Binnur's Turkish Cookbook

TurkishCookbook.com - Delicious, healthy and easy-to-make Ottoman & Turkish recipes

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Turkish Rice Pilaf

(Pirinc Pilavi)

Turkish Rice Pilaf
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 cup hot water or chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
Pinch pepper

Wash the rice several times with warm water and drain. Then cover the rice with hot water and leave for about 15 minutes, then drain. Melt the butter in a cooking pot. Saute the rice with butter for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Pour 1 cup of hot water or chicken stock in it. Add salt and pepper. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook until the rice absorbs all the water.

Take the cooking pot away from the heat. Open the lid, place a clean kitchen towel across the top of the pot on the rim and cover. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes. We call this brewing time. Then serve.

* Don't stir Pilaf while it's cooking.
* Don't use a spoon to fluff Pilaf. Use a wooden or regular fork for it.

Makes 2 servings.

You can serve Turkish Rice Pilaf with any kind of meal. My favorite is having this delicious pilaf with plain yogurt and some chopped fresh green onions (only white parts) all over.

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41 Comments:

At 12:12 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Binnur,

whilst searching the internet for new recipe ideas, I came across a site that has the exact same recipes as yours, even the pictures are the same.

Are you aware that someone is stealing your ideas? or is that you have given them permission?

I thought that it would be the right thing to do to let you know.

this is the link.

hasanvenurgul.sitemynet.com

check it out for your self.

Sidika

 
At 11:34 AM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hi Sidika,
Thank you very much for letting me know:) A while ago another
friend sent me their address too. No I did not give them permission to
post my recipes!
I have taken the necessary action....
Thank you again for your careful observation:)

 
At 1:45 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

it is great . i am curious for recipie to make mantar pilav. maybe you can share with us?

 
At 9:55 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Sure, in the future I will post Mantarli Pilav for you:)

 
At 1:55 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Binnur,
Will you please give me some hints on a great Turkish soup. My husband loves tomatoes, lamb, beef, seafood and veges. He also loves to dip his bread in it...help...linz2876@yahoo.com i.e. Lindsay Taran

 
At 9:52 AM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hi Lindsay,
We have a large variety of soup. I mostly posted soup recipes for fall
and winter. But I already posted tomato, lamb, fish and vegetable
soups, I am going to post more.... Check out the soups section :)
Dipping Turkish bread into soup and into the other dish's juice are so
Turkish, we love it:)
Sevgilerimle,

 
At 7:27 AM, Blogger Stella Bella said...

I was looking for a recipe of Turkish Rice Pilaf. ;) Thanks for this recipe!

I am going to make it! Cheers

 
At 10:34 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The recipie was great! I worked wonderfully! Thanks a lot. I was able to use it for a presentation about Turkey. Thanks again! It tasted great!

 
At 8:18 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Meraba Binnur!
I just wanted to let you know that your website is fantastic and very helpful - especially for foreigners living in Turkey!

I have been living here for almost a year now and was constantly trying to make pilav without much success. Even when people showed me how they did it, it was never really great. Once I tried your recipe for Turkish pilav, the first time I had success! It was so quick and easy and perfect tasting, everyone loved it.

Thank you!

Cathy

 
At 3:03 AM, Anonymous lueckerts said...

Merhaba Binnur,
I adore Turkish cuisine, I feel it is so under rated! Your recipes are great! I am looking for one for eggplant tava. Thanks!
Brinne

 
At 10:39 AM, Blogger Binnur said...

Merhaba Brinne,
Thank you:) I am going to post it soon:)
Sevgilerimle,

 
At 9:48 PM, Anonymous BASHT said...

Hello, My partner is turkish and he refuses to let me cook any turkish meals in the case that I ruin them. He is obsessed with his mothers rice and even goes to their house to eat instead at home with me and the kids. I don't know anything about this but I can cook, How do I make the turkish rice with those brown beads in it? He said that she uses turkey water or chicken water or something????? Please help.

