How to cook rice for a crumbly side dish. Delicious side dish rice

Rice groats are known and loved on all continents. It is impossible to find a cuisine that does not feature rice in one form or another.

In countries Far East this dish is so popular that, for example, in China, they ask as a greeting: “Did you eat rice today?”.

In Europe, rice groats appeared relatively recently, during the late Middle Ages and the great geographical discoveries. When people began to actively explore the space. Very quickly gaining popularity, rice became national dish almost everyone European countries.

Rice groats do not contain gluten, the most allergenic vegetable protein. That is why it is included in children's menu as the first porridge.

In addition, rice is actively used for the preparation of mucous and cream soups at various therapeutic diets.

Types of rice groats

There are countless varieties of rice. In total, botanists distinguish 20 cultivars and several hundred varieties.

According to the appearance of the grain, rice is distinguished:

• Long-grain - narrow and long, up to 2 cm, when cooking, these grains practically do not stick together - they are ideal for a crumbly side dish;
• Medium-grain - semi-circular, short cereals of medium gluten content, for example, the "risotto" variety, ideal for the dish of the same name, this also includes the famous "devzira" rice for cooking pilaf;
• Round-grain - rice is round and short, contains a lot of gluten, ideal puddings, casseroles, mashed and slimy soups are obtained from such cereals.

According to the processing method, rice can be distinguished:

• Sanded. Grinding is the most common processing method rice groats, the grains are white, almost devoid of vegetable fiber and vitamins, but this rice is very nutritious and cooks quickly;
• Unpolished or brown. The grains are exposed minimal processing, keeping a maximum of vitamins and fiber, but they cook much longer and ready garnish it turns out too "rough" in taste;
• Steamed. The most optimal option for rice - the grains are treated with steam before grinding, thanks to which it is quite most of useful substances from the shell enters.

Methods for preparing friable rice

Depending on the desired result, the most best way cooking rice groats. You can cook:

• In water;
• For a couple;
• mixed way(Chinese).

Any type of rice absorbs water quite strongly, this must be taken into account when preparing it, but the thicker the grain, the stronger its hygroscopicity. Before cooking, it is recommended to rinse the cereal thoroughly, rubbing it with your hands, and at the end rinse it under running water.

In order to receive crumbly porridge in a saucepan, the rice is washed, put on a sieve and poured over with boiling water. Then fall asleep in boiling salt water in a ratio of one to one and reduce heating to a minimum.

During cooking, the grain is not stirred, but pierced in several places for better steaming. If all the water has already evaporated, and the cereal is not ready yet, carefully add a little boiling water. If desired cooked rice can be washed, but only boiled water.

Steamed rice cereal is the easiest to cook. It turns out invariably crumbly garnish. The grains must be washed and poured into the bowl of a double boiler, salt, pour water one to one. Steam until cooked through for about half an hour.

The Chinese cook rice in very large quantities. Several kilograms are cooked at once - it is the basis for many other dishes.

Groats are boiled in a large container with a ratio of one to five to water. Having brought it to half-readiness, they throw it on a large sieve, and then steam it in it.

We present you a video showing asian way rice cooking:

How to cook friable rice for a side dish in a saucepan

Round-grain - from such grain it is most difficult to cook friable porridge. It contains a lot of gluten and absorbs liquid very strongly.

This variety should be washed only under running water, otherwise it will swell and stick together even before cooking. And be sure to rinse the finished side dish.

Long-grain polished rice is great for making crumbly side dishes.

Especially different varieties "jasmine" and "Thai". They have gentle discriminating taste and a pleasant creamy texture, while the finished grains do not stick together into an unpleasant lump.

Brown (brown) or unpolished rice is preferred by people who monitor their health and adherents proper nutrition. It is cooked much longer than polished, it must be pre-soaked.

But such a side dish will definitely be crumbly and healthy.

Parboiled rice cooks slightly faster than unpolished rice. Almost any dish can be prepared from it: both semi-liquid risotto and crumbly chinese rice. It is also ideal for pilaf if you could not find a devzira.

