Azerbaijani pilaf

Azerbaijani pilaf

Azerbaijani pilaf differs significantly from Uzbek pilaf both in composition and, most importantly, in manufacturing technology.
For Azerbaijani pilaf, rice and the flavoring and aromatic base are prepared separately, in different dishes, each part using our own technology.
The base for all this can be meat (lamb, poultry, game), fish, egg, vegetable, fruit and even dairy. It is often added to nuts, sour fruits, for example, cherry plum or dogwood, as well as the freshest herbs: thyme, mint, tarragon, green onions. The main fat used in the production of Azerbaijani pilaf is melted butter.
The rice is soaked in it during the cooking process, as well as immediately after production. For 500 g of dry rice, use at least 100 g of ghee. Rice is cooked using various methods, steamed, in water under a lid, and from time to time with the addition of milk. Some of the rice is dyed yellowish with saffron or turmeric, while the saffron used is real, Iranian, and not Imeritan. Azerbaijani pilaf is served with the freshest greens, unleavened flatbreads and refreshing sorbets.

People in Azerbaijan love noteworthy flavor combinations. Sweet pumpkin and dogwood balance each other perfectly.

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Azerbaijani pilaf is a chic option for a country party. Firstly, this is not a hearty dish.

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Not a single feast in Azerbaijan is complete without this pilaf. It is certainly served to everyone.

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Young lamb is the base of the meat table in Azerbaijan. We prepare pilaf from the meat of young fat tails.

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Chikhirtma is a very tasty side dish for classic Azerbaijani pilaf. The base of the dish is juicy,...

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In this pilaf, peas can be replaced with chickpeas.

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3 options for making Azerbaijani pilaf

We welcome all those who like to cook something tasty. We would now like to turn to the state cuisine of the first nation, which is famous throughout the world for its pilaf. So, now we will prepare Azerbaijani pilaf. All our recipes will be written step-by-step so that anyone, even the most ignorant cook, will be able to execute this dish. We will teach three more common types of pilaf, any of which can vary any of your techniques in their own way.

1. Azerbaijani traditional pilaf
2. Manufacturing:
3. Recipe 2
4. Recipe 3
5. Video recipe:

Azerbaijani traditional pilaf

First we will look at the more traditional option. This is what most people imagine when they hear the phrase “real pilaf”. This dish will be prepared with meat.

In order to prepare it, we will need to purchase the following components in the store:

• Lamb meat (1 kg.);
• Onions (7 pcs.);
• Spice sumac;
• Dried thyme;
• Greenery;
• Salt and pepper;
• Rice;
• Oil;
• Turmeric;
• Potatoes (4 pcs.).

Manufacturing:

1. First, we wash 2 cups of rice in cool water. This must be done about 4 times, ensuring the transparency of the flowing water. We take a saucepan, pour water into it, start boiling and add salt. When the temperature of 100 degrees is reached, pour in the rice, cook, stirring, for 10 minutes at medium power. At the end of the day, our rice should be firm on the inside.
2. Later, you need to transfer the cereal to a sieve and wash it again. Then soften the butter. The easiest way to do this is by using high temperatures. Wash the potatoes, peel them, cut them into 3-4 slices. Then we take another pan, pour some of the oil into it, and line the bottom with potatoes, leaving no visible space. Then take 0.5 of the entire size of rice, mix with half the entire size of butter. Place this mixture on the potatoes.
3. Next we put regular rice. Clean the entire pan for 1 hour over low heat on the stove. Next we wash, cut the meat and place it to fry until golden brown. Later we put it in a cauldron, pour water into the frying pan where the meat was. Next, add chopped onions, herbs, spices, and water from the frying pan to the lamb. Then simmer for 40 minutes at medium power. If desired, you can choose other types of meat, for example, chicken.

Recipe 2

Now we will prepare the most unusual recipe. It is somewhat different from ordinary pilaf, as people “outside” who are not familiar with Azerbaijani cuisine and culture are used to seeing it. The difference lies not only in appearance, but also in the type of meat, in other words, the base. Cooking royal Shah-pilaf in lavash.

