How to choose rice for pilaf

In order for pilaf to remain pilaf, not porridge with meat and vegetables, it is very important to observe the technology of cooking. One of the important points is choosing the right rice.

For those who want to cook an everyday dish, rice for pilaf should be selected medium-grained varieties. Rice should be strong and almost transparent. Varieties such as Krasnodar, Thai or Jasmine for pilau are not suitable - they are soft enough, so they boil very quickly. Very suitable basmati rice for pilaf, especially if produced in Spain, Mexico or the United Arab Emirates.

When buying rice for pilaf in the store, choose a transparent package. So you can well consider whether there are among the grains of rice fragments that quickly boil. Do not buy rice, in which there are many yellow and opaque grains - this indicates its low quality. The ideal rice for pilaf has long elongated granules of the same size, which look like frosted glass.

Determine which rice is needed for pilaf is quite simple. If you take a handful of rice and squeeze it strongly, then it should not crumble at the same time. Experienced cooks buy rice for pilaf varieties Dastar-saryk, Dev-ziru and Lazar. The latter is also called azure, this is a starchy Khorezm rice that does not boil and does not increase in volume during cooking. What rice for pilaf is better - a matter of taste, but experts advise for Khorezm, Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara pilaf to use Lazarus.

Dev-zira is of different qualities and varieties. The grains of this rice have an elongated, thick form. Ribbons of soft-brick hue have a longitudinal strip of brown or red. This Dev-zira is much heavier than other varieties of rice. If you squeeze the seeds in handfuls, they make a crunch. Dastar-saryk is most often used for the preparation of Fergani pilaf. This is a sort of fermented smoked rice, which has a great hardness and characteristic specific taste and smell. After washing, Dastar-saryk becomes
Almost transparent and acquires a shade of dark amber. After collecting rice
Fold in unmilled form for several years in the shade, while watering it
Several times with water. The longer Dastar-saryk was lying, the better and tastier it becomes. Its volume increases up to seven times when cooking pilaf. It must be washed several times in cold water, then soaked in salted water, and before washing again wash with warm water.

A variety of Chungar rice is grown in the vicinity of Kokand. He has
Absolutely white color and elongated shape. Chungara perfectly absorbs water,
Significantly increasing in volume. Oil and fat this type of rice absorbs little,
So the dishes from it are light.

In the stores you can find rice produced in Iran, Burma or Vietnam. These varieties are not very suitable for cooking pilaf. For example, Burmese rice has a snowy shade and absorbs water well, pilaf from it turns out fresh and tasteless. This rice must be washed repeatedly, and when cooking add twice as many vegetables, meat and spices. Cook pilaf, similar to Uzbek, you can only soak the Burmese rice several times for 3-4 hours in salted warm water.

The best for the preparation of pilaf is a large, oblong-shaped rice. You should never mix rice of different varieties or from different lots, even if it looks the same. The results of cooking can be deplorable - part of the rice will be digested, and some of the cheese. All rissinki should be the same size and attractive in appearance. Adhesive rice varieties are also not suitable for pilaf - they are better used for making milk porridges.