Beef pilaf is a godsend for everyone who is wary of lamb. It is easy to cook such a pilaf according to the classical canons, but it is not scary to step slightly away from them and speed up the cooking process. Learning to cook pilaf in different ways!

Beef pilaf - a simple recipe in a saucepan

All adherents of the classic pilaf urge him to cook exclusively in a cauldron. But what if there is simply no such dishes in the house? It doesn’t matter: the dish can be prepared in a regular soup pot, preferably with a thick bottom.

For cooking, we need:

  • a kilogram of beef (preferably veal);
  • 3 large carrots;
  • 3 onions;
  • set of spices for pilaf;
  • a glass of quality rice;
  • vegetable oil 150 ml;
  • boiled water - 250 ml;
  • salt, pepper to taste.

 

Cut the beef into strips or cubes. Onions, carrots cut into strips. It is not necessary to grind: otherwise, during the stewing process, the vegetables will melt, and they should be felt. Fry meat with vegetables in vegetable oil over high heat. It is not necessary to start a separate frying pan: the entire cooking process is easy to make in a pan. Season the roast with spices and cover with rice. Fill everything with water. Now we bring everything to a boil and reduce the fire to a minimum. Stew until rice is cooked for 30-40 minutes.

It is impossible to interfere with pilaf during the cooking process: everything should languish in layers: meat, vegetables and rice.

Ready pilaf exudes pleasant aromas. And it is served with greens, green radish salad, pickled onion rings, pita bread or fresh rye bread. You can sprinkle pilaf with pomegranate seeds: it will become more piquant.

In a slow cooker

Pilaf with beef in a slow cooker is a quick option for working housewives. It does not take much time, but it is good in that the dish turns out stewed, tender, melting meat pieces.But here it is important not to be greedy and to buy good rice of the highest grade, preferably a well-known brand (for example, special rice for pilaf from Kuban is sold, it is just excellent).

We cook everything, adhering to the basic recipe in a saucepan, and then set the “Pilau” or “Rice” mode on the multicooker and simmer until cooked. Pilaf from a slow cooker is an excellent option for a children's menu, especially if you reduce the amount of cooking oil.

 

How to make pilaf with beef in a pan?

Sometimes it’s easy and simple to cook beef pilaf right in the pan. It should be good with a thick bottom and high sides so that the rice does not fall off during cooking. Fry meat and vegetables in a pan, and then fill everything with an even layer of rice and add water. Stew everything until the seeds are boiled.

Pilaf in a pan: a quick and economical option. It allows you to cook a couple servings for dinner and enjoy fresh, home-cooked food without any hassle. The dish goes well with all homemade pickles or coleslaw, greens, seasoned with vegetable oil.

Uzbek in cauldron

Uzbek pilaf differs from others in that it is cooked with the addition of fat tail fat and chickpeas. Fat tail fat in our case is an extra ingredient, but we will add chickpeas. Chickpeas are easy to buy in any oriental shop, and at the same time buy a bag there with real spices for pilaf.

A true Uzbek pilaf is prepared from the Devzira variety: it does not boil, keeps its shape, and it is also very tasty.

 

We proceed by stages:

  1. Soak on the eve of chickpeas in a large amount of water - it should swell.
  2. We cut the beef with thick bars.
  3. Fry in a large amount of vegetable oil.
  4. Add onions in half rings, carrots, cut into thin strips.
  5. Fill with water.
  6. Pour in the rice of Devzira.
  7. Add water (if it is not enough).
  8. We give pilaf to boil.
  9. We reduce to a minimum.
  10. Stew until rice is cooked for 40-60 minutes.

Pour the prepared pilaf on a large flat dish. Garnish with greens, thin slices of green radish. Served with a salad of tomato and onions - it is always served for pilaf in Uzbekistan.

 

Beef pilaf in a cauldron

In the same way as a real Uzbek pilaf, you can cook a meal in a cauldron on an electric stove. A cauldron is a good investment, because it is useful not only for pilaf, but also for all foods that require languishing: khashlama, smokers. Even stuffed cabbage stewed in a cauldron becomes especially tasty: the aromas are mixed, the taste becomes saturated.

It is easy to cook, adhering to the previous Uzbek pilaf recipe, but you can not add chickpeas, and replace Devzira with any other rice variety, preferably proven.

Pilaf from a cauldron is cooked on average from 40 minutes to 60, and it is served with any salad of fresh vegetables seasoned with lemon juice or vegetable oil.

With mushrooms

Mushrooms are in perfect harmony with beef, and pilaf is unusual, festive. Fragrant mushrooms add a special flavor to the dish, and at the same time increase its nutritional value.

A step-by-step recipe looks like this:

  1. Mushrooms cut into plates.
  2. We cut the meat into cubes, add the mushrooms, fry everything in vegetable oil with onions and carrots.
  3. We fill everything with rice, leveling it on the surface with an even layer.
  4. Fill with clean cool water.
  5. Stew until rice is cooked.

In the pilaf, you can use any mushrooms: dried porcini, champignons, oyster mushrooms, frozen mushrooms. Some housewives add pickled butter, and this option also has the right to exist as an unusual spicy dish. Mushroom pilaf is served with a sauce based on sour cream, mayonnaise, herbs and garlic or Korean carrots.

 

Read also:what seasonings are suitable for pilaf

Original: beef with prunes

Beef goes well with dried fruits. This is a classic culinary alliance, a win-win, not beaten and tasty. Why not add dried fruits to pilaf?

We proceed as follows:

  1. Soak prunes in cold water for 30 minutes.
  2. We cut meat, fry in vegetable oil with onions and carrots.
  3. Add the prunes.
  4. We fill everything with rice.
  5. Fill with water (be sure to add water where dried fruits were soaked - pilaf will become even more aromatic).
  6. Stew until rice is cooked.

 

In the finished pilaf, the prunes are boiled, and gives not only a wonderful aroma, but a light oily texture to the groats. Before serving, it will be delicious to sprinkle pilaf with fresh cilantro, garnish with thin rings of red onion.

Loose and tasty pilaf in the oven

One of the most delicious dishes, contrary to all cooking traditions, is obtained in the oven. The secret is that rice is not cooked, but baked, which changes the taste of the dish for the better. Such pilaf rarely turns into porridge, even if an unfortunate variety of rice is caught. But still, it is better to purchase high-quality and proven.

 

Cooking like this:

  1. Fry beef, vegetables in a pan.
  2. Add salt and spices.
  3. We shift the roasting into a “chicken bowl” or any pan suitable for baking in the oven.
  4. We fall asleep with rice.
  5. Fill with water.
  6. Close the lid.
  7. We put in an oven preheated to 250 degrees.
  8. Tomim 15 minutes (it is necessary that the water inside boil).
  9. Reduce the fire to 150 degrees.
  10. Tomim 40-50 minutes.

Pilaf is crumbly, and sometimes appetizingly fried along the edges of the form. This is a very tasty and healthy option, moreover not at all troublesome.

Do not forget that pilaf is a universal dish. You can cook it with beef, chicken, and even fish, if there is a desire. Experiment, do not become confined to the canons and be happy.