When Magic Was Cast On Rice

Pilaf is also recognized as pilau, pulao, polo, polow, and many more similar terms worldwide. The variety of names for this meal reflects the dish's geographical and cultural diversity. Continue reading to learn about the fascinating historical and culinary features of Pilaf.

From the beautiful kitchens of Mughals; Image Source: Outlook India

Indians take their food pretty seriously, especially rice. There are three different cultures in India that have a rice fetish. The first is the Bengalis, who often take their lunch on plates filled with Maccher Jhol and rice. The second culture that lives for rice is the South Indians.

With Sambhar and Rasam complimenting their bright white rice palates, they, too, love rice as much as they love Parottas. Lastly, let's come to the Bihari culture, where people can't compromise on their rice. They require it at least once daily, and the more, the merrier.

If the mention of rice brings out so many cultures to the surface, imagine the number of rice-based dishes the Indian subcontinent holds in her lap. For instance, as we move from Lucknow to Old Delhi to Hyderabad, the famous dish of Dum-Pukht Biriyani or the quick Punjabi-style Biriyani, every word has its specialty. While discussing Biriyani's delicious palates, yet another dish named Pulao comes to our mind. This dish might not be filled with chicken pieces, but vegetables of various kinds, cooked in kadhais and pressure cookers. This term has numerous derivations; some term it Pilau, Plov, Pulaka, Palau, or have you heard of Pilaf?

Simply put, you have the liberty of thinking of Pilaf as a person who changes his name every time he reaches a new country. Every time Pilaf visits a new country, it absorbs the culinary cultures of that region and dons a new look. Every house has its recipe for making Pilaf. All that one needs to do is pour in some creativity, rice, and spices, along with a few varieties of fresh herbs, to create a new variant. Either you can get some meat to make it a protein-rich diet or serve it plain with bread. In many cuisines throughout the globe, Pilaf is served as a primary attraction rather than a side dish, with each one assuming its position in the middle of a plate.

What we assumed was the classic dish was the reverse. All of these names have their origins in Pilaf. But where, therefore, are Pilaf's roots? Pilaf, a staple dish from various countries of Asia, has been pretty famous since 900 AD. It is said that there is no specific recipe for Pilaf, and every culture has its way of bringing out the taste of this dish. However, if we speak in simple words, any rice dish cooked with broth, meat, and vegetables, and has a fluffy and non-sticky texture, is more or less called Pilaf.

Let's get into the literal meaning of the word Pilaf. Pilaf originates from a Persian word called "Pilav," meaning "a dish of grains that are cooked with broth." In yet another origin, the Indo-Aryan word "Pula," meaning "a dish made with rice and meat," gives rise to Pilaf. Further confusing the Pilaf lovers, culinary historians have attributed the origin of Pilaf to a Sanskrit word called "Pulaka." These sources suggest that Pilaf's geographical roots are broad and span numerous parts of the world.

Yet again, some others say that " Pulaka " means "shrunken, withered, empty, or contaminated grain," which doesn't sound very good. When we talk about cooking Pilaf, it didn't start before the Middle Ages when the Mughals arrived with their Persian cookbooks. When Indians began cooking Pilaf, they added Persian ingredients like pistachios and raisins and gave their dishes unique names like Zarda Pilau and Hazar Pasand Pilau.

Pilaf: A dish so exquisite; Image Source: Bon Appetit

Indians believe that Muslims mainly cook this dish and, thus, have a Persian origin. Some sixty years ago, a famous restauranter E.P. Veeraswamy wrote the following lines: "The Mahommedan are born with the ability to make Pillau. This is demonstrated by the fact that all professional Pillau producers are Mahommedans, and the places most famous for Pillaus in India are (mostly Muslim) Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Delhi."

Though we think Pilaf has a Persian origin, the cookbooks from Persia go back to the 16th century. Thus, exploring a much older recipe collection from Arab consists of some Persian recipes that might give us more information about this dish. Digging deeper, we can find two thirteenth-century Arab cookbooks where we find the dish of Pilaf under an alias, Ruzz Mufalfal. This means rice grains that are non-sticky and appear as peppercorns.

In "The Link to the Beloved," the procedure to make Ruzz Mufalfal is as follows: "Cook the rice with meat until done, then drain and cover with a lid over low heat to steam." In "The Link to the Beloved," the following has been mentioned: "Cover the saucepan with a towel before putting on the top to prevent condensed steam from pouring into the rice." The taste and look of Pilaf are pretty different from all the other rice dishes we have ever had.

Rich in butter, Pilaf is made from Basmati rice in the Asian culture. After that, meat, broth, vegetables, spices, herbs, and clarified butter is added to enhance its taste. As the grain pellets absorb the flavorful water, the result is a light, soft, and fluffy plate of Pilaf, ready to be enjoyed. One of the main features of Pilaf is that it is scorched in nature. None of the grains stick with each other. It is said that people wash rice repeatedly and even soak it overnight to remove all the starch. The thorough washing, followed by the final steaming, ensures that the grains are fluffy and separate.

While all this might sound interesting, there's more to this dish. We have barely scratched the surface. Legends stretch Arab countries to Alexander's victory, bringing this dish to life.