Pilaf recipe

[syncchef]

Pilaf, Middle Eastern, Caucasian, Central and South Asian dish in which rice is cooked in a seasoned broth. Traditionally prepared with lamb, we will prepare a variant using pork meat.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

300 gr Rice
240 gr Carrots
240 gr Meat (lamb or pork)
1 large Onion
90 ml Cooking oil
3 Garlic cloves
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

- Cut the onion in half-rings.
- Heat the oil in a pot (Kazan) and add the onion half-rings.
- Cut the meat in pieces like in the photo and add it to the pot as soon as the onion is soft.
- Cut the carrots into stripes.
- When the meat is roasted, add the carrots.
- When the carrots begin to soften, mix everything to make sure all carrots are covered in oil. Add salt and pepper. You should add slightly more salt then you would normally, because you will then add rice which will absorb part of that salt. Although you could add salt later, it is better to get it right during this step.
- Add rice to the pot without stirring.
- Cover then the rice with about two fingers of water.
- Pour the water slowly to avoid mixing.
- Put the garlic cloves in the water.
- When the water starts boiling, set your stove on gentle heat and cover the pot with its lid.
- After about 25-30 minutes the pilaf is ready. Remove the lid from the pot, remove the garlic cloves and mix thoroghly before plating.

 

[RPCookin]

I make a seasoned rice for a side dish, but it has no meat. It's made like a pilaf, but I use a combo of stock and bouillon for the liquid. I like to use butter instead of oil to sauté the rice, onion and garlic before adding the stock. These days I generally use brown rice, both for the flavor and nutritional benefits.

 

[syncchef]

How do you make your seasoned rice instead? It sounds interesting. Also how do you keep the butter from burning? For the pilaf I use quite high temperature to roast the meat. Do you use clarified butter or just lower temperatures since you do not have meat?

 

[Andy M.]

When I make pilaf, I use a broth instead of water.

I make pilaf as a side dish using just rice (no meat), a little pasta and chicken or beef stock. I use butter and let it brown as I brown the pasta then add the rice and broth and cook for 25 minutes. Sometimes I sauté some chopped onion in the butter with the pasta.

 

[jennyema]

When I make pilaf, I use a broth instead of water.

I make pilaf as a side dish using just rice (no meat), a little pasta and chicken or beef stock. I use butter and let it brown as I brown the pasta then add the rice and broth and cook for 25 minutes. Sometimes I sauté some chopped onion in the butter with the pasta.

Indeed.

Two essentials when making pilaf are toasting the rice (or pasta) and using broth or stock.

 

[syncchef]

Oh, my pilaf recipe is as a main course instead. So you combine rice and pasta as side dish? I never tried that. For what kind of dishes do you use this side?

 

[Andy M.]

I use it as a side as you would use a potato or other rice dishes. Growing up, our Sunday dinner was usually roast chicken, pilaf and a salad or vegetable.

 

[jennyema]

Growing up, our Sunday dinner was usually roast chicken, pilaf and a salad or vegetable.

This is what I'm making tonight!

 

[Andy M.]

This is what I'm making tonight!

Enjoy!

 

[RPCookin]

How do you make your seasoned rice instead? It sounds interesting. Also how do you keep the butter from burning? For the pilaf I use quite high temperature to roast the meat. Do you use clarified butter or just lower temperatures since you do not have meat?

I sauté on medium just until the onion is translucent, only a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and rice and cook for another minute. For a little crunch, might add finely diced celery with the onion. Pour in the stock, season with a variety of herbs or spices depending on my needs, then cook until the rice is done. With brown rice, that usually means watching it carefully after it cooks for about 50 minutes and adding more liquid as needed until the rice is done. Here at 4000 feet above sea level, cooking brown rice can be a bit tricky and usually takes from 75 to 90 minutes. The last half hour or so it's cooked more like a risotto, adding liquid, then cooking it down, then adding more until the rice is no longer crunchy.

