Cooking sweet pilaf. Sweet pilaf with raisins and dried apricots

Sweet pilaf is easy to cook at home even in the absence of a special cauldron. The term "pilaf" comes from the Persian پلو‎ - polov, or from the Hindi "पुलाव" - palau. It literally means "boiled rice". However, almost everywhere this dish is called almost the same: pilaf, pilau, plov, pilaf; paloo, pilav, palow. Wherever you are, ask for plov and you will never be mistaken, you will be understood.

It is hardly possible to reliably establish where pilaf came from to the world. Presumably, and almost certainly, pilaf came to the world from the Middle East or India, although rice, the basis of pilaf, was known in China long before that.

Pilaf is a fairly complex compound dish. In the vast majority of cases, the basis of pilaf is rice, although there are options for other cereals: wheat, barley, corn grits, etc. It is generally accepted that pilaf is a meat dish. This is not entirely true. So, for example, in Turkey, a very popular variant of pilaf with chicken giblets, pistachios and raisins - “ich pilav”, Iç Pilav.

A very tasty dish, usually used as a side dish for meat dishes. Pilaf with fish, usually small - hamsa or herring. Pilaf with tomatoes, pilaf with vegetables. In India, pilaf options with various vegetables, nuts and fruits are very popular.

Cooking pilaf is a science. Pilaf easily becomes rice porridge, and it is almost impossible to catch the edge of the transition. With all the abundance of pilaf recipes, it is very difficult to cook a really good pilaf. Although, I’ll say it myself, cooking pilaf is like jumping with a parachute for the first time. I jumped once - and the skill was fixed forever. Cooking chicken pilaf is not difficult, but sweet pilaf often sticks together, experience is needed.

Always interested in options for pilaf without meat. I had to see luxurious pilafs with fruits, vegetables, nuts, various seeds, and even with rose petals. It was something. In the east, sweet pilaf is not so rare. Let's try to cook delicious sweet pilaf in butter, with raisins and nuts.

Sweet swim. Step by step recipe

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ras Basmati 1 cup
Walnuts 100 gr
Raisins 100 gr
Butter 50 gr
Curry, sugar, salt spices

There are special people in the east who are called ashpazy, masters of pilaf, literally aces! They constantly wander from holiday to holiday, and all the time they cook pilaf. Moreover, it is not the combination and presence of certain components that is important, but rather a sustainable cooking technology, when rice is not boiled, as many believe, but stewed. Rice and meat (zirvak) are often not stewed together, but combined already on a dish. I remember such pilaf was prepared by a familiar Tajik, and it was incomparable. It is important that the rice grains do not stick together with each other, otherwise you will get porridge. To do this, it is important to choose the right rice.
Rice is always difficult. The most suitable variety of rice for Central Asian pilaf is considered to be red "Uzgen rice" - "devzira". For obvious reasons, such rice is not always available, so other varieties are used. In Turkey, ballo rice is used, rice with elongated grains, it is quite crumbly, and is quite suitable for pilaf. In India, the basmati variety is traditionally used - the most fragrant rice, with thin and long grains.
In general, it suddenly occurred to me that there are a lot of incomprehensible rice in stores, we do not have such a large selection of rice for proper cooking. Most often written "Rice". Rarely added "crumbly", "round" or completely unique - "snow-white". And cook as you wish. In the vast majority of cases, you will get porridge-slurry. I try to buy rice that is labeled with the variety: jasmine, basmati, arborio, carnaroli, etc. At least it is clear what kind of rice and how to cook it in order to get a dish, not porridge.
For the preparation of sweet pilaf, I chose the basmati variety. This rice is very crumbly, very fragrant and goes well with various foods, including sweet ones.
Melt the butter in a cauldron or deep saucepan, heat it for 5-6 minutes and add rice. Stirring constantly, fry the rice in oil until the rice grains begin to become translucent around the edge.
Add 1 tsp. curry powder. Curry necessarily includes turmeric, which gives an incomparable yellowish color, coriander, red pepper, fenugreek, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and many other ingredients. The mixture of curry in the East is one of the main ones, and is used everywhere.
Add 3 tsp. sugar (you can honey) and a pinch of salt. Mix. Heat rice with spices under a lid over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add washed raisins and nuts.
Next, you need to add broth or water. Water is usually added as the broth still needs to be cooked. So, don't make things difficult for yourself. When cooking rice, it is very difficult to "guess" the amount of liquid. Italians, when preparing risotto, add liquid in portions. But you can do it even easier. Usually, for 1 unit volume of rice, 2 units of liquid are needed. This is true almost always, except, perhaps, for high-starchy varieties such as arborio, carnaroli. So add 2 cups of boiling water.
Stir, reduce heat to low. And cover with a lid. The liquid should barely boil, no seething. Ideally, a barely noticeable movement of the surface. Leave sweet pilaf alone for 15 minutes. During this time, the rice will absorb almost all the liquid, and the grains will begin to separate from each other.