We will need to purchase the following products:

• Rice (300 gr.);
• Lavash (2 sheets);
• Chicken meat (500 gr.);
• Onion (2 pcs.);
• Oil;
• Garlic (4 cloves);
• Saffron and turmeric;
• Spices.

Manufacturing:

1. First we wash the rice. Just like in the previous recipe, you need to carefully wash it in water a couple of times to remove all the dirt.
2. Then we put it in the pan in layers. It is necessary to place thin pieces of butter between the layers. Salt, add saffron and turmeric, add twice the amount of water and cook until the rice is cooked.
3. While this process drags on, wash and cut the meat.
4. Later, fry it until a golden crust forms, then add chopped onion to it and cook for another 7 minutes. add chopped garlic.
5. At this time, you need to cut the pita bread into strips.
6. Now we heat the oil and lubricate the cauldron with it.
7. We spread the pita bread on the inner surface of the cauldron so that the edges hang out.
8. Lay out the rice and meat in layers and cover with pita bread. Later, grease everything with oil and cover with foil. Next we have to cook the dish in the oven for 45 minutes at 16 degrees.

Recipe 3

In the end, we’ll get to the most “dessert” option, which differs in the sweetness of its taste. We will prepare sweet pilaf with dried fruits.

To prepare it, you need the following ingredients:

• Rice (1 cup);
• Dried apricots (half a glass);
• Raisins (half a glass);
• Candied fruits (half a glass);
• Walnuts (half a glass);
• Oil;
• Saffron, cinnamon, vanilla, other spices.

Manufacturing:

1. First we need to wash the dried fruits and rice. As we always pay a lot of attention to rice, we also need to carefully wash the sweet ingredients. Later we need to break the nuts and extract their kernels. We must fry them in a frying pan, which must be dry, in other words, we do not add anything to it. At this time, cook the rice until it is ready to eat.
2. Later, melt the butter, add the nut kernels, roll thoroughly and fry for about 4 minutes. Then add dried fruits and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the spices, brown sugar, and saffron.
3. Then add the cooked rice and cook for about 10 minutes. That's all, pilaf with raisins and dried apricots is completely ready.

This is how we have now learned how to prepare a common Azerbaijani dish using several exciting recipes. We hope that the skills that we have imparted to you now will help you brighten up your table in front of your guests. Fortune!

Video recipe:

Step-by-step recipe for pilaf with pork in the oven with photos

Buglama - how to prepare an Azerbaijani dish from various types of meat

Review of various options for making hodgepodge in a slow cooker according to recipe

Options for making salad with dried mushrooms

Step-by-step recipe for making fish soup from the head

Pilaf in Azerbaijani style

Stuffed vegetables

Spanish tortilla with sweet potato

Salad with young cabbage and cucumbers

Buckwheat with zucchini - a lean dish

Pork neck baked with garlic, wine and spices

Azerbaijani pilaf differs from Central Asian ones in that the meat is cooked separately from the rice.
In addition, a lot of onions (by weight of meat) and sour fruits such as cherry plum and lemon are put into the meat. It tastes completely different.
Very tender meat with a rich fruity taste, rice with a creamy taste comes out airy, and saffron (and turmeric too) gives not only a fascinating color, but also a distinct smell and taste. Naturally, I somewhat adapted the recipe to the usual products sold here, and the lack of a cauldron forced me to find a manufacturing method that gives a similar recipe.
I'll tell you right away. This pilaf is completely low-fat, although very, very juicy.

So
Pilaf in Azerbaijani style
The best result comes from lamb meat - the shoulder or chest part. The worst thing is the back leg. Options from pork or certain cuts of beef are very good, but no comparison with good young lamb. At the same time, in contrast to widespread stereotypes, such meat is tasty and pleasant and hot and warm and even cool.

Ingredients

general information

Complexity

Easy

Kitchen

Step-by-step recipe with photos

As I already said, the meat is cooked separately from the rice.
First I prepared the rice.
Take the rice and thoroughly wash it a couple of times with water.
The water should become clear. My water became clear for the 5th time. Drain in a colander.

