Cooking instructions

1 hour 30 minutes Print

1. Rice must be washed and soaked in warm water for 20–30 minutes - this will simplify the cooking process.

2. While the rice is soaking, wash, peel, and chop the vegetables - this will be easier, nothing will distract from the cooking process. I take 4 large onions per 3 liter saucepan or cauldron. It’s impossible to spoil pilaf with onions and carrots, so don’t be afraid to add a lot. When you think you've taken enough vegetables, take a little more and it'll be just right. Cut the onion into half rings 2–3 mm thick, grate the carrots on a coarse grater (can be cut into oblong strips of small thickness), peel the garlic and leave the cloves whole. Crib How to cut onions

3. For pilaf, I usually take pork or veal, some prefer beef, but I still love veal pilaf. The meat should not be fatty and without veins. Cut it into medium-sized pieces, 3–4 cm thick and long.

4. Place a pan on the stove and turn on the heat to 9 out of 9, pour sunflower oil into it. When the oil is hot, add the onion to fry. You need to fry it for 3-4 minutes, stirring it constantly (there should be enough oil in the pan so that it is enough for subsequent frying of the meat). When the onion has passed the transparent stage, add the meat and reduce the heat to 6 out of 9. Salt with 2-3 pinches of salt and add pepper, stir (about pepper - everything is individual, who likes it spicy, more pepper, who likes it not spicy, accordingly, less) .

5. The meat will release juices as it cooks (or water if it is chopped or old). If too much liquid is released, do not be lazy and drain the excess. Simmer the meat and onions under a closed lid for 10–15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. When the meat has set and there is enough juice, add the carrots and stir. Cover and simmer for another 8-10 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes.

6. By this time, carrots, onions and meat are halfway done. Add pilaf and curry spices to them (I buy the pilaf mixture from sellers at the market, they sell it by weight. It has everything we need for that indescribable pilaf smell). You don't have to add curry, but I love pilaf with that light spicy flavor. Add two more pinches of salt and mix thoroughly. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 5-6 minutes until the spices permeate the meat and vegetables.

7. Now the main magic! The soaked rice has swelled and absorbed enough water. Arrange the meat and vegetables in the pan in as even a layer as possible and add the rice in the same even layer. Fill with water to 1.5 fingers from the level of the rice and cover with the lid on one side. The pilaf was stewed for 13–15 minutes and, when the water is level with the rice, stick garlic over the entire surface of the rice so that the butts are facing you. Reduce heat to 4 out of 9, cover with a lid and simmer the pilaf for another 8–10 minutes.

8. The pilaf is ready when the garlic in the rice has become soft (the pilaf can cook faster, for example, if you have a flat vat specifically for pilaf, or if you are extreme and cook over high heat). If you doubt the readiness of the pilaf, firstly, try the rice, and secondly, carefully spread the layer of rice at the edge of the pan; water should not be visible to the level of the meat.

I once read on one of the culinary sites that “only an Uzbek can cook real Uzbek pilaf.” In my opinion, this is a very dubious statement. We cook pizza, lasagna, goulash, chakhokhbili, rolls..., while we are neither Italians, nor Hungarians, nor Georgians, and certainly not Japanese. Why can’t you cook Uzbek pilaf?

It’s just that when preparing any dish you need to have certain knowledge and some experience. And as you know, experience can only be gained by trying to cook this or that dish repeatedly.

So with this dish, you need to know certain cooking rules and some subtleties, thanks to which you can get a real Uzbek dish. And then it doesn’t matter at all what nationality you are. In any case, the dish will turn out the way it should be - tasty, aromatic, crumbly and, most importantly, healthy.

You say, “what’s the difference, Samarkand, Fergana…”. And maybe you'll be right. But if you ate real Uzbek pilaf somewhere, and not only ate it, but also cooked it yourself, then the difference in preparation will be useful for you.

You can prepare one first, then the other, then compare and draw a conclusion. Although only one conclusion can be drawn - cook them one by one, since it will be impossible to choose which one is tastier!

