I am the same person who for many years lived in blissful ignorance of the "only correct" recipe for pilaf. But one fine day he came to Zen and found out that somewhere he, this only correct recipe, exists.
And there are they - the great carriers of the sacred knowledge about the correct pilaf, the very ones who come and call any recipe "banal rice porridge."
After all, something in him, but does not match! After all, real pilaf, according to them, is lamb, rice, carrots and... spices. Even a bow, and then many are in doubt.
Meanwhile, there is no “only true recipe for pilaf”. As well as the only true recipe for borscht, fried potatoes, cabbage soup ...
You've probably heard the saying (it is often mentioned) that there are as many types of pilaf as there are cities in the Muslim world. And, as for me, and more.
Take, for example, bakhsh - pilaf of Bukharian Jews. It differs from the pilaf that was cooked in Bukhara outside their community.
In general, pilafs differ radically in the way they are cooked. There is an “Uzbek” version (well, as we have a division), in which all the ingredients are cooked together, and there is an Azerbaijani version, where rice is cooked separately.
I have tried pilaf with chicken and lamb, pork and beef, even fish and offal. Yes, for my taste, pilaf can be with lamb or beef, at worst, or with them. I don’t understand the taste of pilaf with chicken (I don’t like this combination) and I’m not willow in pilaf with pork - after all, it’s not in Muslim traditions, but pilaf with fish and seafood is more like paella for me.
But! This is my personal opinion, I will not impose it on anyone. If someone considers these dishes to be pilaf, then good health!
I have tried sweet pilaf with a huge amount of dried fruits and nuts.
I had a chance to taste Kabul pilaf - sweet and spicy ...
And all this was exactly pilaf.
Therefore, I cannot say that there is only one correct recipe for pilaf. As well as the only correct way to prepare it. And even more so, I don’t believe (excuse me, in the statement that “only a native of the East can cook real pilaf”).
What about you?