It is prepared differently in every country, there are a huge number of recipes for this oriental dish, different traditions and rules, as it is.
This dish is found in the tales of "A Thousand and One Nights" and is strongly associated with the East in modern man. A delicious pilaf. So who invented it?
The exact date of birth of this dish is unknown, but scientists say that already in the II – III century BC, it was very popular. There is a version that the pilaf recipe came from China.
This is not true, since the rice cooking technology in Chinese cuisine is somewhat different.
There is a legend: that the recipe for pilaf was invented by cooks from the army of Alexander the Great during his campaign in Central Asia.
The great commander adored spicy, spicy food, and he liked the new dish so much that he himself came up with a name that has survived to this day.
Poluv or pilaf, which is translated from Greek means “diverse composition”.
Also, the invention of an oriental dish is associated with the name of the conqueror Tamerlan. He had a long and difficult campaign ahead of him, and the eastern ruler was not ready to give up the sudden attack because of food convoys.
But when Tamerlan saw that his army was exhausted by a long campaign through the scorching sun, he gathered a council of war, where it was decided to feed the soldiers with food of dervishes, who ate boiled lamb and beef limbs for food and could overcome great distances on foot.
Such food was digested for a long time in the stomach, giving a feeling of satiety and prevented the body from losing fluid. Tamerlan ordered the best rice to be added to this unpretentious dish, and so Ferghana pilaf appeared.
The famous medieval physician and philosopher Avicenna used pilaf to treat patients. He even wrote a treatise, according to which, in pilaf (osh fallen) contains seven well-known healing and nutrients: P-onion; A - carrots; L - meat; O-fat; B is salt; O- water; S - fig.
Thanks to the combination of healthy products in it, pilaf is easily digested. Therefore, traditional healers recommend eating it after a serious illness or exhaustion of the body.
Undoubtedly, pilaf rightfully occupies a central place in the national cuisine of many countries. It is prepared for big holidays, weddings and for the arrival of dear guests.
There are thousands of pilaf recipes, they are passed from generation to generation, stored, changed. With dried fruits and nuts, with lamb or chicken, whether seasoned with aromatic spices.
Perhaps, there is no person who would be indifferent to the magically oriental and incredibly tasty dish whose name is pilaf.