Almost every nation has its own "secret" recipe for pilaf. Of the variety of options for this dish, pilaf with dried fruits can be distinguished into a separate category. It is cooked with meat, and there is also a lean option suitable for vegetarians.
Pick your recipe
So, for the preparation of sweet pilaf you will need the following products:
- rice - 400-500 g;
- dried fruits: prunes, dried apricots, raisins of 200 g;
- garlic - 4-6 cloves;
- 2 tbsp. l vegetable oil;
- 100 g butter;
- spices for pilaf to taste;
- salt to taste.
Those people who for some reason do not eat butter, it is recommended to replace it with any vegetable.
It is worth noting that there are many ways to prepare pilaf from dried fruits. Some housewives cook rice separately, and when it is ready, mix with prunes, raisins, dried apricots soaked in boiling water. The resulting mass is seasoned with butter and sprinkled with seasonings. This option for cooking pilaf is, of course, quick, but it is better to cook according to a different scheme.
Experienced housewives recommend cooking sweet pilaf as follows. Rice must be washed under running water, allow excess liquid to drain. Add vegetable oil to the cauldron and put rice there. Fry a little. Then add dried fruits there. They should first be steamed in hot water, drained, cut if necessary.
Mix the dried fruits and rice carefully, add water so that it covers the mixture. Cook over low heat until rice is cooked. When the pilaf is ready, it must be seasoned with butter, garlic for piquancy, as well as spices to taste.
The most suitable spices for sweet pilaf are saffron, barberry and turmeric.
The recipe, which is described above, is considered one of the simplest and most traditional options for cooking pilaf with dried fruits. You can cook this dish not only with dried apricots, raisins and prunes, but also with the addition of apples and pumpkins. These products go well together and in a tandem add spicy notes to pilaf.
To prepare such a dish, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. round rice;
- 4 tbsp. water;
- 400 g of pumpkin;
- 3 large apples;
- 150 g of raisins;
- 100 g dried apricots;
- 0.5 tsp salts;
- 4-5 Art. l Sahara;
- 4 tbsp. l vegetable oil;
- 1 tsp. cinnamon, paprika, ginger, black pepper;
- For those who like it sharper, you can add black pepper and chili to taste.
To prepare pilaf, rice should be washed under running water, and then pour cold liquid and leave for 30 minutes. The pumpkin needs to be washed, peeled and seeds and cut into large cubes. In a cauldron, heat vegetable oil and put the prepared vegetable there, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain the water from the rice, rinse under running water again and pour the groats into the cauldron to the pumpkin. Mix everything and make the fire stronger so that the excess liquid evaporates. When this happens, the gas is reduced, the rice is slightly fried. Then the mixture of cereals and pumpkins is sprinkled with spices and salt, mixed. Now you need to add apples to the cauldron. Pre-prepare the fruits: wash, pull out the seeds and the core, if desired, peel off the skin, cut into large pieces and pour into a cauldron, mix.
Now it’s the turn of dried fruits. Raisins need to be washed, and dried apricots also chopped into small pieces. Pour everything to the rice. Add sugar to taste in the resulting mixture. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the dish will turn out too sugary.
When all the ingredients are in a cauldron, you need to pour in 4 cups of water. Then, for a couple of minutes, make the fire as strong as possible so that the cereal absorbs water faster. Stir the pilaf so that the apples and pumpkin are under the rice. After that, you can reduce the fire. Cook the dish for 25-30 minutes under the lid.
Serving such pilaf can be both hot and warm. If the dish is not sweet enough, then it should be flavored with liquid honey. And if pilaf, on the contrary, seems cloying, then for contrast, taste should be sprinkled with lemon juice. Such a dish will surely appeal to both adults and children.