Pilaf is a dish with a fascinating history. It has spread around the world from its origins in the middle east and inspired, it’s said, diverse rice based dishes from paella to biryani. Elsewhere made with rice, Armenian pilaf is made with bulgur.
For Taline Sarian, pilaf is a staple meal. Her mother and grandmother used to make pilaf for her, and she loves it because it’s easy, and also very healthy. This simple recipe has all the hallmarks of Armenian cuisine, and yet can still be made on a weeknight. Taline shared her recipe with us. Watch the video below.
Some cameras were harmed in the making of this video, and their warranties voided.
Taline’s Pilaf Tips
As Taline shows us, Pilaf is not complex. The real trick is getting the salt right, and picking a broth or bouillon which you like.
She combines onion, red pepper, and tomato in order to her saucepan so they’re cooked to the right level at the same time. For a sweeter pilaf, you can cook the onions and peppers longer before adding the tomatoes.
It’s important not to cook the tomatoes too long.
Taline uses bouillon cubes in hot water to make her broth. This is a personal preference. Especially with vegetable bouillon, everyone has a preference of the balance of flavour and salt, which you should explore.
For such a simple meal, Taline’s presentation is exceptional. To serve, she first spoons a serving into a small round bowl, and places her serving plate on top of the bowl, face down. She flips the two together and removes the bowl to expose a perfectly shaped pilaf dome.
She tops it with a sprig of parsley and encourages our producer Ani to have a taste.
Dietary Notes
Dairy free, nut free, peanut free, vegetarian, vegan
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper finely chopped
1 tomato, finely cubed
1 cup (240 mL) bulgur
1 cup (240 mL) vegetable broth
1 cup (240 ml) hot water
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps
In a medium saucepan, cook onions over medium heat in oil until transparent.
Add red peppers and stir together for 1-2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and combine.
Fry all ingredients for 1-2 minutes and mix in salt and pepper to taste.
Add bulgur and fry all ingredients together for another 1-2 minutes.
Add water and broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed by the bulgur.
To serve, spoon a portion of pilaf into a round bowl, and pack it down. Then, place your serving plate upside down on top of the bowl, and flip the two so that the pilaf falls onto the serving plate and maintains its shape. Garnish with pepper and parsley.
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