This is an original recipe for pilaf: a classic pilaf does not contain sauce, but with this ingredient the dish becomes even more fragrant and acquires a special, rich taste.
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You will need
- - half chicken
- - rice - 2 glasses
- - onions - 2-3 pcs.
- - carrots - 1-2 pcs.
- - tomato sauce, salt, spices - to taste
Instruction manual
1
Wash the chicken under running water, cut into two halves - one of them will be enough for pilaf. Cut half the chicken into medium sized pieces. In a cauldron or in a frying pan (the first option is preferable, of course, but in the absence of a cauldron a frying pan is also suitable), heat vegetable oil and brown chicken pieces in it (first let it cook for 5-7 minutes over high heat, and then another 15 minutes over low heat). Do the rest also over low heat - let the pilaf languish.
2
Grind washed and peeled onions and carrots (carrots can be grated), add to chicken. Stew them together for another 15 minutes.
3
Rinse the rice thoroughly at this time. Pour it evenly into a cauldron on top of vegetables and chicken and pour boiled water so that it covers rice. Salt to taste. Stew until rice swells and absorbs most of the water.
4
Then add tomato paste or sauce. The amount of this ingredient is a matter of taste. It should be noted that if the paste is a neutral product, then the sauce can give a tangible sourness. Therefore, take your time, first put a little so that the pilaf turns orange. Then, after tasting it, you can add more if necessary. In the meantime, simmer the dish for another 15-20 minutes. Do not forget to stir, because there is very little water left in the cauldron and rice can burn.
5
Peel the garlic at this time. Yes, in classic recipes they suggest putting it right away with the whole head, and then taking it out. However, cloves of garlic in pilaf give it additional piquancy and enrich the taste palette. Therefore, I recommend dividing garlic into slices, peeling and washing them. And then, cutting large in half, add to the pilaf with spices.
6
Next, stew the pilaf until rice is ready (at least 7-10 minutes). Most likely, you will have to add more boiled water - in the event that it all evaporates, and the rice remains hard. Try pilaf more often: when the rice is soft, turn off the heat and let the dish brew for at least half an hour.
note
Classic pilaf is made from round-grain rice, but it is very difficult to bring it to the desired condition and not digest it, turning it into porridge. Therefore, if you do not possess this art, for pilaf it is better to choose long-grain, steamed rice. It is much more difficult to digest, and most likely pilaf will turn out to be correct, crumbly.
Useful advice
The easiest way is to buy ready-made spices "for pilaf", where the optimal bouquet is selected. But if, for example, you do not like the obligatory sour barberry in this set, you can choose weighted spices to your liking. The classic set includes paprika, zira, turmeric, barberry, ground red pepper.