Regardless of which type of rice you choose, certain rules must be followed to get a crumbly side dish:

• Check the expiration date of cereals. This is especially true of unpolished rice - it is stored for a very short time. Grains that are stored for a long time become brittle and stick together when cooked;
• For a crumbly side dish, keep the water / cereal ratio - 1/1;
• Rinse the rice before laying it, so you wash off the grain dust, which also contributes to the sticking of the finished dish;
• Select the right dishes for cooking. A steel pot with a thick, layered bottom is ideal. In them, the heat is distributed evenly and the cereal does not stick to the bottom;
• Observe the optimal temperature regime- first we cook on high heat, then reduce to a minimum, and be sure to let the porridge infuse, already without heating.

Steps to cook fluffy rice:

We choose the “correct” rice variety - long-grain, unpolished or steamed;

We wash the cereal;

We fall asleep in boiling salt water, observing the ratio - one part rice to one part water;

Let it boil again, reduce the heat to a minimum, close the lid;

When almost all the water is absorbed, we test for readiness, and if necessary, add a little boiling water;

We pierce almost ready rice in several places with a wooden stick (for example, for sushi);

After half an hour, remove from the stove and cover with a towel;

After another 10 minutes, the finished rice can be washed with boiled water, or you can simply mix it.

In the following video tutorial, you will learn how to cook rice so that it is fluffy in just 60 seconds!

The most common mistakes due to which the croup sticks together

• Unsuitable grain variety - it is quite difficult to cook a crumbly side dish from round grain;
• Too strong heating - in this case, it is very likely that your side dish will burn and not boil evenly;
• Unsuitable cooking utensils;
• Too much water - rice, regardless of the variety, absorbs liquid very strongly, and as a result, it boils and sticks together.

Cook crumbly rice side dish It's easy, you just need to practice a little and follow the rules.

Rice is perfect as a side dish for meat, vegetables, fish dishes and other seafood, as well as poultry. It has high nutritional properties, but it does not harm your figure at all. Complex carbohydrates, amino acids, fiber, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, iodine, phosphorus, zinc, iron in it constitute the necessary minimum of useful substances and vitamins for the human body.

Initially, rice was popular mainly in Eastern countries but now its benefits are appreciated all over the world. It has a good effect on gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, improves memory, renews the nervous system.
delicious rice as a side dish they cook mainly for meat, since it does not make it heavier at all, but only gently complements it. Today we will present you with several options for cooking rice, both the simplest and the more unusual.

Delicious rice for a side dish: a quick recipe

This is the easiest way to cook this grain. Please note that rounded and polished rice boils the fastest, and therefore is more suitable for making porridges. Therefore, we advise using the least processed cereals - brown rice or oblong, steamed. With them you will get a crumbly side dish.

Required products:

• rice - 500 g;
• sunflower oil - 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt;
• spices - according to your preferences.

Instructions for cooking:

1. Washing the grains cold water from the tap until it is no longer cloudy.
2. We remove damaged or black grains.
3. Pour the cereal into a saucepan and fill with water so that it is a few fingers higher in level.
4. Add spices, oil and salt. We mix everything well.
5. As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and let the dish stand for half an hour. So the rice is steamed enough, but it will not be boiled.

Cooking delicious rice for a side dish according to a Japanese recipe

For a traditional recipe from the true admirers of this cereal, the Japanese, you will need:

• rice - 1 cup;
• egg - 2 pcs.;
• green onion- 1 bunch;
• butter - 3 tbsp. l.;
• soy sauce- 2 tbsp. l.

Instructions for cooking:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly until the water is clear.
2. In a saucepan, fill it with 1.5 cups of water.
3. Bring to a boil without a lid. As soon as this happens, we make a minimum fire, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs with a whisk.
5. Wash the onion and finely chop.
6. Fry the onion with eggs in a pan with butter until the eggs are lumpy.
7. Add rice to skillet and pour in soy sauce. Mix and we can serve.

