PILAV WITH ORZO: TURKISH ARPA SEHRIYELI PILAV: A FAVOURITE

Full recipe for PILAV WITH ORZO
Ingredients:
2 cups Baldo (or Calrouse) rice
cup orzo ("arpa ehriye" in Turkish)
1/3 cup olive oil
50 g butter
1.25 cups water (*)
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
tbsp salt
(*) 0.25 cup extra water is necessary for the orzo

PREPARATION
Thoroughly rinse the rice with cold water to wash off any dust and the excess starch
This makes the pilav less sticky
Cook the pilav in a non-stick, heavy-bottomed pot with a well-fitting lid

COOKING
Pilav with Orzo is a favourite its roasted aroma
I prefer to dry roast the orzo to avoid burning the olive oil. You can roast with oil instead
Place cup of orzo into the pilav pot and sir continuously over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the orzo turns a beautiful golden brown
Then, add 1/3 cup of olive oil and rinsed rice
Stir the rice and orzo with olive oil for 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat
Different varieties of rice absorb water differently. Coating the rice with hot olive oil fixes its absorbance rate during cooking. This allows us to use a stable ratio of 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups of liquid (water/broth) for every type of rice.
Orzo pilav requires an extra 0.25 cups of liquid since it is flour- based product
Regularly stir the rice and orzo in the hot oil; gently transferring them from one side of the pot to the other to avoid damaging the grains
Once the rice becomes slightly translucent and separate from each other, add the water (or/and broth)
Using a spoon, stir to separate the remaining clumps and incorporate tbsp of salt to the mixture
Place 50 gr of butter over the rice, cover the pot with a lid, and bring the contents to a boil
Once the boiling starts, turn down the heat to the minimum setting and cook the rice for 15-18 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed (listen for a dry bubbling sound)
Do NOT stir the rice while it is boiling!
When all the liquid absorbed, the cooking is done
Keep the lid on, remove the pot from the heat

Pilav must cook slowly; rigorous boiling will quickly evaporate the liquid and extract more starch from the rice, making it more sticky
So, cook the pilav at a calm gentle simmer
Do not rush the pilav

RESTING & FLUFFING
Let the pilav rest for 12-15 minutes after cooking is done
You can place a paper towel (or a clean cloth) under the lid to soak up the excess condensation in the pot
When you let it rest, you will achieve soft yet distinguish grains that fall individually from a spoon.. This is key for a proper Turkish Pilav!!
Before serving, fluff the pilav with a thin utensil to release the steam without damaging the rice grains
Transfer the pilav onto a serving plate or a non-stick mold

SERVING
Pilav is an essential dish in Turkish Cuisine
Rice pilav with orzo is the most preferred as a side dish for meat, poultry, vegetables, and legumes
Roasted orzo gives an amazing aroma to this pilav and makes it favourite among other rice pilavs!
Using all the tips, tricks, and techniques of rice cooking create your own pilav based on your palate
Enjoy this simple delicacy!

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