Authentic Rice Pilaf Recipes

ARMENIAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the egg noodles and stir until they begin to brown, being careful not to burn the butter. Stir in the rice. Continue stirring until rice is coated with butter.
• Pour in the chicken broth and add the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover tightly. Cook without uncovering pot until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

BASIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion over medium heat until golden. Stir in rice and cook for 1 minute.
• Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.
• Fluff rice with a fork and stir in parsley.

CLASSIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine rice and onion mixture in a 9x13-inch casserole dish placed on a baking sheet. Stir thoroughly to coat the rice.
• Combine chicken stock, salt, saffron, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock mixture over rice in the casserole dish and stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove foil and fluff with a fork to separate the grains of rice.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Toast 1/2 cup broken spaghetti in a saucepan with butter, 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and cook 1 minute. Add 1 cup basmati rice and a pinch each of allspice and salt; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth; cover and simmer, 15 minutes. Cook 1/2 cup each sliced almonds and dates in butter, then stir into the rice. Season with salt and top with chopped parsley.

AUTHENTIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in 2 qt saucepan.
• Crumble vermacelli and add to melted butter.
• Saute until vermacelli is golden brown.
• Add rice, broth, water.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer.
• Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
• DO NOT PEEK!

LEBANESE RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Saute the spaghetti in the clarified butter or olive oil until light brown. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
• Stir in the uncooked rice, then add the boiling water. Stir and allow to come back to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Uncover and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Place in a serving dish and top with the pine nuts and a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Combine broth, parsley and butter in a saucepan; bring to boil. Stir in rice; cover. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.

AUNTIE'S ARMENIAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In 2-qt. heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid, melt butter over medium heat until foam subsides.
• Add vermicelli noodles and saute until dark and reddish in color.
• Stir in rice and saute in butter until rice is fragrant and nutty in aroma.
• Raise heat to medium-high; pour in boiling chicken broth and stir.
• Add salt and pepper, tasting a bit of the broth to ensure desired seasoning.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to keep broth at a simmer and cook for exactly 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, remove cover and taste a few grains of rice for doneness. If still a bit hard, replace cover and cook for two additional minutes.
• When rice is tender, remove pot from heat. Place a paper napkin directly on top of the pilaf and replace cover; let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
• After rest-time has elapsed, remove cover, discard the paper napkin, and stir the pilaf before serving.

ANN'S RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Dissolve chicken bouillon in water in a bowl.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir vermicelli pieces until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Pour bouillon mixture into the skillet with the vermicelli.
• Stir rice, black pepper, salt, and Greek seasoning into the vermicelli mixture and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

GREEK RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat. Add the rice and onion and sauté until both are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the water with 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice is just done, 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the nutmeg, if using. Sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Fluff with a fork and serve.
• NOTES: Not caring much for the flavor of plain water, a Greek cook who does not have stock on hand will usually flavor the water with tomato paste: about 1 tablespoon tomato paste to 1 cup water. This can be used for bulgur pilaf as well.
• As with bulgur pilaf, the quantity can easily be doubled, tripled, or more: Use 1 1/4 times as much liquid as rice. Be sure to increase the amount of olive oil and onion as you increase the rice and liquid.
• Adventures In Greek Cooking.

FRAGRANT RICE PILAF

Steps:

• 1. Combine the cumin, saffron and salt. Set aside.
• 2. Heat the butter and oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onion and wilt, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and carrots; cook 5 minutes more, sprinkling with the spice mixture.
• 3. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to mix well. Add the broth and cherries. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve hot.

EASY RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown rice in oil, stirring constantly. Blend in soup mix and pepper. Stir in water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in peas. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
• Stir in rice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and salt.
• Heat to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 16 minutes (do not lift cover or stir); remove from heat. Let stand covered 5 minutes.

LEBANESE RESTAURANT RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Soak rice in a bowl of water for 10 minutes; drain and rinse until the water runs clear.
• Heat 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil together in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir orzo until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add drained rice and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir orzo-rice mixture until rice is coated in butter-oil mixture and starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Pour water over rice mixture and season with salt; stir and bring to a boil. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is fluffy and tender yet firm, about 20 minutes.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat; cook and stir almonds until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter and stir in tahini until almonds are evenly coated. Mix almond mixture into rice mixture.