Rice side dish with vegetables

Required Ingredients:

• long grain rice - 1 cup;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• vegetable oil;
• green pea- 0.5 cups.

Cooking method:

1. Peel and wash onions and carrots.
2. Finely chop the onion, and rub the carrots on a medium grater.
3. In a frying pan with oil, we begin to fry them.
4. Peel and chop the garlic, add to the pan, mix.
5. After 5 minutes have passed, pour in 2 cups of cold water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer the vegetables under the lid until fully cooked.
7. If necessary, you can add more water.
8. At the end, add green peas and let the dish brew under the lid for about 20 minutes.

To make this rice side dish even tastier, you can use other vegetables. For example, zucchini or sweet bell peppers can be stewed at the same time as carrots and onions. Well fit and ready frozen assorted vegetables sold in a supermarket. They generally cook very quickly.

Another recipe for rice side dish

To cook rice with onions you need:

• rice - 1 cup;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• spices: paprika, garlic, basil.

How to cook:

1. Fry the chopped onion in oil in a saucepan.
2. Add washed rice and add water.
3. Cook until cooked, and then add chopped garlic and spices.
4. Now the side dish should stand a little and steam out, after which you can serve the dish on the table.

Bon appetit!

Rice is a very popular cereal. Despite the fact that it is cultivated in Southeast Asia, it is popular and known throughout the world. Many housewives are wondering how to properly cook rice for a side dish? The correct answer is that the method of preparation depends on its variety. Consider this in more detail and offer some simple recipes.

common varieties of rice

There are more than a thousand types of this cereal. Each of them is designed to prepare certain dishes. In addition, different varieties of rice have their own technologies for how to properly cook rice for a side dish.

The brown variety is very fragrant and takes longer to cook than the polished varieties. You have to deal with him. But the dishes from it are very tasty.

The most popular and traditional long grain rice. There are several varieties familiar to us.

One of the most common is fragrant jasmine. It is used in oriental dishes.

The second variety of long-grain rice is basmati. Due to its nutty flavor and crispness, it is the best option when preparing pilaf. The secret of its success is that after processing it is aged for a year.

Mistresses actively use round-grain rice.

One of the common varieties is Camolino. This is Egyptian cereal. In the cooking process, you must first fry it. Thanks to this, the rice will not stick together, it will acquire unique aroma and delicate taste.

The Italian arborio variety is used in soups and risotto. This cereal is able to perfectly absorb the tastes and aromas of all the components of the dish. Takes on a creamy texture. Dishes are very tender and creamy.

The most starchy rice is glutinous (sweet). In the process of cooking, the cereal is completely dissolved and becomes in consistency, like dough. Such a semi-finished product rolls out excellently. It is usually used to make crackers or mochi patties.

Unusual varieties of rice

One of the species - It comes in two varieties - Thai and Nanjing. The first of them is used in the preparation of second courses and salads, and the second - for desserts.

It has a pronounced nutty aroma. It is used as a garnish.

It is a real find. It goes well with meat and fish. But the end result will depend on how to properly cook rice for a side dish. According to the hostesses, it takes a long time to cook it. Only in this case will it reveal its unique taste qualities.

How to cook fluffy rice for a side dish

There are several cooking rules. Let's dwell on them in more detail.

First rule. It is necessary to take long-grain varieties.

Third rule. Rice is poured only with boiling water.

Fourth rule. Pour boiling water for half an hour, then rinse. This procedure is recommended to be done several times.

Fifth rule. Fry the rice before cooking.

Reviews recommend pouring enough water so that its level is 1 cm above the rice, do not open the lid while the product is cooking, and leave it after cooking ready meal insist. Don't forget to salt. Also, reviews advise steaming rice.

We offer great recipe. Pour some oil into the saucepan. Add chopped onion, carrot and green bean pieces (200 g). Roast the vegetables for a few minutes. Rinse a glass of long grain rice, drain completely. Fry the cereal with the rest of the vegetables for a few minutes. Next, pour one and a half to two glasses of boiling water. Cook under a tightly closed lid.

