice turns out clean like this:

Step 7. Place the rice in the cauldron

Gradually distribute the rice evenly throughout the entire part of the cauldron, placing the rice on the side without stirring...

This is where the real shamanism with a spoon began... The spoon made holes in the rice all the way to the bottom, all over the area. Thus, the rice does not stick together and is evenly enveloped in zirvak... The process lasted literally 5 minutes. The rice was not stirred!

The process continued as the rice swelled...

It was noticeable how the rice swells and absorbs water. The rice does not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Literally 50%. Be sure to taste it!

Step 8. Check the readiness of the rice and the amount of water...

After a while, some of the water evaporates, is absorbed, and the bubbling process is noticeable along the edges of the cauldron. The temperature regime from step 3 to step 8 is approximately the same. Keep the fire at the same level so that there is a slight bubbling. We use a slotted spoon to check along the edges so that the rice does not burn in the cauldron, and this further envelops it in the zirvak. That is, we pierce the edges not with a spoon, but with a slotted spoon along the walls of the cauldron, as if separating the rice from the cast-iron cauldron, so that the edges do not stick. But don't mix! In simple words, every particle of rice is saturated with the aromas of zirvak.

The rice swells significantly and is almost 50% ready. We continue shamanism with a spoon...

Stage photo...

Literally 1 minute of witchcraft and at the stage of rice being 50% ready, tasting... The cooking process is nearing completion.

Add the remaining glass of water. It was possible not to do this if at the first stage they filled in as much water as needed. We literally poured 1.4 at once for zirvak, and left 0.2 liters for this stage...

We continue to distribute the water by making holes...

After 5 minutes, take a slotted spoon and start forming a circle from the edges (from the walls of the cauldron) (so that the middle is higher). With light movements of a slotted spoon, smooth the surface of the rice... I am attaching a photo:

Once again, use a spoon to make holes over the entire area of the rice (about 10 pieces). Stage photo:

At this stage, many cooks send a couple of heads of garlic, hiding it entirely in the rice. It gives aroma to the pilaf and is removed after cooking. This recipe is a classic. Nothing extra! The simplest and most correct recipe for Uzbek pilaf.

Step 9. Cover the pilaf with thick-walled dishes. There was such a cup at hand...

Following the bowl, cover the cauldron with a lid and remove from the fire. Or we remove all burning wood from the stove. The idea is to steam the rice inside. I got there.

Do not lift the lid for 20 minutes.

In exactly 20 minutes, the pilaf is ready! We lift the lid and see what happens...

Looking ahead. The result was amazingly delicious pilaf!

Step 10. Mix. Enriching the pilaf with oxygen...

Here it is, real, crumbly Uzbek pilaf. Be sure to repeat this recipe and you will be delighted...

Rishtya-pilov from Azerbaijan

Homemade
noodle pilaf

This Azerbaijani pilaf attracted my attention with its extravagant combination of products. Rice and vermicelli together, how is it? It turned out to be fantastically delicious! And I was convinced of this even before the dish was ready. The aromas emitted by fried vermicelli, snow-white rice with homemade ghee and fried green beans made my taste buds literally tremble in anticipation of the pilaf... Without a doubt, rishtya-pilov not only deserves attention, it will be prepared more than once. Another interesting thing is that you can vary the frying based on your own taste: vegetables, meat, chicken, nuts, fruits... Don't be afraid to experiment!

Armenian pilaf "Ararat"

Sweet pilaf from Armenia
Homemade

Armenians call this sweet pilaf a true diamond of Armenian cuisine. And he is truly incomparable. Rice can be boiled in plain water, in water and milk in a 2:1 combination, and even in chicken broth.

RECIPE FOR ARMENIAN PILOV “ARARAT”

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. white long grain rice 6 tbsp. water 100 g each raisins, dried apricots, almonds (dates or prunes - optional) 0.5 tbsp. melted butter salt Armenian lavash pomegranate seeds (optional)

How to cook Armenian pilaf “Ararat”:

1. Rinse dried fruits and place in a sieve to drain excess liquid. Mix with nuts and place in a water bath for 30 minutes. Mix steamed dried fruits and nuts with 2-3 tbsp. spoons of ghee.

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2. Bring water to a boil, add 1 tbsp. spoons of salt and place the rice in boiling water. Cook the rice until al dente. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water.

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3. Grease the bottom of a cauldron (or a large thick-walled pan) with a third of melted butter and line it with pita bread (it is needed to prevent the rice from burning). Place a third of the rice on top.

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Drizzle the rice with ghee (1-2 tablespoons), then add another third of the rice and pour the oil again. Do the same operation with the remaining rice. Close with a lid, wrapped on the inside with a towel, where excess moisture will be absorbed. Place over very low heat for 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat.

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4. Place a mound of rice on a serving dish (hence the name “Ararat” pilaf), put dried fruits and nuts on top, and garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired. Traditionally, this pilaf is served with pieces of lavash, but I liked the relatively dietary first option better.

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5. Armenian pilaf “Ararat” is ready!

Make a zirvak

Cooking pilaf is impossible without zirvak - a fragrant broth in which meat and vegetables are stewed. To do it, follow this algorithm:

Fry the meat in hot oil.
Add onions and carrots and fry as well.
When all the products become golden brown, pour boiling water into the cauldron. For one part of the ingredients, take two portions of water.
Leave the meat and vegetables in the broth, covered, for 40–60 minutes. The benchmark for readiness is soft meat.