In which countries are pilaf cooked?
To this day, the peoples of Central Asia have pilafis a national dish. In Uzbekistan, it is so popular that no significant event can do without it, be it a wedding, the birth of a child or a funeral. According to tradition, for example, on the wedding day, early in the morning, men are gathered and treated to this dish. This dish, intended specifically for a wedding celebration, must necessarily contain eastern peas "nakhat" and raisins (dried grapes). Moreover, the more pilaf is cooked and guests are gathered, the more prosperous and richer the family is considered. Not everyone can cook it for a huge number of people, and for this, specially invited masters are invited, each of whom has his own secret. But in Uzbekistan, pilaf is cooked in different ways - each recipe depends on the region. For example, residents of Andijan use a red variety of rice. And the population of Samarkand, unlike Tashkent citizens, prefer to cook it only with yellow carrots. Everyone has their own preference for certain products and spices. That is, there is Fergana pilaf, Andizhan, Bukhara, Samarkand and so on. But any real pilaf should melt in your mouth, be crumbly, have an unusual aroma and a delicate, unique taste. Many people love pilaf, but since it is not a dietary dish, modern cooks have found a way to make it so. Previously, no one cooked it in the oven.
New methods of cooking pilaf
As it turns out, you can cook pilaf in a pot,which turns out to be no less tasty, and the calories in this dish are much lower. Pilaf in the oven in a pot is so easy to cook that even a beginner in cooking can handle it. To cook this delicacy in the oven, you will need the same products from which it was cooked hundreds of years ago. Of course, it is not necessary to use lamb meat, veal is also perfect for dietary cooking, and with chicken meat it will be even more tender. You will also need to buy carrots, onions and vegetable oil - it will replace the fat tail fat. You will also need the pots themselves. It is better if they are made of real clay. You can cook in a pot in several ways. The first recipe is less caloric than the second, since it will not contain fried products. It will suit people who are on a strict diet. The second is also considered dietary, but only the main dish will be cooked in the oven, and the frying will be done over the fire. Otherwise, everything is cooked the same way. So, the onion and carrot will need to be peeled and washed thoroughly. The onion needs to be chopped into half rings. The carrots need to be cut into medium-sized elongated bars. While this process is going on, you can pre-wash and soak the rice in water so that it swells, since the food cooks a little longer in the oven. If cooking pilaf on the fire takes 40 minutes after laying the rice and covering it with a lid, then in the oven it will cook for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The meat chosen to taste should be cut into medium pieces. After this, all the products should be distributed in layers in pots. First, you need to pour in a little vegetable oil, put the meat, then the onion, carrots, and rice on top. Each layer should be salted, but this should be done carefully, since oversalted pilaf will be inedible. Be sure to sprinkle a little cumin on the rice, you can add saffron for color. A head of garlic, which can be placed whole in the rice mass, will give the dish a special aroma. If you have it, you can add dried barberries or raisins (kishmish). And only when all the products are laid out, you need to add water. And here is a very important point! If you want to cook pilaf, and not porridge, then you need to add water very carefully. As a rule, it should not cover the rice more than a quarter of a little finger. After all, cover the pots with a lid and put them in a preheated oven. The second recipe, as written above, differs in preliminary frying of vegetables on the fire. In this case, the dish will be more aromatic in taste and nutritious. To do this, you need to heat vegetable oil in a small cauldron, then put in pieces of meat and fry them over medium heat. Then throw in the onion, stew and then add carrots. When everything is fried, you need to add a little water to boil the meat. At this stage, this preparation is called "zirvak". All this needs to be salted and spices added. Keep on the fire for 25-30 minutes. Afterwards, turn off the gas and let the products cool. Then distribute the preparation together with the liquid into the pots, add rice on top, cover with lids and put in the oven. In this case, the dish will cook for about 1 hour.
Small but important tips
There is one secret:In order for the pilaf to be aromatic, you should not ignore such a spice as cumin, since it is what gives the exquisite aroma to this dish, and not a single pilaf recipe used in Asia is prepared without it. An important point is that pilaf in the oven must be cooked with soul. It is believed that this ancient dish senses the energy of the cook, on which it depends whether it will turn out or not. Of no small importance is the type of rice this dish is prepared from - the taste of this dish directly depends on it. If you use yellow carrots, then you need to add less water, since it is more watery. Following all these cooking recommendations, you can treat yourself to an unconventional dish that will diversify your diet and surprise your guests, who will even ask for the recipe for this amazing dish.