Boil a huge pot of water.
Add salt and taste the water. It should taste pleasantly salty. When boiling, turn up the heat and pour the rice into boiling water. Stir immediately so that the rice does not stick together. Reduce heat and simmer the rice over low heat for about 10 minutes until the rice is tough on the inside.

Drain the rice in a colander and rinse with cool water.

Place the butter in a separate bowl. Heat until the butter melts but does not separate into fractions.

To prevent the rice from burning, an ordinary flatbread called Kazmag is placed at the bottom of the pan (and cauldron too).
But personally, I tried potatoes instead of kazmag and I liked the taste so much, which is what I do with potatoes all the time. So, peel the potatoes.

Cut into “circles” half a centimeter wide.

Coat the bottom of a wide pan with oil.
Line the bottom of the pan with potatoes to completely fill the surface. Mix half the rice with half the watery butter and place on top of the potatoes.

Place the rest of the rice on top and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Sprinkle some turmeric on top of the rice.

Simmer over low heat for an hour. Personally, I place the pan directly on the bottom of the oven at 180 degrees.

Now about the meat.
As stated above, this part of the pilaf is called Gara. Clean the meat well from films and veins.
Trim off excess fat. I actually cut off the news. Cut into pieces 2 by 2 centimeters.
Fry the meat in vegetable oil over high heat. The meat should be placed in one layer so that it is not stewed, but rather fried.

Turn the meat over and continue frying.

Transfer the meat to another thick-bottomed pan, or to a cauldron (whichever is better)

Now it is insignificant from the “highest cuisine” . Pour half a glass of water into the pan and rub the bottom with a wooden spoon so that all the residue dissolves in the water. You will later pour this water into the meat.

To cut an onion simply and easily, cut off the dried arrow and cut the head in half lengthwise.

Now you can simply remove the skin.

Do not cut off the butt, but cut the onion into half rings.
Due to the butt, the layers of the onion will not separate. Throw away your butts.

Add the onion to the meat and place over medium heat.
As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low.

Chop the parsley and cilantro together with the stems.

Add herbs, thyme (thyme) and sumac to the meat.

Stir again.
Pour water with the remaining meat from the pan. Simmer covered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour boiling water over dried fruits and let stand for 10 minutes.

After 40 minutes of stewing, add dried fruits to the meat.

Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
At the end of cooking, salt the meat.
Taste and add salt if necessary.
Turn off the heat and pepper Gore.
Let the meat stand in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Stir the top layer of rice so that the turmeric disperses better.

Serving
Place rice in the middle of a large plate, including both yellowish and snow-white.
Add a couple of potato pieces.
Place meat on top and serve.
It is customary to serve this pilaf with various uncut greens.
including green onions. Personally, I like it with sauerkraut, according to Olesya’s recipe, with olive oil and thinly sliced ​​onions.

Fundamentally
, I have already written about how to choose meat.
I just want to remind you that the smell should be pleasant and the muscles should be of a uniform color - otherwise the meat is old or ice cream. Don't buy frozen meat if you can buy fresh meat. If the meat is wrapped in dry cloth (a medical system of cells and intercellular substances united by a common origin, structure and functions) in several layers, then it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days without harm.
Try not to touch the rice during the cooking process.
You can calculate the production time using the experimental method. At first, it will seem to you that the rice is not heating up, and later, if you turn up the heat, the potatoes may burn, so be patient and wait an hour. The potatoes will be fried, and the rice will be very tender and tasty.

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Azerbaijani pilaf

Now I would like to share the recipe for real Azerbaijani pilaf. Azerbaijani pilaf differs from others in that the rice is cooked separately and served with different options of hot meat and more.

Ingredients for “Azerbaijani pilaf”:

• Rice - 4 cups.
• Water
• Salt
• Butter
• Saffron

Number of servings: 4

Nutritional and energy value:

Recipe for “Azerbaijani pilaf”:

At least 3-4 hours before making pilaf, take 4 cups of rice and wash it properly. Fill with water, sprinkle salt on top and leave aside. It is very important to soak the rice in advance, because... then it will cook easier and faster. I usually soak the rice overnight.

