Pilaf recipe

[Cheryl J]

Thank you so much. Just put it in my faves to copy. My daughters and grands would love this, too.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks, Andy, I just went to look for your link too.

Rachel Ray had a good idea for breaking up the pasta for pilaf without making a mess, she rolled it up in a kitchen towel, burrito style, and broke it that way.

 

[Andy M.]

You can also use orzo or other tiny pastas that don't need to be broken.

 

[Cheryl J]

You can also use orzo or other tiny pastas that don't need to be broken.

That's what I was just thinking! My pasta salad dinner this afternoon was with orzo. I like how you can get all the goodies in one bite with tiny pasta.

 

[Kayelle]

Andy's Mother's recipe is excellent!

Here's just another take for mine I've used often.
Half cup of jasmine rice, half cup of orzo, browned in butter and oil. I added sliced shallots, chopped mushrooms to the saute', and then a handful of golden raisins, with two cups of rich chicken broth and one tablespoon of curry powder. Simmered for 15 min on low, fluffed, and added some slivered almonds to the mix. Very tasty.

 

[bakechef]

You can also use orzo or other tiny pastas that don't need to be broken.

I buy orzo for just this dish. I started by breaking pasta, but this is a bit easier and a bit less messy.

 

[bakechef]

Thanks, that makes me happy. The recipe is my mom's. She passed in '82 and would be amazed to know that folks from all over now use her pilaf recipe. It was a favorite of kadesma and her grandchildren too.

I made it for my mom in November and she raved about how good it was. Food is such a great thing, it can be shared and bring us great memories of people and places.

 

[Cheryl J]

I made it for my mom in November and she raved about how good it was. Food is such a great thing, it can be shared and bring us great memories of people and places.

+1!

Kay, the additions of slivered almonds sounds good - I've got a pound portioned out in the freezer. Your take on this sounds delicious.

 

[RPCookin]

+1!

Kay, the additions of slivered almonds sounds good - I've got a pound portioned out in the freezer. Your take on this sounds delicious.

Rice is such a wonderful, neutral canvas for a multitude of flavors. Just sort through your spice rack, harvest some herbs, and let your imagination go.

 

[CWS4322]

This is the only way I make pilaf:


http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/wild-rice-pilaf-mix-69434.html


I used to make a rice-tomato-cashew pilaf. I've only served pilaf as a side dish or a vegetarian offering. I've never added meat, but can't see why it wouldn't work. I'd probably add shrimp, chicken, or ham to the wild rice pilaf if I wanted it as a main.

 

[CharlieD]

But Pilaf (the Central Asian/Caucasian main dish) is traditionally eaten with hands, not cutlery (not that I do that, but still). If the grains do not stick to each other, it would be very hard to eat I think, wouldn't it?

Agree 100%. However it doesn't mean overcooked. Like fried rice in a Chinese restaurant. it is one mass and yet each grain of rice is separate. I learned to cook pilaf from from chef who was from Uzbekistan. He was a master. He used to make a 30 quart pot of rice and still managed to make it absolutely perfect. It was art.

 

[syncchef]

Agree 100%. However it doesn't mean overcooked. Like fried rice in a Chinese restaurant. it is one mass and yet each grain of rice is separate. I learned to cook pilaf from from chef who was from Uzbekistan. He was a master. He used to make a 30 quart pot of rice and still managed to make it absolutely perfect. It was art.

Interesting... how do you achieve this kind of consistency? It is just the cooking time or is there any trick?

 

[CharlieD]

I just know how long it takes for my rice to cook, years of practice , I've made plenty of rice blobs instead of good rice.

 

[Andy M.]

When you're making pilaf, it's important to coat the rice grains with the fat in the pan and heat them through before adding the liquid. This helps keep the grains separate. You also have to ensure you don't use too much liquid and don't cook the rice too long.

 

[syncchef]

Many thanks for the suggestions!