pilaf

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Plov being prepared in a qozon

Pilaf, also called polao, pilau, pilav, pilaff, plov or pulao in their adopted languages (Turkish, Uzbek, Turkmen, Urdu, Hindi, Pashto, etc.), is a dish in which a grain, such as rice or cracked wheat, is browned in oil, and then cooked in a seasoned broth. The English term pilaf is borrowed directly from Turkish, but all these terms ultimately derive from (Classical) Persian پلو , which is pronounced [paˈlau] in Afghani Persian (Dari), and in standard Iranian Persian, as [polów]. In Urdu is pronounced as [pulāo] پلاو. Depending on the local cuisine, it may also contain a variety of meat and vegetables. Pilaf and similar dishes are common to Middle Eastern, Central and South Asian, East African, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisines.

Cuisine

There is historical evidence that the cultivation of rice was introduced systematically into Mesopotamia and southwestern Iran on a large scale in the 5th century BCE, making rice available to the people of Central Asia and the Middle East on a scale that was not possible previously.

Persian culinary terms referring to rice preparations are numerous and have found their way into the neighbouring languages: Polow (rice cooked in broth while the grains remain separate, straining the half cooked rice before adding the broth and then "brewing"), Chelow (white rice with separate grains), Kateh (sticky rice), Biryani, Tachine (slow cooked rice, vegetables and meat cooked in a specially designed dish also called a tachine).

There are four primary methods of cooking rice in Iran:

• Chelow: rice that is carefully prepared through soaking and parboiling, at which point the water is drained and the rice is steamed. This method results in an exceptionally fluffy rice with the grains separated and not sticky; it also results in a golden rice crust at the bottom of the pot called tah-digh (literally "bottom of the pot"). Chelow Recipe
• Polow: rice that is cooked exactly the same as chelow, with the exception that after draining the rice, other ingredients are layered with the rice, and they are then steamed together. Variety of Polow Recipes
• Kateh: rice that is boiled until the water is absorbed. This is the traditional dish of Northern Iran. Kateh Recipe
• Damy: cooked almost the same as kateh, except that the heat is reduced just before boiling and a towel is placed between the lid and the pot to prevent steam from escaping. Damy literally means "simmered."

In Italian cuisine "pilaf" is a rice pre-cooking style that allows chefs in busy restaurants to cut down time in risotto preparation. Usually a large tray of Carnaroli or Arborio rice will be baked for seven minutes with a large onion and a carrot, in water. After that it will be placed on a marble slab to cool down. Once cooled it will be kept in the fridge and used ad hoc to prepare risotti in a shorter time, 7 to 10 minutes depend on the "al dente" texture that the chef wants to achieve, rather than the usual 16 to 20 minutes.

In Afghani cuisine, qabili palau is made by cooking basmati in a brothy sauce. This dish may be made with lamb, chicken, or beef. Qabili palau is baked in the oven and topped with fried sliced carrots and raisins. Chopped nuts like pistachios or almonds may be added as well. The meat is covered by the rice or buried in the middle of the dish.

Uzbek plov on the other hand differs from Persian preparation in that rice is not steamed, but instead simmered in a rich stew of meat and vegetables called zirvak until all liquid is absorbed into the rice, although some limited degree of steaming is commonly achieved by covering the pot. Plov is commonly prepared with lamb or mutton, browned in lamb fat or vegetable oil, and then stewed for several hours with fried onions and carrots, although beef could be substituted in a pinch. Chicken plov is rare and usage of pork is discouraged. It is usually spiced with cumin, coriander, barberries and garlic, with the whole bulbs buried in rice during cooking, although sweet variations, with dried apricots and raisins aren't unheard of. Uzbek plov became very popular dish in the Soviet Union, and countless variations abound in the whole post-Soviet space.

History

Qabili Pilau is the national dish of Afghanistan.

Paulao prepared using the punjabi style, part of Pakistani cuisine

One of the earliest literary references to Pilau can be found in the histories of Alexander the Great when describing Bactrian (an Eastern Iranian province probably the birthplace of Alexander's wife Roxana and geographically in modern Afghanistan) hospitality. Plov is often considered to be one of the oldest preparations of rice which has Persian or Turkic roots. It was known to have been served to Alexander the Great upon his capture of the Sogdian capital of Marakanda (modern Samarkand). Alexander's army brought it back to Macedonia and spread it throughout Eastern Europe.

The Uzbek palov recipe is considered one of the oldest^{[citation needed]}. It is considered that proper preparation of Pilaf first was documented by the tenth century scholar Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna), who in his books on Medical Sciences dedicated the whole section on preparing various meals, including several types of Pilaf, as well as describing advantages and disadvantages of every item used for preparing it. Accordingly, some Tajiks consider Ibn Sina to be the "father" of modern pilaf.

Pilau became standard fare in the Middle East over the years with variations and innovation by the Arabs, Turks and Armenians. It was introduced to Israel by Bukharian and Persian Jews.

The Mughals introduced many Persian dishes to the South Asia including rice dishes. Pulao (sometimes spelt 'pulav') is a South Asian dish made of rice. It may be made with peas, potatoes, mutton, beef, or chicken. It is usually served on special occasions and weddings and is very high in food energy and fat. Meat pulao is a North Indian tradition, especially among the Muslim population. Biryani is a Pakistani and Indian dish very similar to pilaf introduced during the Mughal period. It is made from basmati or similar aromatic rice. In Persian cuisine and Pakistani cuisine, Yakhni (also known as Yahni) (a soup or stock), often served over pilaf (Pulao).

During the years of the Soviet Union, the dish spread throughout the other Soviet republics, becoming a favorite in such diverse places as Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia.

Other names

See also

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Rice Pilaf

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Kashmiri Pulao

• Paella
• Jambalaya
• Risotto
• Fried rice
• Cuisine of Xinjiang
• Persian cuisine
• Afghan cuisine
• Pakistani cuisine
• Biryani
• Chelow kabab
• Khoresht
• Yakhni

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