Pilaf with pumpkin

To begin with, let's dwell on how to properly cook long rice for a side dish:

1. Rinse the cereal with cold water five to seven times. The liquid should become clear.

2. Pour the cereal so that the water is 2 centimeters higher. Season with salt and close the lid tightly.

3. Turn on the burner to maximum and cook the rice for five minutes. Then reduce the heat and leave for a quarter of an hour.

4. Turn off the burner and leave the rice for five minutes. Add oil, stir and close the lid again. Leave the rice on the stove.

5. Two hundred grams of pumpkin cut into medium cubes. Grind carrots and onions, fry for five to seven minutes. Now you can add pumpkin. Cook it for fifteen minutes over low heat. Add rice. Pilaf with pumpkin is ready.

How to cook round-grain rice with green onions

1. Scald grits (200 g) with boiling water and rinse with cold water. It is recommended to repeat this procedure several times.

2. Pour rice with 300 grams of water, bring to a boil and leave for twelve minutes. Be sure to close the lid very tightly. The fire needs medium. After twelve minutes, look into the pan. If there is no liquid left, then the rice is completely ready. Salt it a little and add butter.

3. Fry the chopped onion and carrot for a few minutes. Chop green onions, put in a pan and add rice. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately. Garnish is ready.

Pilaf with steamed rice, bell pepper, beans and green peas

1. In a saucepan with a thick bottom, pour the cereal and pour water. Suggested Ratio: One part rice to 1.25 parts water.

2. The pan is put on a strong fire, but the lid is not closed. After the water boils, reduce the heat.

3. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the cereal over low heat for twenty to twenty-five minutes. Next, add salt and butter.

4. While the cereal is cooking, fry the cubes in a pan bell pepper, green peas, chopped onion, green beans and corn. Add rice and mix thoroughly. Fragrant and crumbly side dish is ready.

Pilaf "Exotica"

This dish is recommended to be prepared with black rice, as such a side dish always turns out crumbly. Groats will be able to give pilaf unusual taste and original appearance. So how to cook rice for a side dish? Easier than it looks, but longer in time.

1. Soak a glass of black rice in cold water and leave overnight. This will preserve all the useful properties of the grains.

2. In the morning, pour three glasses of water into enamel pan, bring to a boil, salt and pour in the cereal. Cover with a lid and leave to cook small fire for forty minutes. It's not worth mixing.

3. Black rice should quadruple in size after cooking.

4. In a saucepan, fry the chopped bacon, onion and garlic over low heat. Ten minutes later, add the corn. Fry a little, add boiled rice and butter. Serve with avocado slices, sprinkled with herbs.

Pilaf "Colorful"

This dish is recommended to be made from white and black cereals. on a side dish in this case? You must first cook black rice, and half an hour before the end of cooking, put white long-grain rice on the stove. Next, mix everything with salt and butter. In such a pilaf, you can not add seasonings, vegetables and roots. Thanks to the combination of rice varieties, it turns out to be original in taste and very beautiful.

In Russia, rice is not yet as popular as in Asia and Europe, where it is one of the favorite products, which is used to prepare not only side dishes, but also other dishes. However, this product is becoming more and more popular among our compatriots, as it is easy to prepare and quite useful, especially if we are talking about brown and wild rice. However, not all housewives know how to cook delicious rice for a side dish. 5 recipes from around the world and tips experienced chefs help with this.

Culinary Secrets

In countries where rice is used as one of the main ingredients of most dishes, the secrets are well known to make it really tasty as a side dish. However, many of our compatriots can benefit from the advice of experienced chefs.

• For different dishes fit different varieties rice. Yes, for Italian risotto only those varieties of rice cereal that contain a lot of starch are suitable. But if you boil rice according to traditional Russian recipes, you better choose varieties with a low starch content, otherwise the rice will turn into a mess during cooking.
• So that rice does not stick together during cooking, it is better to pour water with a margin, at least two parts of water per one part of the cereal. Additional help will provide you with odorless vegetable oil: pouring just a spoonful of this product into the pan, you will feel how much the rice turned out to be tastier and more beautiful.
• Rice for risotto and similar dishes is not washed, so as not to remove starch from its surface.
• Many recipes for cooking rice include frying it, thanks to which it retains its shape better when cooked.
• A bouquet of used spices and spices can dramatically change the taste of a rice side dish.

