According to Asian traditions of cooking pilaf, rice must be washed well and soaked in warm water with added salt. Soaking time depends on the particular rice variety. If its characteristics are unknown, then you need to focus on the color of the grains, which should acquire a milky white color.
Pick your recipe
The debate about whether to soak rice intended for pilaf does not make sense, since it depends on the cooking technology. No wonder the Turkish proverb says "there are as many types of pilaf as there are cities in the Muslim world." The main differences lie not only in the compatibility of zirvak products - frying in vegetable oil from onions, carrots, meat, fruits, vegetables, spices, but also in the preparation of cereal component. After all, rice is sometimes combined with zirvak during cooking, and in some cases it is stewed separately. This dish appeared in the Middle East along with a rice cultivation culture (II – III century BC), and then it was picked up by the inhabitants of Central Asia, and if we take Central Asian pilaf as a sample, then the rice is always soaked for it. The only question is which rice to soak and how much time.
Is any rice suitable for pilaf
Since as a result of cooking pilaf rice should be moderately friable, but not dry, not every rice variety is suitable for this dish. Each swimmer will have to adapt to the varieties sold in his region, because each of them requires its own approach to business. For example, the most popular rice for pilaf in Uzbekistan is the famous "devzira" grown in the Ferghana and Andijan regions. Some varieties of "devzira" can be found on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, in Uzgen. Uzgen rice "Chungara" is lighter and starchy, but has excellent water absorption.
If subspecies and have differences, then insignificant. The grain is elongated, but not thin in a circle, the color of starchy powder after washing can vary from pink to brick. Even rice washed to transparency is usually not pure white, but with some brown or red spots. Russian housewives most often use the round-grain Krasnodar variety or the long Basmati imported from Pakistan and Afghanistan in pilaf.
Delicious pilaf can be prepared from Krasnodar rice, only it is slightly softer than Uzbek varieties, and, therefore, soaking should be less prolonged. "Basmati" may also vary in quality depending on the area of growth. The content of starchy substances in it can be practically zero, which does not benefit the taste of pilaf. The principle "the whiter and smoother the surface of the grains" is not suitable for choosing rice. On the contrary, it should have roughness in order to better absorb water, fat, spices.