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by Dahiza Umar

INTRODUCTION TO THE DISH

Pilaf is cooked with any main ingredients with rice. In this dish, rice is mixed with fresh green peas. Like Desi Pakistani pilaf, this dish has the addition of different spices for aroma and fragrance like cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, black pepper cones, etc. In Pakistan, there are two famous rice dishes, one is BIRYANI and the other is PILAF. Biryani is usually a spicy and colorful dish with the use of meat content mostly. But pilaf is cooked even by vegetables and with meat also. The basic way to complete this dish is by making stock of the second main ingredient like in this dish, peas. Stock or Broth of any second main element is made with the use of spices for aroma. But in this dish, the use of spices is very mild. No or minimal spice is used like red pepper, black pepper, etc. Spicy is biryani and Mild is Pilaf.

Pilaf is a dish that is popular in the world. It is added to almost every cuisine as the national dish. Many regions have a special version of Pilaf in their cuisine. Sometimes, the method of cooking and different cooking skills are used in making the different pilaf according to that particular area. The availability of spices, utensils, and many ingredients can differentiate the taste of pilaf in the world.

Totally different spices and other ingredients like the use of nuts, raisins, almonds are also be added in some specific regional variety of Pilaf. In the world, we have many varieties of Pilaf, with an aspect of ingredient, cooking technique, regional differences, etc.

The complimentary items like salads, pickles, Raita, and more makes it even delicious when serve with it. This dish is the heart of the table when presented in the right way. Proper serving, with garnishing, is very important for any dish. The first look of the dish makes the impression of the dish. This dish is cooked at great gatherings, served at wedding events, for celebration, and Eid special dish. On eid celebrations, this pilaf is cooked with Beef meat and Mutton meat. The stock of mutton and beef meat is so rich and makes the pilaf very rich with the pulp of bonemarrow and soft tendered meat chunks.

NAMING OF THE DISH

This dish has many names with many meanings in different languages.

Turkish pilav
Persian pilāv
Oxford English Pilaf
North American pilau
Hindi pulāv
Sanskrit pulāka
Persian pulaw (16th Century)
Spanish Paella

In English, Pilaf means a dish made of seasoned rice and meat, vegetables, etc.

ALTERNATIVE NAMES FOR PILAF

Polao
Pela
Pilav
Pallao
Pulao
Pulaav
Palaw
Palavu
Plov
Palov
Polov
Plovas
Polu
Kurysh
Fulao
Fulaaw
Fulav
Fulab
Osh
Aş

HISTORY OF PILAF

During the Abbasid Caliphate, rice cultivation, cooking new dishes of rice were spread around the world. So dishes like Pilaf were the origin of that time.

In the 4th century BCE, Alexender the Great was impressed by the dish, SOGDIAN PILAF. According to A.K. Achaya, the dish was cooked by using rice, and meat is named Pilaf, or Pilav. He named it “pulao” or “pallao”

During the 10th century, Ibn Sīnā wrote many books on medical sciences. In one of his books, he explained the advantages and disadvantages of a few dishes and Pilaf was in one of the dishes. According to these hints, it is clear that pilaf is a very ancient dish and had prominence in every century with good aspects. Persians called Ibn Sina, the “father” of modern pilaf.

ORIGIN OF PILAF

Pilaf is considered to be originated from PERSIA.

This dish is popular in different regions of the world

Balkans
Carribeans
Central Asia
America
Middle East
East Africa
Europe

It is a staple food and a popular dish in :

Afghanistan
Armenia
Bangladesh
Georgia
India
Iran
Iraq
Greece
Nepal
Romania
Russia
Kenya, etc.

STREET FOOD OF PAKISTAN

Pakistan is famous for its street food. This is the kind of food created by the roadside or over some stalls. The hawkers by the side created a burner and stove to prepare fresh food in front of people and serve it. The famous street food of Lahore is TAWA PULAO.

Tawa is basically a large flat pan and partially cooked rice is mixed with the second main ingredient either chicken or some vegetable and add some of the spices, sauces and toss it over the high flame and serve. This is like a very easy and ready-to-go dish. When everything is cooked we just need to mix it well over the large TAWA and serve it with the condiments.