Many have heard about sweet pilaf, but not everyone knows how to cook it at home, especially if the budget does not allow much choice. This article discusses various recipes for this healthy dish and describes in detail the cooking technology.

cooking options

Cooks from different countries have several recipes for sweet pilaf, which is often prepared instead of kutya on Christmas Eve, because this Christmas wheat dish is quite laborious to prepare and requires some skill.

Therefore, the rice alternative is quite acceptable for many housewives with little cooking skills. Consider the most common options:

sweet pilaf with dried fruits: the recipe involves the use of dried fruits, cut into pieces and prepared in a special way.
pilaf with caramelized apples;
a recipe for sweet pilaf with fresh fruit may include different types of fruits available in the region.

How to choose the right dried fruits?

At the present time, the abundance of various dried fruits is amazing. Even ordinary raisins from a good seller can be found at least eight varieties, not to mention dried apricots. To choose a suitable product, you should check with the seller which of them were not boiled in syrup - it is they who should be taken, since all the rest have been heat-treated with the addition of preservatives, additives and other things unnecessary for the body.

Classic recipe

Sweet pilaf with raisins and dried apricots is traditionally cooked in thick-walled dishes: in a cauldron, stewpan, or you can use a cast-iron goose-cooker if there is nothing else similar at hand.

List of required ingredients:

Dried fruits (100 grams of each type);

One and a half cups of rice;

3 glasses of purified water;

100 grams of oil: it can be creamy or vegetable odorless (refined);

2-3 art. spoons of sugar.

To begin with, you should rinse the dried fruits, and soak the raisins in hot water for ten minutes, and cut the dried apricots into strips. Be sure to rinse the rice several times with clean water, removing excess starch and mucus - then the finished pilaf will turn out to be very crumbly. Pour boiling water over it and boil over medium heat for 20 minutes, then reduce the fire. We heat the oil in a pan and add prepared dried fruits to it, fry for five minutes, add sugar and simmer until the grains are completely dissolved.

Next, pour the sweet mass to the rice and stir, after five minutes turn off the fire, and wrap the pan with pilaf tightly with a double-folded towel so that the dish is steamed and saturated with the aroma of dried fruits. If sweetness is not enough when serving, then honey can be added.

With carrots and nuts

This recipe for sweet pilaf with a photo has one feature: carrots are added to give the dish a rich color inherent in traditional pilaf. Following the recipe, we take for every 100 grams of rice 1 glass of water, 50 grams of raisins, prunes, dried apricots, chopped walnuts and butter, as well as 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fresh carrots, grated on a fine grater.

Pre-cut dried apricots and prunes into strips, it is better to fry the nuts a little in a dry frying pan - then they will become more fragrant, and traditionally soak the raisins in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.