Uzbek Fergana beef pilaf

We will need:

• beef - 700-800 gr
• tail fat or vegetable oil - 200-250 ml
• onion - 400-500 gr
• carrots - 600 gr
• rice - 500-600 gr
• cumin - 1 teaspoon
• spices -
• garlic - 2 heads (optional)
• salt - 1 tbsp. spoon
• pepper - to taste
• greens - for sprinkling

Preparation

1. It is necessary to take care in advance about choosing meat. Of course, ideally, it is better to buy lamb for this occasion. But for some reason, not everyone likes this type of meat, and therefore they ask how to prepare a dish from beef or pork. It must be said right away that in Uzbekistan it is not prepared from pork. Therefore, we will not cook from it. Let's make it from young veal.

For Fergana pilaf, pulp and meat on the bone are usually taken in approximately equal proportions. I used brisket and shoulder. It should be said that meat on the bone must be present to prepare the dish. Pulp alone will not make a tasty dish.

2. Cut the brisket into large pieces along the cartilage line. Cut the pulp into pieces of approximately 2x2 cm. If you have fat tail fat, also cut it into cubes 1.5x1.5 cm.

I still have a small piece of fat tail fat, about a gram. 100-150, I will use it for the taste that the lamb gives.

3. Peel the onion, leaving the “tails”, cut into two halves and place briefly in cold water.

To prepare Fergana pilaf, take a little less onion than indicated in the recipe. But onions add juiciness and flavor to the dish, so I add a little more of it than I should.

My grandfather, who lived his whole life in Uzbekistan, always talked about this rule... “Take onions, carrots, rice - in equal proportions, meat - the same amount, or more.” I follow his advice, and he never told me let me down

4. Cut the onion into half rings no more than 0.5 cm thick. We left the tails so that holding on to them would make the cutting process easier. Of course, after cutting the onion, we throw out the tail.

You need to use a sharp knife. Although we kept the onion in water for a while, and now we can cut it without tears, but if the knife turns out to be dull, then we cannot do without tears. In addition, cutting the onion thinly will also not work.

5. Cut the carrots into long thin strips.

It should not be grated; this is a mistake that many who prepare pilaf make. Only by hand, and not in cubes, not in cubes, but in straws.

Do not skimp on carrots; they give not only taste, but also color to the finished dish.

6. Soak the rice for half an hour in warm water, then rinse until the water runs clear. And if you use steamed rice, then you only need to rinse it.

Krasnodar round rice is not suitable for its preparation; it has a high degree of stickiness, and our dish risks being like porridge. Or as “shavlya” - that’s what they call it in Uzbekistan.

Uzbeks attach great importance to the choice of rice for preparing their famous dish. At the huge Samarkand market, large counters are completely covered with piles of rice. What kind of thing is there? And white, and red, and brown, and brown... What kind of experience and knowledge do you need to have in order to choose it correctly.

We don’t have such rice markets, so we had to look for a suitable one in our stores. I tried different varieties, and through testing I determined that the rice should be long. And when steamed long rice appeared on sale, I began to cook only from it, and it has never let me down.

7. If you decide to cook pilaf with garlic, then wash the whole heads and remove the top layer of peel from them. Using a sharp knife, cut off the remaining small roots to the very base, this is where particles of earth may be located.

In Uzbekistan, the host himself peels cloves of garlic for the guest of honor and treats him to it. This is a special sign of respect.

8. And of course we will need a cauldron. Of course, you can cook the famous Uzbek dish in other dishes, but it will be more difficult. If you need to tell me how to do this, ask questions and I’ll tell you.

Cooking beef pilaf in a cauldron

1. And so, when we have everything prepared, we begin to cook Fergana pilaf. Place fat tail fat in a cauldron and melt it until it turns into cracklings. The cauldron must be dry so that the oil does not “shoot”. Then remove the cracklings using a slotted spoon and add vegetable oil. If we do not use fat tail fat, then immediately pour in the oil. We heat it until it smokes lightly.

Don't look at the fact that such a large amount of oil is indicated. Look at how many products we have, and we need to make sure that every little part of the future dish gets at least a little bit!

It won't be felt at all. Therefore, we pour as much as indicated in the recipe.

