Pilau

Pilaf ( US spelling) or pilau ( UK spelling) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere to each other.

At the time of the Abbasid Caliphate, such methods of cooking rice at first spread through a vast territory from South Asia to Spain, and eventually to a wider world. The Spanish ''paella'', and the South Asian ''pilau'' or ''pulao'', and ''biryani'', evolved from such dishes.

Pilaf and similar dishes are common to Balkan, Caribbean, South Caucasian, Central Asian, East African, Eastern European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and South Asian cuisines. It is a staple food and a popular dish in Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China (notably in Xinjiang), Cyprus, Georgia, Greece (notably in Crete), India, Iraq (notably in Kurdistan), Iran, Israel,Gil Marks. ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Food''. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania (notably in Zanzibar), Tajikistan,Marshall Cavendish. ''World and Its Peoples''. Marshall Cavendish, 2006, p
662
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.Bruce Kraig, Colleen Taylor Sen. ''Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture''. ABC-CLIO, 2013, p
384

Etymology

According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', Third Edition (2006) the English word ''pilaf'', which is the later and North American English form, is a borrowing from Turkish, its etymon, or linguistic ancestor, the Turkish ''pilav'', whose etymon is the Persian pilāv; "pilaf" is found more commonly in North American dictionaries than ''pilau''.

The British and Commonwealth English spelling, ''pilau'', has etymon Persian ''pulaw'' (in form palāv, pilāv, or pulāv in the 16th century), whose line of descent is: Hindi ''pulāv'' (dish of rice and meat), Sanskrit ''pulāka'' (ball of rice), which in turn is probably of Dravidian descent.

History

Although the cultivation of rice had spread much earlier from South Asia to Central and West Asia, it was at the time of the Abbasid Caliphate that methods of cooking rice which approximate modern styles of cooking pilaf at first spread through a vast territory from Spain to Afghanistan, and eventually to a wider world. The Spanish ''paella'', and the South Asian ''pilau'' or ''pulao'', and ''biryani'', evolved from such dishes.

According to author K. T. Achaya, the Indian epic ''Mahabharata'' mentions an instance of rice and meat cooked together. Also, according to Achaya, "pulao" or "pallao" is used to refer to a rice dish in ancient Sanskrit works such as the ''Yājñavalkya Smṛti''. However, according to food writers Colleen Taylor Sen and Charles Perry, and social theorist Ashis Nandy, these references do not substantially correlate to the commonly used meaning and history implied in pilafs, which appear in Indian accounts after the medieval Central Asian conquests.

Similarly Alexander the Great and his army, many centuries earlier, in the 4th century BCE, have been reported to be so impressed with Bactrian and Sogdian ''pilavs'' that his soldiers brought the recipes back to Macedonia when they returned. Similar stories exist of Alexander introducing pilaf to Samarkand; however, they are considered apocryphal by art historian John Boardman.

The earliest documented recipe for pilaf comes from the tenth-century Persian scholar Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā), who in his books on medical sciences dedicated a whole section to preparing various dishes, including several types of pilaf. In doing so, he described the advantages and disadvantages of every item used for preparing the dish. Accordingly, Persians consider Ibn Sina to be the "father" of modern pilaf. Thirteenth-century Arab texts describe the consistency of pilaf that the grains should be plump and somewhat firm to resemble peppercorns with no mushiness, and each grain should be separate with no clumping.

Another primary source for pilaf dishes comes from the 17th-century Iranian philosopher Molla Sadra.

Pilau became standard fare in the Middle East and Transcaucasia over the years with variations and innovations by the Persians, Arabs, Turks, and Armenians.

During the period of the Soviet Union, the Central Asian versions of the dish spread throughout all Soviet republics, becoming a part of the common Soviet cuisine.