We use dishes with a thick bottom: heat the oil in it, add the carrots and fry lightly so that it gives color to the oil. Then add dried fruits to it and mix, simmer for 3-5 minutes and add rice and a very small pinch of salt, which should always be present in the dish. Fill with hot water and cover tightly with a lid. Stew sweet pilaf until tender, without stirring and trying not to open the lid unnecessarily.

Serving to the table, we scoop pilaf from below to combine beautiful yellow rice and dried fruits, also sprinkle with nuts.

In a slow cooker

For those who are too busy or do not like long cooking processes, a simple recipe for sweet plav prepared using a slow cooker is recommended. Take one hundred grams of dried apricots, raisins and prunes, rinse thoroughly and put them on the bottom of the bowl, pour 100 grams of butter, previously melted in a water bath, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt, pour in two cups of boiling water and turn on the multicooker mode " Pilaf" or "Porridge" (the same function is called differently on different machines).

Boil dried fruits for ten minutes, then add a pre-washed glass of rice, level the layer with a spoon so that the sweet mass completely hides the cereal and turn on the timer for 20 minutes. When the time is up, do not rush to immediately serve the dish - let it brew and soak in flavors for about 15 more minutes.

Economy option

You can cook a more budgetary sweet pilaf with raisins according to the recipe of English peasants: its peculiarity is that they do not wash the rice before cooking the porridge, and thanks to this, it becomes more viscous. Pour rice into boiling, slightly salted water, in a ratio of 1: 2 and boil until half cooked over medium heat. In a separate bowl, pour 100 grams of raisins with boiling water (this is the norm for each glass of rice) and leave for half an hour. Next, drain the water, and send the raisins to the rice, add two tablespoons of butter, based on each glass of rice, and mix. We make the fire of the stove minimal and simmer for another 15 minutes, and then turn off the stove, following the recipe. Sweet pilaf with raisins looks quite simple in the photo, but it tastes very good, especially if you pour a tablespoon of honey on it when serving.

Rice with apples

The recipe for sweet pilaf with caramelized apples is often used by residents of the south of Ukraine at any time of the year, since they know how to keep apples there until the new harvest. Boil one and a half cups of rice in three cups of water until tender, and while it is cooking, melt two tablespoons of butter mixed with four tablespoons of granulated sugar in a separate bowl. Add ground cinnamon (1/4 of a teaspoon) to this mass and let it boil. If you do not like this spice, then you can skip this step. Cut apples (4-5 pcs.) into small slices, and it is better to take sour varieties - they keep their shape well. The peel from the fruit should not be cut off, but the seeds must be carefully removed. Place apple slices in sweet syrup and boil them in it, stirring for no more than five minutes.

Ready rice is flavored with one tbsp. spoon of butter, add caramelized apples to it and mix gently so as not to disturb the delicate structure of the fruit slices. This dish is amazingly tasty and you can eat two servings without noticing at all.

With fresh fruits

There is a recipe for sweet pilaf with the addition of various berries and fruits, cut into small pieces. This option is good for children who need a lot of vitamins for growth.

To prepare it, boil the rice until cooked according to the usual scheme. We choose seasonal fruits and cut them into medium-sized pieces: apricots, peaches or sweet plums. You can use pineapples or bananas, raspberries and strawberries go very well with rice. It is better to take just a little bit of everything, then the child will not only eat sweet rice deliciously, but also interestingly. When the rice is ready, add a couple of tablespoons of butter to it (per every three hundred grams of the dish), two handfuls of fruit slices and a tablespoon of honey, mix.

Let the sweet pilaf brew for ten minutes and can be served, garnished with a small leaf of fresh mint.

Today we will look at how to prepare a delicious dessert. I present to your attention - a recipe that will appeal to both the hostess who will cook, and her household.

Before we start cooking pilaf, we must decide on the choice of variety and This is the main component, and it must be well boiled, but not overcooked to such an extent that it turns into a messy porridge.