2. When smoke appears, we lower the meat on the bone into it along the edge of the cauldron. If you throw meat on top, you can get burned by the splashes of oil. After a minute or two, turn the meat over using a slotted spoon. Let the slotted spoon lie nearby; we will need it from the beginning to the end of cooking. Fry the meat, stirring occasionally until the bones turn red and the meat is browned.

3. Add onion.

Fry it until golden brown. We do all this over high heat.

Pour water and cook the meat for 30 - 40 minutes, during which time all of it should have time to evaporate.

4. Now you should fry the chopped pulp. Place it in a cauldron and do not stir for 4-5 minutes so that the oil does not cool. It is important for us to “seal” the juice in the meat so that in the end it turns out juicy.

And for this you only need hot oil and high heat. Fry the pulp until beautifully golden brown.

5. Place the carrots in the cauldron, do not stir immediately, but give them a little time to warm up.

Then mix everything and lightly fry it. Now you need to stir more often so that the onions and meat do not burn.

When the carrots are well softened and lightly fried, pour in enough hot water to cover all the ingredients.

6. Add cumin, spices to taste and salt. There is no need to pour in the entire amount of salt at once; add only half of it first, then add more salt.

Regarding spices, the main spice among Uzbeks is cumin; in many dishes it is the only seasoning. As a rule, I add another spice mixture, which includes chopped coriander, rosemary, dried herbs with basil, and paprika.

Barberry is also added. If I have it, I always add it to the dish I'm preparing. I add another teaspoon of these spices. But this is at your discretion.

But you definitely need to add cumin! Of course you can cook without this seasoning, but you won’t get the right flavor.

7. Let it boil, mix everything, reduce the heat to minimum, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. What is now languishing under the lid is called “zirvak” in Uzbekistan. The taste of the future dish depends on how we prepare it.

8. After 30 minutes, you need to check the meat for doneness. If you are preparing pilaf from young veal, then usually by this stage the meat has already come off the bone and is chewed quite well for testing, that is, it is almost completely ready. At this stage there are two options. The first is to get all the bones, the second is to leave everything as is. I choose the second one, although it is considered that the first one is more correct!

If you add garlic to a dish, the whole heads need to be inserted directly into the zirvak.

9. It's time to put rice in the cauldron. We distribute it in an even layer, trying to completely cover the “zirvak”. Do not mix the layers, just rice and water on top.

The water should cover the entire rice by 1.5 cm. If there is not enough of it, then carefully pour it through the holes in the slotted spoon so as not to damage the layers with the jet of water. It is better to use hot water. Turn up the heat.

10. When the water boils again, add the rest of the salt and pepper to taste. Taste, the broth should be moderately salty. Try to set the cauldron in such a way that the water boils in it evenly and the rice cooks evenly. Do not let it boil too much, adjust the heat so that it only gurgles slightly.

11. Do not touch the rice until all the water has evaporated. When there is no water left, try the rice; it should be almost ready. If for some reason it is still hard, then add a little more boiling water through the holes in the oven. Just a little bit, maybe half a glass. Add another pinch of cumin, rubbing it in your palms.

If everything goes according to plan, and there is no need to add boiling water, we collect the rice in a heap. If you took out the bones, then put them again on top of the rice, and only then make a mound. To do this, carefully, using a slotted spoon, collect the rice from the edge to the center.

As before, we do not mix anything and do not disturb the layers. We make several holes in the pot from the very bottom. Holes can be made using a Chinese stick, or, in extreme cases, with the handle of a slotted spoon.

12. The water remaining at the bottom will come out through the holes made, and the rice will “reach” completely. Reduce heat to very low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

13. After this time, turn off the heat, cover the top with a towel and leave to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

14. When you open the lid, try to prevent drops of condensation from the lid from falling back into the cauldron.

15. While the contents are simmering under the lid, prepare a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Or simply cut a juicy, fleshy tomato into slices with onions cut into half rings. Vegetables will help break down fats faster and improve digestion.

16. Before placing the pilaf in a large flat dish, you need to carefully mix it directly in the cauldron using a slotted spoon. At the same time, remove all the bones.

