This vegetarian pilaf with bulgur is “fast” for one very good reason – it is prepared in a maximum of half an hour and without meat. True, the history of pilaf itself quite allows this.
There is an opinion that the best plov is from the Ferghana Valley. However, “scientists argue” (c), because the mega-popular recipe entered the gastronomic culture not from Uzbekistan, as we used to think. Tashkent, of course, is a city of bread. But there have been worse! For example, in the valley of the Indus or the Ganges. Yes Yes! Many historians of the art of cooking claim that polov – pilaf, also known as pilaf or shelves – comes from India. So here is my version – something between the Ayurveda of enlightened yogis, the food of the Baku commissars and the Fergana meal.

From sunny Baku, I took only a separate method: there, rice and meat in pilaf are cooked in different pots and cauldrons, and mixed only when served. The Uzbek tradition “taught” me to add bulgur to rice, and from the Indians I took a vegetarian style, a variety of rice (basmati) and a mixture of spices and spices. As a result, a very nice version of “rice” porridge was “born”. Actually, this does not contradict the basic principle of pilaf. So…

Total and active cooking time – 30 minutes
Cost – 6 $
Calorie content per 100 gr – 161 kcal
Servings – 4 servings
How to cook vegetarian pilaf

Ingredients:
Rice – 1/2 tbsp.
Bulgur – 1/2 tbsp.
Carrot – 1 pc.
Dried apricots – 6-8 pcs.
Orange – 1 pc.
Salt – to taste
Pomegranate – 1/2 pc.
Lemon – 1/2 pc.
Pear – 1 pc.
Onion – 1 pc.
Apple – 1 pc.
Garlic – 1 pc.
Black pepper – a pinch
Star anise – 1 star
Cinnamon – 2 sticks
Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
Pine nuts – 30 gr.
Grape seed oil – 4-5 tbsp.
Nutmeg – a pinch
Sweet paprika – a pinch

Cooking:

Rinse rice. Pour the bulgur into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir-fry until the smell of bread. Then pour in 2 tbsp. butter, mix well to “butter” the whole bulgur. Add rice and pour water in a ratio of 1:1.8. Season with salt and cook until al dente. Then cover with a lid and remove from the stove.
Disassemble the pomegranate into grains. Remove the zest from the lemon, squeeze the juice from half. Cut the orange in half, and with a sharp knife, extract the pulp between the wings – collect the juice.
Cut carrots, onions and dried apricots into strips.
Crush an unpeeled garlic clove with the flat side of a knife.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and wait until the aroma appears, at this moment add onions, carrots and dried apricots. Fry on medium heat for about five minutes. Then add lemon zest, fillet and orange juice. Season with paprika, nutmeg, black pepper and cinnamon sticks. Sweat for another three minutes.
Cut the apple and pear, remove the membranes and seeds. Chop into a cube. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In a separate pan, heat the oil, fry the apple and pear with brown sugar. When the sugar dissolves, put a star anise to the fruit and bring them to a soft caramel state.
Mix rice with bulgur, vegetables with dried apricots and caramelized fruits. When serving, sprinkle the vegetarian pilaf with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and enjoy the richness of flavors and spicy luxury.