Preparation

Some cooks prefer to use basmati rice because it is easier to prepare a pilaf where the grains stay "light, fluffy and separate" with this type of rice. However, other types of long-grain rice are also used. The rice is rinsed thoroughly before use to remove the surface starch. Pilaf can be cooked in water or stock. Common additions include fried onions and fragrant spices like cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon. Pilaf is usually made with meat or vegetables, but it can also be made plain which is called ''sade pilav'' in Turkish, ''chelo'' in Persian and ''ruzz mufalfal'' in Arabic. On special occasions saffron may be used to give the rice a yellow color. Pilaf is often made by adding the rice to hot fat and stirring briefly before adding the cooking liquid. The fat used varies from recipe to recipe. Cooking methods vary with respect to details such as pre-soaking the rice and steaming after boiling.

Local varieties

There are thousands of variations of pilaf made with rice or other grains like bulgur. In Central Asia there are ''plov'', ''pilau'' on the Indian subcontinent, and variations from Turkmenistan and Turkey. Some include different combinations of meats, fruits or vegetables, while others are simple and served plain. In the present day, Central Asian, Indian, Turkish cuisine, Iranian and Caribbean cuisine are considered the five major schools of pilaf.

Afghanistan

In Afghan cuisine, ''Kabuli palaw'' or ''Qabili pulao'' (Persian : قابلی پلو) is made by cooking basmati with mutton, lamb, beef or chicken, and oil. Kabuli palaw is cooked in large shallow and thick dishes. Fried sliced carrots and raisins are added. Chopped nuts like pistachios, walnuts, or almonds may be added as well. The meat is covered by the rice or buried in the middle of the dish. Kabuli palaw rice with carrots and raisins is very popular in Saudi Arabia, where it is known as ''roz Bukhari'' (Arabic: رز بخاري), meaning 'Bukharan rice'.

Armenia

Armenians use a lot of ''bulgur'' (cracked wheat) in their pilaf dishes. Armenian recipes may combine vermicelli or orzo with rice cooked in stock seasoned with mint, parsley and allspice. One traditional Armenian pilaf is made with the same noodle rice mixture cooked in stock with raisins, almonds and allspice.

Armenian kinds of rice are discussed by Rose Baboian in her cookbook from 1964 which includes recipes for different pilafs, most rooted in her birthplace of Antep in Turkey. Baboian recommends that the noodles be stir-fried first in chicken fat before being added to the pilaf. Another Armenian cookbook written by Vağinag Pürad recommends to render poultry fat in the oven with red pepper until the fat mixture turns a red color before using the strained fat to prepare pilaf.

''Lapa'' is an Armenian word with several meanings one of which is a "watery boiled rice, thick rice soup, mush" and ''lepe'' which refers to various rice dishes differing by region. Antranig Azhderian describes Armenian pilaf as "dish resembling porridge".

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani cuisine includes more than 40 different plov recipes.''Азербайджанская кухня''
, (''Azerbaijani Cuisine'', Ishyg Publ. House, Baku ) One of the most reputed dishes is plov from saffron-covered rice, served with various herbs and greens, a combination distinctive from Uzbek plovs. Traditional Azerbaijani plov consists of three distinct components, served simultaneously but on separate platters: rice (warm, never hot), ''gara'' (fried beef or chicken pieces with onion, chestnut and dried fruits prepared as an accompaniment to rice), and aromatic herbs. Gara is put on the rice when eating plov, but it is never mixed with rice and the other components. Pilaf is usually called aş in Azerbaijani cuisine.
, Head Chef at the "Shirvan Shah" Azerbaijani restaurant in Kyiv, 31 January 2005.

File:Aş və salat.JPG, Azerbaijani plov with ''qazmaq'' (the same as Persian ''tahdig''), served with choban salad
File:Shah-plow azerbaijani.JPG, Azerbaijani shah-pilaf

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, ''pulao'' (), ''fulao'', or ''holao'', is a popular ceremonial dish cooked only with aromatic rice. Bangladesh cultivates many varieties of aromatic rice which can be found only in this country and some surrounding Indian states with predominantly Bengali populations. Historically, there were many varieties of aromatic rice. These included short grained rice with buttery and other fragrances depending on the variety. Over a long span of time many recipes were lost and then reinvented.

