Pilaf and similar dishes are common to Middle Eastern, Central and South Asian, East African, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisines.
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 also varieties of different rice dishes with vegetables and herbs which are very popular among Persians.
There are four primary methods of cooking rice in Iran:
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 depending on the "al dente" texture that the chef wants to achieve, rather than the usual 16 to 20 minutes.
In Greek cuisine, piláfi is the fluffy and soft, but neither soupy nor sticky, rice that has been boiled in a meat stock or bouillon broth. In Northern Greece it is considered poor form to prepare piláfi on a stovetop; the pot is properly placed in the oven. Gamopílafo ("wedding pilaf") is the prized pilaf served traditionally in weddings and major celebrations in Crete: rice is boiled in chicken broth, then finished with lemon juice and melted staka butter.
In Tajik and Afghan cuisine, qabili palau is made by cooking basmati in a broth-like 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.
In South Asia, pulao (sometimes spelt 'pulav') is a dish consiting of rice and commonly including 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 dish similar to pilaf introduced to Indian Cuisine during the Mughal period. It is made from basmati or similar aromatic rice.
In Persian cuisine yakhni (also known as yahni), a soup or stock, is often served over pilaf (pulao).
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 a very popular dish in the Soviet Union, and countless variations abound in the whole post-Soviet space.
It is believed that proper preparation of pilaf was first documented by the tenth century Persian scholar Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna), who in his books on medical sciences dedicated a whole section to preparing various meals, including several types of pilaf, and described 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.
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.
Category:Iranian loanwords Category:Persian loanwords Category:Turkish loanwords Category:Albanian cuisine Category:Tajik cuisine Category:Armenian cuisine Category:Azerbaijani cuisine Category:Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine Category:Central Asian cuisine Category:Greek cuisine Category:Cypriot cuisine Category:Indian cuisine Category:Uttar Pradeshi cuisine Category:Levantine cuisine Category:Kazakhstani cuisine Category:Montenegrin cuisine Category:Pakistani cuisine Category:Bengali cuisine Category:Rice dishes Category:Romanian dishes Category:Serbian cuisine Category:Uzbekistani cuisine Category:Uzbekistani culture Category:Turkish cuisine Category:Indian rice dishes
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