If we choose steamed, then more water should be added to prepare it, and it is cooked much longer than the usual familiar variety. It is better to cook it with the addition of a small amount of butter, this will help not to boil the grains into porridge. You also need to choose the shape of rice grains, oblong or round. Round rice takes longer to cook, but the amount of water is the same for both configurations. Usually sweet pilaf is prepared from oblong grains, it is advisable to choose a yellow steamed one.

In order to cook a steamed variety, we need to add 2.5 glasses of water to a glass of rice, and 1.9 glasses of water for a regular one.

Let's now write down what needs to be prepared to make it sweet, the recipe is suitable for both adults and kids.

Ingredients:

boiled rice, in slightly salted water, crumbly - 500 grams;
raisins - 100 grams;
dried fruits - 150 grams: dried apricots - 50 grams, prunes - 50 grams, dates - 50 grams;
butter - 30 grams;
refined sunflower oil - 30 grams;
granulated sugar - 50 grams.

However, the amount of sugar and butter should be added according to your taste. This number may be slightly more or less.

So, we begin to cook sweet pilaf. I want to bring to your attention two options for preparing dessert. These are options with raisins and with a set of dried fruits.

Let's try it with raisins first. Put the rice to boil, and while it is cooking, thoroughly rinse the raisins and dry with a paper towel. Paper towel absorbs water well. Pour into a frying pan and heat over low heat, throw raisins into the oil and start frying, constantly stirring with a spoon. We watch very carefully so that the raisins do not overcook, but only soaked in oil. When all the raisins swell and look like small balls, it means that they are ready. Now we need to transfer them to the upcoming rice. By this time, he should be standing on fire and be completely ready. Add butter, sugar and mix well. Remove from fire and close the lid. Everything costs 5 minutes, and then you can invite to the table. Sweet pilaf is ready, the recipe is completely exhausted. Dessert can be served at the table.

Some recipes suggest adding some crushed clove flowers, cinnamon and allspice to the pilaf. But this is already an amateur, everyone has their own taste. I never do this, which is why I did not add these spices to the list of ingredients.

Now let's cook pilaf with dried fruits. Wash and dry dried fruits well. Separate the dates from the pits. Rice is in a pot and is being cooked. We carefully monitor the process: when the rice is half cooked, pour in the sunflower oil, put the butter and mix. Let it cook a little more, and only then add the cooked dried fruits. Please note that pilaf is sweet, the recipe recommends seasoning with oil first, and only then adding dried fruits. Dried apricots, prunes and dates, it is better to cut into small pieces. Naturally, the bones must be thrown out. Now the rice is almost cooked, and we put the prepared fruits there and add sugar. Stir, trying to distribute the dried fruits evenly. Rice is cooked for 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. We do not remove the lid.

Now we take out a large dish and put the pilaf on it. Can be served at the table.

The classic pilaf with meat is familiar to everyone, but besides it, there are many different variations of the sweet Asian pilaf with dried fruits. Such a dish is undoubtedly healthy and satisfying, perfect for breakfast and for baby food. The process of cooking pilaf takes a little time and does not require special culinary skills.

The benefits of sweet pilaf components

Various dried fruits can be added to the dish: prunes, dried apricots, dates and even nuts, sugar can be replaced with honey or served separately to taste. Various spices are suitable for sweet pilaf, it is best to add turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanillin.