We offer you several recipes that are not too similar to each other, allowing you to deliciously cook rice for a side dish, spending a minimum of effort on it.

Boiled rice for garnish

What do you need:

• rice groats - 1 tbsp.;
• water - 2 tbsp.;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• salt, seasoning fragrant herbs And dried vegetables- taste.

How to cook:

1. Rinse the rice, put it in a thick-walled pan. Salt, fill with water.
2. Place on stove and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the fire.
3. After boiling under the lid for 10 minutes, add salt and seasoning, stir.
4. Continue cooking until the water has almost completely evaporated.
5. Pour in the oil, stir, turn off the stove. Wrap the pan and leave for a quarter of an hour.

Rs will turn out tender and crumbly. If butter is added to it instead of vegetable oil, it will acquire creamy taste. When cooking rice according to this recipe in a slow cooker, at the last stage it is left in the heating mode, the rest of the time it is cooked using special program for cooking rice. According to this recipe, rice for a side dish is cooked all over the world.

Risotto - rice for a side dish in Italian

What do you need:

• rice - 1 tbsp.;
• broth or warm water - 0.5 l;
• olive oil - 40 ml;
• butter - 25 g;
• white dry wine- 50 ml;
• parmesan or similar cheese - 25 g;
• onion - 100 g;
• salt, pepper - to taste (if broth is used, they can be omitted).

How to cook:

1. Heat up the oil and fry the finely chopped onion in it.
2. Add rice, fry, stirring. About 5 minutes.
3. Pour in wine, add spices to taste. Cook, stirring, until the wine has almost completely evaporated (partially absorbed into the rice).
4. Pour in half a cup of broth. While stirring, wait until it is absorbed into the rice. Pour in the same amount of broth. So, each time waiting for the complete absorption of the broth, use it all up.
5. Finely grate the cheese, cut the butter into thin slices
6. Add them to the rice, stir it and immediately remove from heat.

After that, risotto can be immediately served at the table as a main course or side dish. In the first case, it is better to cook it with vegetables, adding them at the same stage as the wine. It will be delicious either way.

Japanese rice

What do you need:

• rice - 1 tbsp.;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs.;
• green onions - 100 g;
• water - 1.5 tbsp.;
• butter - 60 g;
• soy sauce - 40 ml.

How to cook:

1. Rinse the rice well and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from stove.
2. While the rice is cooking, finely chop the onion and fry it in butter. Add the eggs to the onion and beat them with a whisk. As a result, they should fry in small lumps.
3. Add rice to the saucepan with onions and eggs, pour in soy sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes, after mixing.

This rice can be served as a side dish or as independent dish. It goes well with fish and seafood. It will especially appeal to those who are not indifferent to Asian cuisine, although its taste cannot be called very specific.

Turkish rice

What do you need:

• rice - 1 tbsp.:
• water - 1.5 tbsp.;
• butter - 20 g;
• frozen vegetable mixture - 0.4 kg;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Fry the rice in oil for a minute. Then fill with water and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes over low heat.
2. Salt, season. Pour in without defrosting vegetable mix. Boil until the liquid is completely dissolved.

To make the dish even tastier, spices should be bright and fragrant. You can add a little turmeric - it will give the rice a pleasant yellow tint. Rice cooked for garnish this recipe, will be especially useful, as it has a lot of vegetables.

Hawaiian rice

What do you need:

• rice - 1 tbsp.;
• canned corn - 100 g;
• canned green peas - 100 g;
• sweet pepper - 100 g;
• curry seasoning - 5 g;
• salt - to taste;
• cream - 0.2 l;
• water - 100 ml.

