Pilaf is not just a traditional dish of the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, but also a symbol of oriental hospitality. He has many recipes for cooking, and every housewife knows her secret of delicious and fragrant pilaf. The main and invariable ingredient of this dish is rice - the taste and friability of pilaf depends on the type and quality of this product.
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Rice varieties suitable for pilaf
A quick pilaf can also be prepared from steamed round and oval rice, for example, Krasnodar. Such cereals are prepared in 5-10 minutes, however, as a result, the dish will more resemble porridge with meat or meat with a side dish than a real crumbly pilaf. And the taste of such a pilaf will be far from the original. Such popular varieties of Vietnamese and Thai rice as Jasmine and Basmati will not be suitable for this treat - they will also boil very quickly.
Real pilaf is best prepared from hard rice varieties, the grains of which differ in a uniform, slightly transparent color and elongated shape. Uzbek rice varieties are excellent for preparing this dish. Delicious pilaf, for example, can be made from the white starchy rice "Lazarus". Despite its softness, it absorbs a lot of moisture, but does not boil down at the same time. It is best to cook Tashkent, Harez or Bukhara pilaf from it.
And in order to cook a real treat, it is best to use Uzbek rice of the Dastar-Saryka variety, which is grown in the Ferghana Valley. It has a very special taste and aroma, and its color resembles amber - to obtain this color, the grains are kept for several years until grinding, periodically pouring water. Rice "Dastar-saryka" is able to absorb a lot of oil, but it always remains friable, so pilaf from it turns out to be unusually beautiful and is considered a real delicacy.
Delicious pilaf can also be prepared from another Uzbek rice - Devzira. Its grains have a red-brown color and are covered with powder, which is formed as a result of peeling. Such rice not only absorbs moisture perfectly, while remaining soft and crumbly, but also contains many biologically active substances useful for the body.
How to choose rice
Buying rice for pilaf, of course, is best on the market. There you can not only find the right variety, but also immediately determine the quality of the product. To do this, you need to carefully inspect the grains - they should have a uniform color, resembling frosted glass, and about the same size. A lot of chips in the rice or the presence of spots on the grains indicates a poor quality product.
It is also worth taking a small amount of rice in your hand and squeeze it strongly. At the same time, the grains should make a dry crackle, and after compression, remain whole and crumbly.
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