Savory Turkish Pilaf Recipes

SAVORY OAT PILAF

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook about 5 minutes or until softened.
• Add broth and water; heat to boiling. Gradually stir in oats. Using coarse side of grater, grate carrots into oat mixture. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until oats are soft and creamy.
• Stir in peas. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are thoroughly heated.
• Remove pilaf from heat. Stir in parsley, lemon peel and ground red pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

SAVORY TURKISH PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the lamb until brown.
• Remove the meat from pan and keep hot.
• In the same butter, cook the onion until it is soft but not brown.
• Add the nuts and rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomato through the bouillon; the dish will sizzle.
• Stir and cover tightly.
• Reduce heat to the lowest possible heat and cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid absorbed (20-30 minutes).
• Return the lamb to the rice and heat thoroughly.
• Let stand, covered, in a warm place 15 minutes without cooking.
• Sprinkle on parsley or mint.

TURKISH PILAF

Steps:

• In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until blended. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated.

TURKISH RICE PILAF WITH VERMICELLI

Steps:

• . Put the rice in a colander and rinse it under lukewarm running water until the water runs clear. Put the rice into a large bowl, cover it with lukewarm water, and mix in 1 tsp of salt. Let the rice soak for 30 min then drain using the colander again.
• . For this recipe you will need a wide non-stick pan that has a tight-fitting lid. The sides should be at least 8 cm (3 in) high. Place the pan on the largest burner and melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the pasta and sauté stirring often with a wooden spoon until the şehriye turn golden brown. It usually takes around 3 to 4 min.
• . Add the rice to the pan, stir until most of the grains are coated in butter and cook for 2 min. Add the stock into the pan and the remaining 1 tsp of salt, stir and increase the heat to quickly bring to a boil. Cover with the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. For example, the heats of my induction stove go from 1 to 10 (10 being the hottest) and I lower the temperature to 4 when I cook Turkish rice pilaf. Cook the rice, covered, for 10 min. If the stock hasn't been completely absorbed by then, uncover the pan and keep cooking until it has. On the contrary, if the rice pilaf looks a bit dry and not completely cooked through (don't hesitate to taste but be careful not to burn yourself) add a splash of water and keep cooking covered until absorbed.
• . Turn off the heat, remove the lid and stir the rice gently with a wooden spoon. Lay a clean tea towel or several sheets of paper towels over the pan (it shouldn't touch the rice). Put the lid back on and let the rice sit for 10 min. Fluff the rice gently again and serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and big spoonfuls of yogurt!