How to cook:

1. Wash the pepper, remove the stalks and seeds. Cut the pulp into small cubes, mix with corn and green peas.
2. Mix the curry seasoning with warm water and cream. Salt lightly.
3. Mix the vegetable mixture with rice, put in a glass or ceramic form.
4. Fill with cream. Put in the oven.
5. Turn on the oven and wait until the temperature inside it reaches 180 degrees. Cook rice with vegetables for 25-30 minutes. The liquid should have almost completely evaporated by this time.

This side dish is best served with poultry dishes, such as chicken breast.

You can cook delicious rice for a side dish at the most different recipes. Many countries in the world have their own unique technology cooking this dish. If you collect recipes from all over the world, your rice side dish will be different every time and you will never get bored.

Not all housewives can cook boiled and tasty rice. It is necessary to observe certain proportions, then your side dish will always turn out. Our recommendations will help to prepare this cereal correctly.

Choosing the type of rice

Choosing rice for cooking a particular dish, you should consider its type.

• Round grade has good absorbency, easy to glue. Good for making rolls, sushi, cereals, casseroles.
• The medium grain is represented by small oval grains about half a centimeter long. It is used for making pilaf, soup or pickle.
• Long grain is characterized by long thin grains up to a centimeter long. Such cereals do not stick together. Is perfect side dish to fish and meat. Pairs well with vegetables. Used as an ingredient in salads.

Cooking rules

boiled rice- the dish is simple. However, in order to be successful, you need to know certain tricks.

• Initially, you should choose the right dishes, it should be deep, have thick walls and a bottom. It can be both a saucepan and a cast iron. The main thing is that the grains warm up evenly from all sides. First, the shell of the grain must soften, then the core undergoes heat treatment. The use of aluminum and enameled containers for these purposes is not recommended, since they do not provide uniform heating. For this reason, the cereal may burn.
• Rice is moved, motes, dark grains (if any) are removed.
• The groats are repeatedly washed in running water until the white and cloudy liquid becomes a clear and clean substance. It should not be forgotten that the water for washing is used without fail cold. This is due to the fact that, using hot or warm water, you can brew the starch that is contained in the outer shell of the grains.

• Washed rice is placed in a container for cooking and poured with water, which is salted and supplemented with spices (according to individual taste preferences). Chicken or mushroom broth can be used as a base. In order to prevent grains from sticking together, add before cooking vegetable oil(a spoon is enough).
• Next, the container is sent to the stove.
• First, the flame of fire must be large. After boiling, the pan is covered with a tight-fitting lid to create the effect of a greenhouse. At the same moment, the fire is reduced to a small flame, the rice should come to readiness.
• The duration of the process from the beginning of cooking to the end of cooking is determined by the type of rice.

Proportions

The ratios of water and cereals, depending on the type of rice, are as follows:

• round grain - 2.5: 1;
• medium grain - 2.25: 1;
• long grain - 2: 1.

If a glass of cereal is taken, then in the first case two and a half glasses of water should be taken for cooking, in the second - two glasses and a quarter, and in the third two glasses will be enough.

Cooking time

Cooking time also depends on the shape and size of the grain:

• round-shaped grain is cooked for 20 minutes;
• medium grain is boiled for a quarter of an hour and infused for a fourth of an hour;
• a long grain will be ready in a third of an hour.

Recipes

Versatile garnish

For 200 g of cereal, take a glass of water. Rinse rice thoroughly to remove gluten. Put the rice grains in a saucepan, add water, add salt to taste. Put the pot covered with a lid on the fire. At the moment of boiling, reduce the power of the stove. The cooking process will take about 15 minutes. At the moment when the liquid is absorbed by the rice, remove the container from the heat. In the next half hour, it is required to keep the heat in the pan, for this purpose, cover it with a warm cloth. After the above time, mix the side dish, add a piece of butter.

Fluffy rice using a slow cooker

home assistant a slow cooker will help you make a crumbly side dish without problems. This will require:

• one part of rice cereal;
• two parts of water;
• a small piece of butter;
• a handful of salt.