For seasoning, I'll add some thyme, or a little Italian seasoning, or maybe some Cajun or Mexican blend, of course salt and pepper as needed. If I use beef broth then I may add a bay leaf, some basil or tarragon. I will sometimes sauté mushrooms, chop and add them to the rice near the end. If I use dried mushrooms like porcini I'll use the water I reconstitute them in for some of the cooking liquid - it adds great earthy flavor to the rice. To be honest, I don't care much for plain rice, so I've learned to add a lot of things to give it flavor and to make it a better accompaniment with different main dishes.

 

[CharlieD]

To me pilaf is a main dish. First you cook meat then add rice, cook covered a tight as possible. In the end each grain should be as it is a separate unit. Rice in the picture looks overcooked.

 

[syncchef]

I sauté on medium just until the onion is translucent, only a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and rice and cook for another minute. For a little crunch, might add finely diced celery with the onion. Pour in the stock, season with a variety of herbs or spices depending on my needs, then cook until the rice is done. With brown rice, that usually means watching it carefully after it cooks for about 50 minutes and adding more liquid as needed until the rice is done. Here at 4000 feet above sea level, cooking brown rice can be a bit tricky and usually takes from 75 to 90 minutes. The last half hour or so it's cooked more like a risotto, adding liquid, then cooking it down, then adding more until the rice is no longer crunchy.

For seasoning, I'll add some thyme, or a little Italian seasoning, or maybe some Cajun or Mexican blend, of course salt and pepper as needed. If I use beef broth then I may add a bay leaf, some basil or tarragon. I will sometimes sauté mushrooms, chop and add them to the rice near the end. If I use dried mushrooms like porcini I'll use the water I reconstitute them in for some of the cooking liquid - it adds great earthy flavor to the rice. To be honest, I don't care much for plain rice, so I've learned to add a lot of things to give it flavor and to make it a better accompaniment with different main dishes.

Thanks I will try this!

 

[RPCookin]

To me pilaf is a main dish. First you cook meat then add rice, cook covered a tight as possible. In the end each grain should be as it is a separate unit. Rice in the picture looks overcooked.

Yet to me, that is how I prefer my rice. I don't like having to chase each grain around the plate.

 

[syncchef]

To me pilaf is a main dish. First you cook meat then add rice, cook covered a tight as possible. In the end each grain should be as it is a separate unit. Rice in the picture looks overcooked.

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?

 

[jennyema]

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?

Pilaf -- at least in the US -- is supposed to be fluffy and deeply flavored with spices

 

[Andy M.]

There are as many pilaf recipes as there are cooks. My mom learned to make pilaf traveling throughout Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. I make it as she does. It has remained a favorite through several generations as my sister's and my children and now grandchildren make it/ask for it all the time.

Pilafs is made with rice, bulgar or other grains.

 

[bakechef]

I use it as a side as you would use a potato or other rice dishes. Growing up, our Sunday dinner was usually roast chicken, pilaf and a salad or vegetable.

Your pilaf is now Rob's favorite side dish! He can smell the browned butter when he gets home and knows exactly what it is.

 

[Andy M.]

Your pilaf is now Rob's favorite side dish! He can smell the browned butter when he gets home and knows exactly what it is.

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.

 

[Cheryl J]

When I make pilaf, I use a broth instead of water.

I make pilaf as a side dish using just rice (no meat), a little pasta and chicken or beef stock. I use butter and let it brown as I brown the pasta then add the rice and broth and cook for 25 minutes. Sometimes I sauté some chopped onion in the butter with the pasta.

Andy, do you have your recipe handy with more specific measurements? I'd love to try this, and I know I've seen your rice pilaf mentioned more than once here.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Andy M.]

Andy, do you have your recipe handy with more specific measurements? I'd love to try this, and I know I've seen your rice pilaf mentioned more than once here.
Thanks in advance!

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