17. Place in a dish and decorate it with chopped parsley, dill, basil and green onions. Eat while it's hot. And it will be difficult to find a dish tastier than this!

Video on how to cook Uzbek beef pilaf with devzira rice

Pilaf turns out very tasty with pink devzira rice. It is, of course, not literally pink, but only has a layer of brownish-pink powder on the grain, which is washed off when the grain is washed. But the characteristic groove remains on it.

The advantage of this variety is that such grain is able to absorb all the juices and fats from the zirvak. This means it turns out not dry, but nourished, and incredibly tasty.

True, it can be difficult to buy a devzira, although if you set a goal, it is possible. I saw this variety in an expensive supermarket. And I myself order it at the market for Uzbeks who sell vegetables. They always bring the best. They understand this a lot. I couldn't even choose better than them.

The difference between this pilaf and the previous one is not only in the type of grain. if we prepared the last recipe according to the “Fergana” recipe. Then we will have this pilaf in Samarkand style.

What is the difference, see the chapter below, and all the nuances are told and shown in the video.

What is the difference between Samarkand pilaf and Fergana pilaf

• in Samarkand pilaf, all the meat used is taken on the bone, cut quite coarsely, and when serving, the bones are removed and the meat is cut into small pieces. In Fergana - part of the meat is taken on the bones, and part is the pulp, cut immediately into portions
• in the Samarkand version the carrots are not fried, but in the Fergana version they are fried
• this is why in the first version the rice is white, and in the second it is slightly brownish
• in the Samarkand version, after cooking, the rice is not mixed with the rest of the ingredients, but is laid out in layers in the dish in the same order as it was cooked - first the rice, then the carrots, and finally the meat. In Fergana, all the contents are mixed directly in the cauldron.

Of course, all these manipulations result in different tastes for these two different dishes. But as noted above, both are delicious, it’s impossible to choose which one tastes better!

The Ferghana dish is considered the basis for all other varieties of this delicious dish. Knowing these basics, you can prepare absolutely any pilaf, and it is believed that there are more than 100 recipes. I cook on the same basis.

An interesting fact is that in Uzbekistan they believe that cooking pilaf is a purely male activity, and that it does not tolerate female hands. And in fact, for all holidays and celebrations, for all other occasions, men prepare it there. And although I ate a lot of pilaf prepared by women, and their cooking was no worse than men’s, such a judgment is still alive and well!

I believe that in any case, whoever prepares this magnificent dish should approach its preparation in a good mood, without fuss and haste. It requires attention and respect, and that is why the finished dish is sometimes perceived as some kind of “special”, and it is always said Pilaf! - with a capital letter and an exclamation mark.

I really hope that you and your family and friends will like the dish prepared according to this recipe if you cook for them! And if something is not clear, ask, I will always be happy to answer all your questions regarding the preparation of this dish.

Bon appetit!

Chef Eduard Sobchenko

Products needed to prepare pilaf

1. Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron

2. Place the onion, cut into half rings, into the heated oil and fry until golden brown.

3. Add meat, cut into large pieces, and fry until golden brown.

4. Add carrots cut into thick strips

5. Stir and simmer until the carrots are half cooked

6. Pour in water (approximately 1.2 l)

7. Add garlic heads and chili pods

8. Add cumin and barberry, simmer for 15-20 minutes, and then take out the garlic and pepper

9. Add pre-washed and soaked rice until it swells and cook over high heat until the water has evaporated by 80%. Afterwards, reduce the heat greatly, cover the cauldron with a lid and cook the pilaf until the rice is ready. After cooking the pilaf, mix thoroughly

Advice:

• The rice is pre-soaked for 40-60 minutes.
• The pilaf can be stirred once during the cooking process, but only when all the water has evaporated from it.

Pilaf with veal is ready! Delicious!

Cooking instructions

1 hour 30 minutes Print

The multicooker is a fabulous miracle stove that obediently follows commands and “independently” prepares delicious pilaf. The simplified technology does not affect the quality of the dish: the rice grains are soft and whole, the meat is juicy. Pilaf is rarely served with salads; pickled tomatoes and cucumbers, salted crispy mushrooms, and fresh cherry tomatoes are suitable “accompaniments”. Pilaf can break out of everyday life, becoming the main hot dish of the holiday table.