 
At 10:20 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hello,
The beads are called Shehriye :) I've already posted Pilaf with Orzo (Sehriyeli Pilaf) recipe which is under the Pilaf section. Here is the address:
http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2005/03/pilaf-with-orzo.php
You can find orzo at the Turkish or Italian groceries. Don't worry you can cook Pilaf like his mother. Just give it a try:) Don't forget to use chicken stock (or broth) instead of water!
Take care,

 
At 1:37 PM, Anonymous Hakan said...

My wife is crazy for Turkish pilaf.

 
At 11:42 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

hello thanks for sharing your yum!yum!yum! turkish recipes.
I'm currently preparing your turkish rice.thanks wink

 
At 5:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thankyou great site .
I think it is great you add the
conversion factors as well no excuse now will have to try these out.

Regards Phill

 
At 6:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Meraba Binnur,

My partner is Turkish and he is making your pilav right now! He just made me smell it and said that no other rice smells like it. He sounds like the other lady's husband! haha!
teşekkür ederim!

Kira

 
At 5:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Merhaba Binnur,

i'm not the best of Cooks and i'm having trouble making this wich is a shame cause pilav is one of my favourite Turkish dishes. when I saute the rice I end up burning it and it just ruins the whole Pilav! could you give me any tips? Çok teşekkür ederim :)


Shaun

 
At 8:06 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Merhaba Shaun,
I think you over sauteed the rice:) The required time is just 2-3 minutes at medium-low heat. The purpose of sauteing the rice is not to leave any water in the pot, so that rice will be dry:)

 
At 12:02 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Merhaba Binnur - One of the times I was in Istanbul, I ate a stuffed eggplant in the restaurant of a small hotel. They served a half of an eggplant in a soup dish. It had meat, onions, the scooped out eggplant and potatoes in a light tomato sauce with seasonings, of course. I've made it several times, but haven't gotten the same flavors I remember.

Do you have any recipe for this. The main difference from other stuffed eggplant recipes was the inclusion of potatoes and the fact that it was served with the light tomato sauce that it was cooked in (after browning, I guess) Tesakurler Joan R.

 
At 11:17 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think I would add pepper into pilaf. I consider it would taste odd.

 
At 7:28 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Seasoning should include salt and pepper. Pepper doesn't give any
bitter taste to pilaf. I have never cooked pilaf without pepper! I think
you should give it a try. I am sure you would be surprised with the result.

 
At 5:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

How much water do you add for 1 cup of rice? What would the exact measurement be?

 
At 2:28 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hi,
You need 1 1/2 cup water.

 
At 3:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Binnur,

I live in Turkey and my pilaf SOMETIMES turns out OK - but often not. I think it's because of the type of rice that I choose, and maybe the water.

Can you explain the difference between the rices that are available in Turkey? ie. are baldo and osmancik rice similar or the same? And which of the other rices can be used for pilaf? Jasmine rice or short-grain rice?

Also, everyone tells me that Istanbul tap water in my rice makes it taste bad - but this sounds crazy. Do you notice a difference in taste? Should I stop?

I sometimes experiment with your recipes for Turkish friends. If I cook them something that they've never seen befor,e they get really suspicious and don't want to eat it. But as soon as I say, "It's an old Ottoman recipe!" they smile, taste, and love it. (I did that with your muhammara!)

Your recipes are great, thank you!

 
At 1:44 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hi,
I use Uncle Ben's converted, original which is short grain rice for every recipe that I've posted on my site. Some rice absorbs more water, some are not. It depends on what kind of rice you use.
Osmancik is a little bit bigger than baldo. The price is cheaper than baldo rice but it is of good quality. I always use 1 1/2 cup water for 1 cup rice and always rinse and saute the rice first.
I don't know about the quality of your tap water. If you like use the spring water and see the difference:)
I was surprised that some of your Turkish friends don't know about the muhammara:)
Take care,

 
At 9:58 AM, Anonymous Jenny Summerhill said...