Since the 1970s in Bangladesh ''pulao'' has referred to aromatic rice first fried either in oil or clarified butter with onions, fresh ginger and whole aromatic spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and more depending on each household and region. This is then cooked in stock or water, first boiled and then steamed. It is finished off with a bit more clarified butter, and fragrant essences such as rose water or kewra water. For presentation, beresta (fried onions) are sprinkled on top. Chicken ''pulao'', (''morog pulao''), is a traditional ceremonial dish among the Bangladeshi Muslim community. There are several different types of ''morog pulao'' found only in particular regions or communities.

In Sylhet and Chittagong, a popular ceremonial dish called ''akhni pulao'', similar to the ''yakhni pulao'' of Northern India, ''yakhni'' or ''aqni'' being the rich stock in which mutton is cooked and then used to cook the rice. Another very spicy ''biryani'' dish very popular and unique to Bangladesh is called ''tehari''. It is very different in taste to the ''teharis'' found in some parts of neighboring India. They are most popularly eaten with beef and ''chevon'' (goat meat) but are also paired with chicken. Young small potatoes, mustard oil (which is alternated with clarified butter or oil depending on individual taste), and a unique spice blend found in ''teharis'' distinguish them from other meat ''pulaos''. The most famous ''tehari'' in the capital city of Dhaka is called ''hajir biryani''. Although here the name ''biryani'' is a misnomer, in usage among the urban young population it differentiates the popular dish mutton ''biryanis'' (goat meat).

Brazil

A significantly modified version of the recipe, often seen as influenced by what is called there, is known in Brazil as or (, "shredded chicken rice"; , "chicken risotto"). Rice lightly fried (and optionally seasoned), salted and cooked until soft (but neither soupy nor sticky) in either water or chicken stock is added to chicken stock, onions and sometimes cubed bell peppers (cooked in the stock), shredded chicken breast, green peas, tomato sauce, shoyu, and optionally vegetables (e.g. canned sweet corn, cooked carrot cubes, courgette cubes, broccolini flowers, chopped broccoli or broccolini stalks or leaves fried in garlic seasoning) or herbs (e.g., mint, like in ) to form a distantly risotto-like dish – but it is generally fluffy (depending on the texture of the rice being added), as generally, once all ingredients are mixed, it is not left to cook longer than five minutes. In the case shredded chicken breast is not added, with the rice being instead served alongside chicken and , it is known as (, "chicken supreme rice").

Caribbean

In the Eastern Caribbean and other Caribbean territories there are variations of ''pelau'' which include a wide range of ingredients such as pigeon peas, green peas, green beans, corn, carrots, pumpkin, and meat such as beef or chicken, or cured pig tail. The seasoned meat is usually cooked in a stew, with the rice and other vegetables added afterwards. Coconut milk and spices are also key additions in some islands.

Trinidad is recognized for its ''pelau'', a layered rice with meats and vegetables. It is a mix of traditional African cuisine and "New World" ingredients like ketchup. The process of browning the meat (usually chicken, but also stew beef or lamb) in sugar is an African technique.

In Tobago ''pelau'' is commonly made with crab.

Central Asia

Central Asian, e.g. Uzbek and Tajik ( uz, Палов, tg, Палов, italic = palav) or ''osh'' differs from other preparations in that rice is not steamed, but instead simmered in a rich stew of meat and vegetables called ''zirvak'' ( зирвак), until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice. A limited degree of steaming is commonly achieved by covering the pot. It is usually cooked in a ''kazon'' (or ''deghi'') over an open fire. The cooking tradition includes many regional and occasional variations. Commonly, it is prepared with lamb, browned in lamb fat or oil, and then stewed with fried onions, garlic and carrots. Chicken palov is rare but found in traditional recipes originating in Bukhara. Palov is usually spiced with whole black cumin