Products

• rice - 500 g,
• veal - 400 g,
• carrots - 2 pcs.,
• onions - 2 pcs.,
• sunflower oil - 60 ml,
• salt - 1.5 tsp,
• ground black pepper - 1/3 tsp,
• turmeric - 1/2 tsp,
• curry - 1/2 tsp,
• coriander - 1/2 tsp,
• Provencal herbs - 1/2 tsp,
• water or meat broth.

Recipe

1 . European pilaf differs significantly from Asian pilaf. Firstly, spices are used very sparingly, and cumin and barberry in the recipe possible at all ignore. Secondly, other types of meat are used that have a neutral flavor and are less exotic for Europeans. Instead of lamb, they take veal or pork, and replace fat tail fat with regular sunflower oil.

2. The selected piece of veal is washed and cut into cubes. Pour sunflower oil into the multicooker and throw in the meat. The veal is fried for 5-7 minutes until browned, while the multicooker lid is open.

3. Carrots and onions are cut into small cubes. Coarsely grated carrots don’t look very presentable in pilaf.

4 . Vegetables are placed in a slow cooker and fried together with meat for 3-4 minutes.

5 . If necessary, you can add a couple more tablespoons of sunflower oil.

6. Pilaf is made from long grain rice. Rice is washed 2-3 times with warm water, then poured on top of meat and vegetables. There is no need to mix the products.

7. Throw in a whole unpeeled head of garlic. Add salt and all the specified spices. At the same time, the presence of curry and turmeric will give the dish an expressive golden color, but you can limit yourself to only one of these spices.

8 . Add some chopped greens. Rice is poured with water or meat broth. The liquid should rise 1.5-2 centimeters above the rice. There is a rule: pork pilaf is cooked in water, veal pilaf in meat broth. This way, a “harmonious” level of fat content in the dish is achieved.

9 . Cover the multicooker with a lid and set the “pilaf” or “rice” mode. Cooking time - 40 minutes.

10 . Lifting the lid reveals that the rice has reached the desired stage of readiness and has absorbed all the liquid. The pilaf is mixed, the head of garlic is thrown away.

eleven . European pilaf has a “delicate” smell; spices do not tend to “come to the fore,” so the heat of the pepper does not burn the tongue.

12 . Hot pilaf is served with herbs and pickled vegetables. Reheating will not affect the taste of the pilaf.

13 . Cooled pilaf can be used for buffet serving. For example, it makes an original filling for hollow puff pastries, custard profiteroles, and baskets of salted shortbread dough. Usually such “edible molds” are filled with various meat salads with mayonnaise, but pilaf as a filling will become real gastronomic sophistication. The only desirable addition is thin red onion rings or sprouted garlic arrows.

14 . Pilaf with veal is a fairly satisfying dish. If one of your family members is very concerned about staying slim, you can offer a “diet” form of serving by placing a couple of spoons of pilaf in a cone twisted from lettuce leaves.

15 . The texture of the pilaf should not be viscous and moist, reminiscent of rice “porridge-mush”. The rice in the pilaf turns out “dried”; the boiled grains are easily separated from each other. The pilaf left over from lunch can be served for dinner in a different design: the rice is sprinkled with fresh dill and placed in thin pancakes, wrapped in the form of envelope squares. But the filling for pies cannot be made from such rice; pilaf can be modified and “ fit» for other dishes only when served cold. It’s easy to see that European pilaf allows you to fully realize your craving for culinary experiments.

16 . Pilaf with veal can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The meat in chilled pilaf becomes tough and dense. If you reheat the dish, you will get the same soft veal. When reheating, there is no need to add sunflower oil or other fats to the pilaf.

17. Pilaf, cooled to room temperature, can be served in beautiful “edible” puff pastry plates. To do this, you need to roll out the finished puff pastry very thinly, place the resulting flat cakes in muffin tins and put them in the oven. In 15-20 minutes you will have beautiful deep “crispy plates” with ribbed “cupcake” edges on your table. All that remains is to fill them to the top with pilaf, and then decorate with a couple of dill leaves.