Well-washed rice is immersed in the bowl of the appliance. Water is poured from above. Salt and oil are added. The device is closed. The "Rice" mode (or "Milk porridge") is set. After the end of the program, you should wait for some time so that the rice finally steams out and becomes even tastier.

steamed rice

This product undergoes a special heat treatment, which, however, takes away from him a fifth of useful properties. You can prepare friable steamed rice as follows. Take 1 cup of steamed rice to 1 and a quarter cup of water. After washing, soak the cereal for 30 minutes. Put the cooking container with cereals and water on the stove. After the water boils, reduce the fire. Salt, add oil to taste. After that, cook the side dish for about 20-30 minutes until the final preparation.

Another option for making steamed rice is without soaking. In this case, you need to take a liter of water for 1 and a half cups of cereal. Rice grains are placed in boiling water. It cooks for 30 minutes in a covered pot. After cooking, you need to remove the dish from the stove and stand for 10 minutes.

Uzbek pilaf

Cooking Uzbek pilaf associated with knowledge of the intricacies of the cooking process and requires certain skills. Getting down to business, you should prepare the right utensils. Ideally, this is a round cauldron with a convex bottom (cast iron or aluminum with thick walls). On preparatory stage stock up on provisions:

• ½ kg of fatty lamb (preferably a ham);
• ½ kg long grain rice premium;
• ½ kg of carrots (the sweeter, the better);
• ½ kg of onion;
• 3 garlic cloves;
• 4 teaspoons mixture ground spices, which includes paprika, black ground pepper, zira, barberry;
• lamb fat in classic version dishes can be replaced vegetable oil, respectively, fat should be taken 75 grams, sunflower oil- cup.

Initially, the cauldron is placed on the fire and warmed up. Oil is carefully poured into a heated vessel, which should flow along the walls of the cauldron (or the fat is heated). The fire at this moment should not be large. Oil or fat is not brought to a boil, as vegetables and meat are to be fried, not stewed. Lamb is cut into pieces of the same size, arbitrary shape (but not too small). The meat is fried until it acquires a brown hue over maximum heat.

De-husked onion wash and dry paper towel. Cut into half rings and add to the meat for frying. Peeled carrots are also cut, but in the form of long sticks (you should not use a grater: in this case, a lot of carrot juice and the vegetable will be stewed). The resulting blank is added to the cauldron at the moment when the color of the onion turns golden. The mass is mixed and fried for five minutes.

All this mass should be slightly salted, because after laying the rice in the cauldron, the dish will not be salted. Add pre-prepared spice mix.

Carefully washed rice is given a place on top of an impromptu pillow (do not allow the cereal to mix with the components of the pillow). A saucer is placed on top of the rice, onto which boiling water is carefully poured from the kettle until the rice is covered with liquid by 1-1.5 cm. The saucer is removed with care, since it is important not to disturb the monolithic layer of rice. The final preparation process is carried out on high heat, without covering with a lid. It turns out that rice is steamed over a pillow of meat and vegetables, resulting in a crumbly dish.

After the water has boiled away, the rice is pierced in several places to the bottom, a little water is poured into these holes. hot water. Gently distribute the quartered garlic cloves. The container is closed with a lid, the flame is reduced to a minimum, the dish languishes like this for a quarter of an hour. After turning off the stove, do not open the lid for another quarter of an hour in order for the dish to reach the desired condition. Before serving, turn the contents of the cauldron on a large flat dish: rice will be below, a pillow of vegetables and meat will be on top.

Pilaf does not hurt to serve pita bread, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes.

Vegetable rice in a pan

The side dish has an attractive appearance, is tasty, and it is not difficult to prepare it. For cooking, you need to take:

• ¾ cup long rice;
• a larger bulb;
• more carrots;
• ½ can of green peas;
• ½ can of dessert corn;
• a teaspoon of turmeric powder;
• sunflower (can be sesame) oil.

