Pilaf

Pilaf is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, a dish made with rice, cracked wheat, couscous, or bulgur. However, rice is the most commonly used ingredient, combined with meat, vegetables, dried fruits, and spices, simmered together in a flavored broth.

In Turkey, pilaf can be both a side dish and the main course, when it is traditionally served with a salad and yogurt on the side. Some believe that the best part of a pilaf is tahdig. The word means bottom of the pot, and it refers to the golden crust of rice which forms on the bottom of the cooking vessel.

It is said that the best way to get it in one piece is to immerse the bottom of the cooking vessel in cold water, and then turn it over onto a plate after a minute or two. Tahdig or no tahdig, pilaf is beloved throughout the world, from Afghanistan and Iran to India and Pakistan.