Fragrant and crumbly pilaf is not a dream, but a reality. The dish is easy to prepare in any kitchen with a gas stove. Yes, it is made on the fire to cook pilaf. It will not work on an electric or induction tile. But this is only one nuance that is often encountered. There are more serious errors.
Error One: Failure to Proportion
The main thing that needs to be learned while cooking pilaf is the proportions of the products. Do not compare the dish with rice porridge with meat or Italian risotto. Here one carrot and a pair of onions can not do. Regardless of the recipe, meat or rice variety used, you should try to stick to the recommended proportions. Then surely everything will work out.
How many products to lay:
- Per 1 kg of rice is not less than 0.8 kg of meat, ideally 1 kg. Moreover, if ribs are used, the amount is recommended to be increased.
- Per 1 kg of meat is not less than 0.5 kg of carrots, even better is 0.8-1 kg. No need to throw "at the eye". Raw sliced vegetable is quite voluminous, but after cooking it becomes much smaller.
- Per 1 kg of meat is 0.3 kg of onions. It is important for pilaf to use only white and yellow varieties, the number does not exceed.
Of course, you can add more onions, which will fit perfectly into the pilaf, but it simply cannot fry. For the same reason, the vegetable should be poured into the hot fat, not to let it soften.
Error two: pot, frying pan, but not cauldron
It is better to refuse to cook plov at all, rather than to do it in a saucepan. Pans are also not suitable, especially the new type. Perhaps the old cast-iron frying pan with high sides was lying around the house. She is fit. But here another question arises - whether there is a dense metal lid for it without holes. After all, it is important to keep all the moisture in the swim, steam should return to the rice, and not go outside.
Ideal dishes - cast-iron cauldron with thick walls and a heavy lid, which must necessarily fit the size. You can additionally wrap a cauldron wet rag. Or, first, place a large earthen dish in it, as is done in Asian countries, and then cover.
By the way, you can cook pilaf in a slow cooker. Subject to the proportions of the dish will turn out, but only in appearance. Yet the “same” taste appears only in the cauldron and on the fire.
Third mistake: save fat
Plov fat, buty, in a dish a lot of calories? So it should be! According to the rules for 1 kg of rice requires 250 or 300 g of oil. Here one or two spoons can not do. The amount of fat depends on the taste, crispness and aroma of pilau. It is in butter that vegetables with spices give off flavor, and then it all turns into rice. It is optional to take oil of one look, it is possible to mix.
What fats to use:
- vegetable oil;
- lard or pork fat;
- beef tallow;
- fat tail, mutton fat;
- chicken fat.
For better taste, it is recommended to mix vegetable and animal fats. If fat or fat tail is used, they are cut and fried. It is very important to immediately lay and heat all the fat, regardless of its type. The first ingredients should be deep-fried. Only in this way the vegetables will immediately begin to roast. If the fat is low or he did not have time to warm up, the products will begin to produce juice.
Error four: where is the server?
Many hostesses do not even know what Zirvac is. But it depends on him the taste and quality of pilaf. Just so fry the pieces of meat with carrots and onions is no good. Zirvak is fried. And then steamed vegetables with meat in broth. All this is stewed almost until cooked with spices, only then rice is introduced to them.
How to cook a fireball:
- Heat the fat. Or melt it from the fat to remove the bacon, add vegetable oil.
- Fill onion, fry until golden brown.
- Introduce meat, continue cooking over high heat.
- After a few more minutes, add a carrot, cook a minute with it.
- Fill up with spices, pour in water.
- Cover and stew until the meat is completely cooked.
It is important to measure the added water and not let the zirvak to actively boil, boil away. Otherwise, you can easily be mistaken with the amount of fluid.
Fifth error: oh, this rice
How many recommendations can be found about the rice! What only varieties are not recommended in recipes! It can be long and thoroughly understood, but the easiest way to buy rice in the store is marked “for pilaf” It may be a bit more expensive than other round and long varieties, but it will definitely work. In no case do not take steamed rice, it will not give the desired taste. How to prepare rice correctly:
- rinse with water, change it at least seven times;
- soak for a few minutes, you can add a spoonful of salt;
- Rinse again, drain all water.
Soaked rice is not to speed up cooking, but to release starch. If it remains a lot in the croup, get sticky and crumbly pilaf. Salt is added so that when soaking the rice retains its shape, it does not crack.
Error Six: Much or Little Water
One of the main ingredients in the pilaf, as in any other dish of cereals, is water. The consistence depends on it. In Eastern recipes, you can often find a mention of fingers. Supposedly boiling water is added two or three fingers above the rice. Such a measure is not always relevant, as a home cauldron can be absolutely any size and bottom diameter.
To cook ordinary crumbly rice, add water 1: 2. But in the swim it does not work.
Krupa is presoaked or washed thoroughly, absorbs water in the process. The second point - a lot of juice in carrots and onions.
If you add 2 parts of water, you get porridge. If you pour in a little, then rice will not be able to cook.
It is believed that if the proportion of rice, carrot and oil is 1: 1: 0.3, 1.2 liters of water is enough.
Error number seven: where are the spices?
Fragrant oriental pilaf cannot be cooked without spices. Be sure to add cumin, paprika, different peppers, do not forget about the head of garlic and salt.
You can throw a bay leaf from above, but do not deepen it.
If it is expensive to buy all the seasonings separately, or there is simply no such possibility, then ready-made mixtures marked “for pilaf” are suitable.
According to the rules, spices are added to zirvak. If you forgot to do this, you can enter along with the rice. Better late than never.