Veal pilaf is a tasty and tender dish that disappears from the table instantly. In addition, it is less fatty than the traditional version.

Preparing pilaf is quite simple, the main thing is to select high-quality products and maintain the proportions of cereal and water (1: 1.5).

This dish differs from rice porridge in the presence of many spices, so we add a generous pinch of them.

To prepare veal pilaf, prepare the necessary set of ingredients. Trim the meat from excess fat and veins, then rinse under cold running water and dry with paper towels. Cut into portions.

Cut the peeled onion into half rings and place in a cauldron. Pour in a little vegetable oil and fry until golden brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula.

Place the carrots cut into cubes into the cauldron and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring. Salt and pepper to taste, add pilaf seasoning.

Fill the contents of the cauldron with water so that it completely covers all the ingredients, and place an unpeeled, but previously washed, head of garlic in the center.

Simmer the gravy over low heat until the meat is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly, changing the water several times until it remains clear. Spread the prepared rice in an even layer over the meat and vegetables.

If there is not enough liquid in the cauldron, add more. It should rise 1.5 cm above the surface of the rice.

Cook the veal pilaf over low heat with the lid closed for about 30 minutes (until the water has completely evaporated). Then remove the cauldron from the heat and let it brew a little. After 10-15 minutes, open the container and mix all layers of the prepared dish.

That's all... delicious, aromatic veal pilaf can be served. Place it on a large flat plate and invite everyone to a tasting. This dish goes well with pickled or fresh vegetables, herbs and hot and sour sauces.

Bon appetit!

Veal pilaf is a tasty and tender dish that disappears from the table instantly. In addition, it is less fatty than the traditional version.

Preparing pilaf is quite simple, the main thing is to select high-quality products and maintain the proportions of cereal and water (1: 1.5).

This dish differs from rice porridge in the presence of many spices, so we add a generous pinch of them.

To prepare veal pilaf, prepare the necessary set of ingredients. Trim the meat from excess fat and veins, then rinse under cold running water and dry with paper towels. Cut into portions.

Cut the peeled onion into half rings and place in a cauldron. Pour in a little vegetable oil and fry until golden brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula.

Place the carrots cut into cubes into the cauldron and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring. Salt and pepper to taste, add pilaf seasoning.

Fill the contents of the cauldron with water so that it completely covers all the ingredients, and place an unpeeled, but previously washed, head of garlic in the center.

Simmer the gravy over low heat until the meat is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly, changing the water several times until it remains clear. Spread the prepared rice in an even layer over the meat and vegetables.

If there is not enough liquid in the cauldron, add more. It should rise 1.5 cm above the surface of the rice.

Cook the veal pilaf over low heat with the lid closed for about 30 minutes (until the water has completely evaporated). Then remove the cauldron from the heat and let it brew a little. After 10-15 minutes, open the container and mix all layers of the prepared dish.

That's all... delicious, aromatic veal pilaf can be served. Place it on a large flat plate and invite everyone to a tasting. This dish goes well with pickled or fresh vegetables, herbs and hot and sour sauces.

Bon appetit!

Chef Eduard Sobchenko

Products needed to prepare pilaf

1. Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron

2. Place the onion, cut into half rings, into the heated oil and fry until golden brown.

3. Add meat, cut into large pieces, and fry until golden brown.

4. Add carrots cut into thick strips

5. Stir and simmer until the carrots are half cooked

6. Pour in water (approximately 1.2 l)

7. Add garlic heads and chili pods

8. Add cumin and barberry, simmer for 15-20 minutes, and then take out the garlic and pepper

9. Add pre-washed and soaked rice until it swells and cook over high heat until the water has evaporated by 80%. Afterwards, reduce the heat greatly, cover the cauldron with a lid and cook the pilaf until the rice is ready. After cooking the pilaf, mix thoroughly

Advice:

• The rice is pre-soaked for 40-60 minutes.
• The pilaf can be stirred once during the cooking process, but only when all the water has evaporated from it.

Pilaf with veal is ready! Delicious!