Take a cup and add saffron into it. Pour boiling water over it, cover with a saucer and let sit for at least 4 hours (I also brew it overnight). It is very important that you cover it with a saucer so that the smell of saffron does not escape.

Take a saucepan. The pan does not have to be small. I use a 5 liter pan for 4-5 cups of rice. Fill the pan with water (there should also be a lot of water, as the rice swells during cooking) and place on high heat. Add salt, don't skimp on salt. Under-salted rice is tasteless, and rice requires a lot of salt to be salty. As the water begins to boil, pour the water out of the bowl with the soaked rice, and pour the remaining rice into the boiling water. Stir the rice here, otherwise it will cook in lumps. The cooking process is short, depending on when you soaked the rice. Takes about 5-10 minutes. The rice should become longer, and it should taste half-cooked, i.e. not very soft, not very hard. This point is very important, because the final result depends on this.

When you see that the rice has reached the appropriate concentration, pour everything into a sieve, rinse the pan so that not a single grain of rice remains on the day.
Pour melted butter onto the bottom of the pan so that the bottom is completely covered with oil, do not skimp on the oil. Place either pita bread cut to the shape of the bottom of the pan or a special dough (I’ll post the recipe for this dough separately a little later), which then becomes a crispy, savory crust called gazmah. https://www.povarenok.ru/recipes/show/1792/ Pour the cooked rice onto the dough (lavash) (help with a wooden spoon, do not pour the rice directly into the pan, but put it in spoons, as this will make the rice crumbly) .

Make holes in it with the end of a wooden spoon, fill the rice with melted butter (in some places, probably half a glass or 3/4 cup), distribute half a glass of water over the rice, put the pan back on the fire, wrap the lid of the pan in gauze or a towel. Absorbs water perfectly, cover the pan and put it to brew on very low heat.
After 15 minutes, take the lid off the pan and pour the saffron over the rice. Place the lid back on the pan and cook the rice until done, about 1-2 hours / depending on the amount of rice and the size of the pan. Readiness is determined by appearance. The rice should stick out in different directions and fragrant steam should emanate from it.

Transfer the “yellow” (saffron) rice from the pan to a plate.
First put the remaining rice (white or semi-yellow) on the dish, and then put the yellowish rice on top. If you have saffron threads left on your rice, don't throw it away. It just adds beauty to your rice. If you have the opportunity to get to the layer of dough (lavash), then separate it from the bottom of the pan, cut it into diamonds and place it next to it either in a plate or along the edges of the rice on a platter. Various seasonings are served with pilaf, such as sabzi govurma, which I have already described.

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Comments and reviews

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• Prescription questions
• Reviews

September 19, 2012 L1lu #

February 4, 2013 L1lu #

January 18, 2010 tanu6kin21 #

January 26, 2010 Nika76 # (recipe creator)

September 4, 2009 Nika76 # (recipe creator)

July 3, 2009 nemka #

January 23, 2009 Anastasiia #

January 2, 2009 NATALIAna #

October 18, 2008 Zhuzha #

August 23, 2008 Nika76 # (recipe creator)

August 19, 2008 tomik #

August 26, 2010 Happy Laly #

Thank you for this recipe. Once in one family, where the husband was Azerbaijani, I was treated to it. The meat for the pilaf was very tasty, it melted in your mouth!! He said that herbs for this meat were brought only from Nakhichevan and it was not allowed to purchase them here. I wasn’t interested in recipes back then, and I only learned how to make rice and flatbread. Can you write a recipe for making meat?

Tomik, if you want to find out the recipe for making several types of meat for Azerbaijani pilaf, please look through my recipes. I will be preparing it soon and will certainly post a step-by-step recipe for making both rice and meat. Believe me, real Azerbaijani pilaf cannot be compared with anything! Your guests will be pleasantly surprised.

March 29, 2008 Leila #

March 18, 2008 Nika76 # (recipe creator)

March 17, 2008 Nika76 # (recipe creator)

March 18, 2008 anelli75 #

March 17, 2008 anelli75 #

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