Pilaf is considered an Asian dish, in each country it is prepared in its own way, for example, in Thailand, in addition to dried fruits, bananas and coconuts are added, and served in a banana peel or in thin pita bread. Some vitamin mixture is cooked on a fire, sometimes baked in the oven, after adding a few eggs.
Rice contains more than 80% of complex carbohydrates and approximately 8% of essential AA for each person. Therefore, dishes from such cereals are very satisfying and popular. Rice should be eaten to improve the functioning of the central nervous system, the brain. it contains trace elements, B vitamins, lecithin, potassium. Also, it is worth emphasizing that gluten (gluten) is not included in rice grains.
Dried fruits are a unique product that has practically no contraindications, does not cause an allergic reaction, and can also be eaten as an independent dessert or added to main dishes.
Despite the fact that raisins are a sweet product, they have absolutely no sugar, but only glucose and fructose, which does not increase the level of insulin in the blood, and is also useful for diabetics. Raisins are a high-calorie product, so you should not overeat, because. excessive consumption threatens obesity.
Raisins are rich in potassium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, B1, B2, B5, PP. Thanks to group B vitamins, the functioning of the nervous system improves, it affects the body as a sedative, and raisins are also recommended for people with insomnia. The product contains various antioxidants, especially oleanolic acid, which stops the growth of bacteria that cause oral diseases.
Dried apricots are a product that is obtained by drying an apricot. You can eat as a separate dessert, or adding it to meat, fish dishes, side dishes and desserts. Also, dried apricots are often added to sauces. Dried apricot contains vitamin A, B1, B2, C, PP, minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber and AA.

Proper consumption of dried fruit in the daily diet, stabilizes the hormonal balance, is a preventive measure for the development of anemia, heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. The use of dried apricots helps to remove toxins from the body, and also, due to the fact that dried apricots contain pectin, heavy metals are removed along with toxins.

Sweet pilaf with raisins and dried apricots

One of the simplest and most popular recipes for sweet pilaf with dried fruits, for its preparation you will need:

Rice - 1 tbsp
Dried apricots, raisins - 0.5 cups each
Melted butter - 0.5 cups
Sugar, salt - to taste

Melt the butter in a pot. Put dried fruits on the bottom and simmer for 30 minutes. Rinse the rice several times, put it in a cauldron, salt and pour water 2 cm above the level of the rice. Add sugar.

Without stirring, bring to a boil, close the lid and simmer over low heat until all the moisture has evaporated.
Wrap the pan with a blanket and let it brew for 15 minutes.
Cover the cauldron with pilaf with a serving plate and turn it upside down so that the dried fruits are on top of the rice.
It is worth remembering that pilaf should not have the consistency of porridge, and rice should be crumbly.

In addition to raisins and dried apricots, you can add other ingredients, dried fruits, as well as fresh fruits to hearty pilaf.

For example, a very tasty and satisfying pilaf with the addition of carrots or onions:

Rice round grain - 1.5 cups
Medium carrot - 2 pcs.
Dried apricots - 1 cup
Raisins - 1 cup
Olive or sunflower oil - 3 tbsp.
Spices - to taste

Dried apricots and raisins, pour warm water for 30 minutes to swell. This is necessary in order for the dried fruits to be soft.

Rinse the rice about 5 times until the water runs clear.
Grate carrots, also cut dried apricots into 3-4 parts, depending on the size of the fruit.
In a container with a thick bottom, or a cauldron, add oil, when it heats up, put the carrots, lightly fry. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour in water, lightly salt, add sugar and bring to a boil.
When the moisture boils away to the level of rice, reduce the heat. Simmer under the lid for 20 minutes.

Serve the dish hot. Sweet pilaf is a vitamin mixture, especially beneficial for people who are on a diet or fasting, all ingredients help to saturate the body with energy and useful substances. In addition, the dish will perfectly decorate any holiday table, and is also perfect for the everyday menu of the family.

Sweet pilaf is no longer just a meal, it is a real delicacy. They can decorate not only a festive table for adults, but also to please children at a children's holiday. The sweet version of the dish will not take much time, and its cost will be relatively low. If you do not know how to cook sweet pilaf, then look at a few suggested options. Any recipe will delight your guests and family!

Pilaf with dried fruits

The main component of sweet pilaf is not zirvak, but properly prepared rice. This recipe is complicated by the fact that pilaf needs to be cooked on a special cake, which you will have to make yourself.