Oil is poured into a frying pan with high sides, which is heated to a hot state. In it, diced onions and carrots are fried for 5 minutes. In the process of frying, stirring occasionally, you need to add turmeric powder. After the onions and carrots are sufficiently fried, the groats, cleaned of starch, are laid out on top, leveled in an even layer and poured with boiling water.

The liquid should cover it by 1 cm. Add salt. After boiling, the pan is covered with a lid: the dish is languishing over minimal heat. After a third of an hour, green peas and corn are laid out on top of the steamed rice. And in this combination, the dish languishes under a tightly covered lid for a few more minutes. Mix everything before eating.

mushroom risotto

gourmet dish, which has Italian roots, is best made from round rice. To prepare it, you should add:

• ⅔ cup of round rice;
• 100 g parmesan;
• ½ chili pepper;
• a couple of garlic cloves;
• medium bulb;
• 300 g of champignons;
• 1½ cups mushroom broth;
• olive oil;
• parsley.

In order to prepare such a risotto, you should go through the following steps. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil well in a frying pan. Onion, chili, garlic are cut very finely and fried in oil. This is done carefully: the onion should just become transparent, but not change color. Mushrooms, previously cut into large pieces, are laid out in vegetables. All ingredients are fried for 5-8 minutes. In another frying pan over medium heat, fried in olive oil dry rice until it becomes transparent.

The cereal is transferred to the first pan, where there are vegetables with mushrooms. Next comes the gradual introduction of mushroom broth: first, 50 milliliters are poured into a mixture of rice and vegetables, which is periodically mixed. After the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, the process is repeated several times until full cooking rice (it should be soft, but not boiled). A mixture is made from grated coarse grater cheese and finely chopped parsley, which is laid out in rice. Melted cheese gives the dish a delicate and unique taste.

It was previously noted that the characteristics of rice grains, expressed in shape and size, affect the cooking time and the characteristics of the cooking process itself. Below are some cooking tips different varieties rice cereal.

Rice round shape

• Such raw materials are characterized by the presence more starch compared to other types of rice cereals.
• To obtain a crumbly state in ready-made such a product must be thoroughly washed and dried before cooking. You can dry it by spreading it on a sieve.
• When cooking, the fire is used medium before boiling water and small after it boils.
• The cooking container is covered with a lid without fail.
• The rice should not be stirred as this will cause excess starch, which prevents the formation of a crumbly structure.
• After the rice absorbs all the liquid, it can be removed from the heat and infused until cooked.

long rice

• Cooking long grains is advisable to carry out in pans with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid.
• Preparation of such cereals for cooking consists in washing it until the cloudy shade of the liquid disappears.
• To check if there is enough water to cook rice, you can use this trick. Submerge thumb into the water, touching the rice: if the phalanx is half covered, then a sufficient amount of liquid has been poured.
• It is important not to oversalt, because when using rice as a side dish or part of a salad, do not forget that sauce can be used in cooking.
• The lid, which tightly covers the pan, will help make the grains more crumbly and prevent them from sticking together.
• Before boiling water, the fire is made as large as possible, after boiling - the slowest.
• After turning off the heat, it does not hurt to hold the rice under the lid for a couple of minutes.

You should know that long-grain rice is white, brown, black.

brown rice

• In terms of composition and content of trace elements, it is more useful than white.
• It is prepared like white, but the cooking time after boiling should be longer (5-10 minutes).
• Its disadvantage is that it deteriorates faster.
• You don't need to use oil to cook this rice because brown rice contains it.

wild black rice

• It has a considerable cost, therefore it is not as common as white rice.
• The taste is sweetish, has a nutty flavor.
• As a rule, in the store you can find packaging where black is combined with brown or white rice.
• Subject to long soaking before use (12 hours), which is done to clean and preserve nutritional properties product. After such an operation, the cereal softens and will cook well.
• Since during cooking it greatly increases in size (almost four times), water should be taken 3 times more than cereals.
• The cooking time for black rice is longer than brown rice - up to three quarters of an hour.

How to cook rice for a side dish, see the following video.