Cooking Rice Pilaf Method
The Pilaf Method (or Stir-Fry method) is a cooking technique for treating rice, bulgur, or pasta to produce a whole-grain pilaf (or side dish).
The cooking method involves boiling the rice in an open pot of boiling water until it is tender but firm (al dente). Drain the cooked rice in a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid. Syrup or honey can be used to replace a portion of the butter. Aromatics such as onions, carrots, celery, and garlic may be lightly sautéed in the butter before adding broth or water. Herbs such as parsley and mint can be used to flavor pilafs; other herbs such as basil, oregano dill, thyme, and bay leaf.
The Pilaf Method (or Stir-Fry method) is a cooking technique for treating rice, bulgur, or pasta to produce a WHOLE-GRAIN pilaf (or side dish).
The Pilaf Method (or Stir-Fry method) is a cooking technique for treating rice, bulgur, or pasta to produce a whole-grain pilaf (or side dish). It differs from other cooking methods because it does not require long cooking times. As such, you can use this method for making any rice dish that you would make with short-grain white or brown rice.
One benefit of using the pilaf method is that it helps retain more nutrients in your meal than many other types of cooking methods do; this makes it ideal if you want something healthy but tasty.
Start by cooking the rice in an open pot of boiling water until it is tender but firm (al dente).
Start by cooking the rice in an open pot of boiling water until it is tender but firm (al dente).
To check for doneness, remove the grains from the pot with a slotted spoon or tongs. If it feels like there's still some resistance when you try to pull it out, give it another minute or two before removing any more grains.
If your pilaf comes out too soft after 15 minutes, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes longer on low heat so that all the grains are cooked through but not mushy.
Drain the cooked rice in a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid.
Once the rice has finished cooking, pour it into a colander and rinse under cold water. Then drain it in a colander again until all the water is removed.
Next, put the drained rice onto a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for another 3 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. This will prevent the scorching of your pilaf and keep its texture intact when you serve it later on!
Syrup or honey can be used to replace a portion of the butter.
You can replace a portion of the butter with a liquid sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup. If you use honey instead of brown sugar, add a pinch of salt and ground cinnamon to the mixture. A pinch of ground cardamom adds an interesting flavor dimension to this dish that's sure to please even the pickiest eaters in your household.
Aromatics such as onions, carrots, celery, and garlic may be lightly sautéed in the butter.
- Aromatics such as onions, carrots, celery, and garlic can be lightly sautéed in the butter.
- The pan should be heavy-bottomed to prevent sticking.
- Use enough heat to prevent burning, but don't let the butter burn.
Herbs such as parsley and mint can be used to flavor the pilaf; herbs such as basil, oregano, dill, thyme, or bay leaf may be used depending on the intended final flavor of the side dish or meal.
Herbs such as parsley and mint can be used to flavor the pilaf; herbs such as basil, oregano, dill, thyme, or bay leaf may be used depending on the intended final flavor of the side dish or meal.
Depending on what you are serving with your rice pilaf recipe, it may also be necessary to choose an herb for flavoring purposes based on its appearance in your dish. For example, if you are making a chicken salad, then parsley would work perfectly because it looks like green leaves but tastes distinctly like celery leaves (which gives it its unique flavor).
After sautéing the aromatics and herbs in butter, add broth to cover the rice by about 2/3. If you add more liquid than that, you will end up with soup instead of pilaf
Add broth to cover the rice by about 2/3. If you add more liquid than that, you will end up with soup instead of pilaf!
Bring it all together in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, occasionally stirring until all water has been absorbed, which usually takes about 20 minutes. As soon as the rice is cooked and tender (test bite), remove it from the heat and fluff it with a fork before serving.
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to ensure that there is still just enough liquid to cook all of the rice. If not, add another splash of hot broth or water.
Conclusion
When you are ready to serve your pilaf, add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a little hot sauce or other seasonings at this point if desired. Serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator until needed.