Ingredients:

Long grain rice - 0.5 kg;
a mixture of dried fruits - 0.3 kg;
vegetable oil - 50 ml;
salt - to taste;
turmeric - 1 teaspoon;
for frying dried fruits 50 grams of butter;
for tortillas - flour (2-3 tablespoons), egg (2 pieces), butter (100 grams), sour cream (2 tablespoons)

Cooking:

Rinse rice with plenty of warm running water. To do this, pour it into a saucepan or dish, pour a portion of water, drain it and repeat the washing several times (until the water becomes almost transparent).
This is how you cook rice. Place it in any saucepan, fill it with salted water so that its free layer is about 1 cm, and cook for no more than 7 minutes from the moment of boiling.
While the rice is cooking, we will cook gazmak - this is a special flatbread that will “make” pilaf out of rice porridge. Knead a thick dough of flour, sour cream and eggs, add a little salt and mix everything thoroughly. Now put the butter in the dishes prepared for pilaf, add half of the turmeric and pour in the vegetable oil. When everything warms up well, pour the gazmak mixture on the bottom and turn it over after two or three minutes (similar to frying pancakes).
Put the rice in an even layer on the gazmak, brush with the remaining vegetable oil and sprinkle with turmeric. Now the dishes can be closed with a lid and left on a very low heat for 30-40 minutes.
While the rice is ripening, we will prepare dried fruits. Melt the butter in a frying pan and hold them over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Rice should be laid out on a wide dish, dried fruits should be distributed on top of it. Gazmak needs to be cut into beautiful portioned pieces. Sweet pilaf with dried fruits is ready! By the way, the recipe for this pilaf does not imply its portion serving.

Pilaf with raisins

This sweet recipe is somewhat simpler than the previous one, and it is easier to cook according to it, but the taste of pilaf is in no way inferior to the first option.

Ingredients:

long-grain rice - 0.4 kg;
raisins - 4 medium carrots
granulated sugar - 1 tablespoon;
saffron - half a tablespoon;
onion - 1 large head;
carrots - 1 large fruit;
salt - a quarter of a teaspoon;
vegetable oil - half a glass.

Recipe:

To prepare this version of sweet pilaf, you need a cauldron. We start cooking. Pour vegetable oil into it, wait until it is well heated, and only after that we add finely chopped onion.
When the onion becomes almost transparent, add chopped carrots to it. Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring with a spatula.
Add washed rice to the cauldron, season it with spices and fill it with water (a free layer of about 1 cm). Now it remains to wait until the rice absorbs water, and only after that can the cauldron be closed with a lid and reduce the power of the heating pad to a minimum.
After the specified time has passed, the cauldron can be opened and washed raisins can be added to the pilaf. Mix everything thoroughly. If desired, you can sprinkle the dish with lemon juice.
Sweet pilaf with raisins should be served hot. You can decorate it with other dried fruits or the remaining raisins.

Pilaf with dates and mango

The original recipe for fruit and nut pilaf does not leave indifferent anyone who tries the dish prepared according to it.

Ingredients:

long grain rice - about 300 grams;
dates - about 150 grams;
mango - about 100 grams;
nuts (preferably chopped almonds) - 70 grams;
vegetable oil - 50 ml;
crushed cinnamon - half a teaspoon;
natural grape juice - about 300 ml;
juice of one lemon.

Cooking:

Rinse the mango pulp, dates thoroughly and cut into small cubes.
Fry the nuts in a pan, stirring vigorously.
In a cauldron, heat the oil and put the washed rice in it, season with cinnamon. Now rice needs to be fried for several minutes, then add juice and about 1 cup of boiled water to it. After boiling in pilaf, you need to add prepared fruits and nuts. After 20 minutes of languishing on low heat under the lid, the pilaf can be removed from the fire. By the way, try adding some lemon juice while cooking. The taste of the dish becomes piquant, but not everyone likes the sourness that appears.
Such pilaf can be served both in one common dish, and in portions.

Many housewives are wondering - what kind of rice is better to choose when preparing sweet pilaf? Our choice of rice is not rich, so I use the usual long-grain, but if it is possible to replace it with basmati rice, then be sure to do it - it will fit perfectly into any pilaf recipe.