Binnur, I found your rice recipe about a year ago. I Always considered myself a decent cook but my rice was atrocious! I will never make it any other way ever again, the amount of comments I've had on it is amazing! I always tell people where I learnt how to make the best, absolutely fullproof pilav. Thank you so much! Oh and my boyfriend is Turkish and unbelievable appreciative that he doesn't have to eat my rubbish rice anymore! :D Allahaısmarladık x

 
At 10:11 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Binnur,

thank you for posting your recipes! It is great. Just wanted to let others know if they do not care for long grain rice, which I think is similar to Baldo in Turkey. I prefer to use basmati rice, which I think makes it more tanetane! But, I am a rice crazy fan, but I also respect everyones rice taste :)

 
At 10:14 PM, Anonymous Michelle said...

Recipe looks great. Just wondering if you prepare the rice by rinsing the starch off as per usual or just use it straight from the packet?
Thanks :-)

 
At 8:39 AM, Blogger Binnur said...

HI Michelle,
As I mentioned in the recipe"Wash the rice several times with warm water and drain."
Otherwise you will have sticky pilaf like risotto:)
Always, you need to wash and drain rice or bulgur to remove the starch until the water is clear:)
Take care,

 
At 3:46 PM, Anonymous Miriam said...

Hi Binnur

As lots of your other comments say, thank you very much for this great website. I'm so excited that I can use this to make some tasty turkish food, i've just got back from a holiday in turkey and i love all the food there. Just a quick question - do you put a lid on the rice as soon as you've added the water after you have sauteed the rice for 2-3 mins? I'm not sure from the recipe. Thank you very much!

 
At 11:10 AM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hi,
Thank you:) Yes, the pilaf should be cooked with the lid on it:)
Take care,

 
At 10:08 AM, Blogger Jes said...

Thank you so much for this recipe! I ate this on my trip to Turkey and loved it. I make my own chicken broth to use in this and jasmine rice (since we dont like long grain much) its soooo good! My daughter and I eat it all the time. ^^

 
At 10:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

merhaba ablacim nasilsin? Yemeklerin cok hos ve cok guzel esim cok seviyor :)) Thanks so much !!
Love, Yasemin

 
At 1:41 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Yasemincigim, cok tesekkur ederim, iyiyim:) Ellerine saglik, tum yaptigin guzel yemekler icin:)
Kendine iyi bak, sevgilerimle,xox

 
At 4:21 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi!
We prepare the same recipe here in Albania.Maybe this is due to the turkish invasion.
It is a very delicious pilaf.

 
At 7:07 AM, Anonymous Nicola said...

Just made this to go with chicken kebabs. Absolutely gorgeous best rice recipe with lots of flavour will always follow this recipe for rice from now on, so easy too, thankyou.

 
At 9:42 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

I have a rice cooker, which, many may frown at, but I heard one at my favorite Turkish restaurant, which is why I bought one! How would you make this gorgeous rice in a rice cooker? If you don't recommend it, that is fine, I'm trying to learn! Thank you :)

 
At 10:22 PM, Blogger Binnur said...

Hi Kristine,
I've never used a rice cooker and I will never use it:) It is quite easy to make perfect rice pilaf in the traditional way. Just give it a try and you will see what I mean:)
Take care

 
At 6:27 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Merhaba, Binnur!
Greetings from Siberia, Russia and thank you very much for the pilaf recipes!
I have a general question regarding the measuring part in both rice and bulgur recipes.
Do you use the same (250 mL) cup to measure both grain and liquid?
So 3/4 or 1 1/4 cup = 3/4 or 1 1/4 of a 250 ml cup for both rice/bulgur and water/broth?
Or do you use dry-ingredient cups for rice/bulgur?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
Best regards,
Darya.

 
At 9:56 AM, Blogger Binnur said...

Merhaba Darya:) Yes, I use the same measurement for both dry and liquid ingredients in all my recipes. All you need is 250ml cup to make them
all :)

Best regards,
Binnur

 

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