REGIONAL LOCAL VARIETIES OF PILAF

AFGHANISTAN

The famous Afghani dish as a variety of pilaf is KABULI PULAO. Qabili pulao is one of the delicacies of Afghani cuisine. Kabuli pilaf is cooked with rice and Mutton meat and one of the best ingredients is the use of different nuts and dry fruits. This is like the royal dish with the use of many expensive ingredients:

Banaspati rice
Mutton chops
Almonds
Walnuts
Raisins
Cashew
Pistachio
Carrots shreds

ARMENIA

In 1964, Rose Baboian wrote a book in which the Armenian Pilaf recipe, its ingredients are written. The use of Bulgur in making Pilaf of Armenia is common. There are a few following important ingredients :

Bulgur
Vermicelli
Orzo
mint
Parsely
Spices
Meat or vegetables (optional)

BANGLADESH

Polao (পোলাও) is the famous Bangali dish cooked with many aromatic ingredients and served in the special ceremonies. This is called a Ceremonial dish. It is also known by other names, Fulao, or Holao. This is served by adding beresta (fried onions) over the top of the rice dish. They use many aromatic spices to make this dish fragrant and amazing.

They have more Polao varieties as,

Akhni polau
Tehari
Hajir Biriyani, etc.

BRAZIL

Brazil is famous for the dish known as SHREDDED CHICKEN RICE. This is a modified form of traditional pilaf, but they made it by their taste and ingredients and named it arroz pilau.

It is cooked by :

Cubed bell peppers
Courgette cubes
Shredded chicken breast
Green peas
Tomato sauce
Shoyu
Canja
Brocollini flowers

IRAN

In Persian culinary techniques, the rice of Pilaf is cooked in stock and makes it embedded in the stock for proper flavors. There are four basic rice cooking forms in Iranian cuisine :

Polow
Kateh
Damy
Chelow

Lubia Pollow is a famous Persian dish cooked in Iran.

PILAF VARIETIES ACCORDING TO THE INGREDIENTS

MEAT PILAF

Mutton pulao
Chicken pulao
Beef pulao
Prawn pulao
Fish pulao

VEGETARIAN PILAF

Aloo pulao ( potato rice )
Chinese pulao
Aloo Matar Pulao (Peas, potato rice)
Mixed vegetable rice
Peas Pulao
Capsicum pulao

LENTILS PILAF

Channa pulao (Chickpea pilaf)
Black beans pulao
Yellow lentils pulao
Split pulses pulao
Mixed Lentils pulao

COMPLEMENTARY SALAD SERVED WITH

Kachumbar salad
Onion and tomatoes chopped salad
Tomatoes slices with cucumber slices
Mixed vegetable salad

COMPLEMENTARY SAUCES SERVED WITH

Green chili chutney
Mint Yogurt
Zeera yogurt
Mint sauce
Tomato Raita
Plain yogurt
black pepper yogurt sauce

COMPLEMENTARY PICKLE SERVED WITH

Mixed vegetable pickle
Mango pickle
Lemon pickle
Green chilies pickle

TIME REQUIRED

Preparation time : 20 minutes
cooking time: 40 minutes
Total time : 60 minutes

NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS

Calories : 230
Protein : 20 grams
Carbohydrates : 17 grams
Fats : 10 grams

INGREDIENTS OF PILAF

Banaspati Rice : 1 kilogram
Green peas : 250 grams
Onions : 2 (sliced)
Tomatoes : 4 (sliced)
Ginger paste : 4 tbsp
Garlic paste : 4 tbsp
Green chilies paste : 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds : 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder : 1 tbsp
Salt : 2 tbsp
Cinnamon stick : 2
Cardamon : 2
Cloves : 6
Star anise : 2
Garam masala : 1 tsp
Yogurt : 1 cup
Oil : 1 cup
Parsely : few leaves
Mint : few
Green chilies : 4
Lemon slices : 4
Lemon juice : 4 tbsp

METHOD OF COOKING

Take a large cooking wok and add oil in it, turn on the flame and add onion slices into it. Fry onion slices into oil until they turned into brown color. Dnt burn the onions just get the right amount of color and add tomatoes into it.
Turn down the flame to the lowest so the juices of tomatoes released and makes the onions soft.
Now add garlic, ginger paste and mix the onions, tomatoes mixture well.
Fry all the things together and add 6 glass of water into this mixture.
Add the whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise and add peas into the water and bring it to boil.
This is now peas stock is preparing with the aromatic spices and peas.
When peas are tendered enough and water is reduced to 4 glass, add other spices like salt, pepper and cumin seeds.
Add soaked rice 2 hours before and yogurt into the peas stock.
Bring all the ingredeints into one pot and high up the flame until the water is dried completely,
When water is dried, add green chilies, parsely and mint and cover the lid, reduce the heat to minimal and let it on the dum for 20 minutes.
This is necessary part to makes everything assembled together.
After 20 minutes, serve with sauce and salad and enjoy.

Pakistan – Matar Waly Chawal (Peas Pilaf)