Pilaf (Плов)

This is one of Sergey's favorite meals. When he sees pilaf pot standing on the top of the stove, he will grab it and say, "This is mine. I'm going to eat the whole thing." So, the recipe MUST be posted!
You can use any kind of meat you like: beef, pork, lamb, or chicken. All American recipe call for boneless meat, but any Russian recipe will tell you that meat on bones is even better. For this particular recipe I used chicken thighs with bones. I chopped chicken into pieces about 1"-size (2-3 cm).


Many recipes will recommend using a special rice-pot (Russian - КАЗАН). I used thick black-coated pot. Place the pot on the stove, add 1 cup of vegetable oil and let it heat up to the point where oil will start smoking. Add 1 stick of margarine (100 gr) and let it melt. Now dump the pre-cut meat and let it fry from each side. Chop one big onion and two big carrots and add them to boiling meat. (No restrictions on veggies - you can add as much as you want :)).

Let onion and carrots fry for about 5-8 minutes and then add 1 small can of tomato sauce (200 gr). If you like your rice white, do not add tomato sauce. It is a personal preference.

This is my BIG PILAF SECRET: while meat is cooking with tomato sauce, add a couple of bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of sugar, fresh-grind black pepper and a pinch of salt. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.


Now we came to the most important part of cooking pilaf - adding rice. There is a lot of debates about different brands and kinds of rice, soaking it overnight and water proportion. I simplified it to the point of "what is easy for me". I use long white rice. When I start my pilaf preparations, I will rinse rice in cold water and let it stand covered in water while I cook meat and cut my vegetables. So, it is soaked, but no more then 20-30 minutes. Water proportion can be your personal choice as well. If you want you pilaf sticky - add more water. If you want it a little dry - add more oil and fat. I do 1:2 proportion rice to water, but oil in the beginning for frying meat goes to your liquid count. So, for this recipe I used 1 cup of white rice and 1 cups of warm water. I also really like to add a couple bouillon cubes to my pilaf. They give a special touch and taste to rice and meat. Dissolve them into water and add more salt (about 1 teaspoon).


Turn your stove to medium heat and carefully spoon wet rice over cooked meat. Pour water over rice. Now - garlic. The real Asian pilaf recipe has non-pealed head of garlic (as a picture shown above) added to rice together with water. It is authentic and extracts its spice into rice. You can try it - it is good. But for the fast-consuming reason for Sergey, I just use a couple of cloves of garlic, pealed and chopped. Place your garlic on the top of rice when you add water. Throw a hand-full of raisins if you wish - they give sweetness to pilaf. Your pilaf should look like this picture:

Now seat tight and watch it carefully. You don't mix it after the point of adding water. Just make a few pokes with fork or knife in your rice so it will "breathe". Also make sure it is on smallest heat possible - we don't want it burnt. It will take about 20-25 minutes for rice to soak all water and cook thoroughly. Try it and if rice is not ready, add just a little bit of water on the top (1/2 of cup). You will know when it is ready - it will smell like real Asian pilaf spreading a wonderful smell around the house! Enjoy!