Editing Pilaf

{{Short description|Rice dish}}
{{about|a dish|the country|Palau|the ''Dragon Ball'' character|Emperor Pilaf}}
{{distinguish|Fried rice}}
{{use dmy dates|cs1-dates=ly|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Pilaf
| image = Afghan Palo.jpg
| image_size = 280px
| caption = [[Kabuli palaw]], a variety of pilaf made in Afghanistan.
| alternate_name = Polao, pulao, plao, pela, pilav, pilov, pallao, pilau, [[pelau]], palau, polau, pulaav, palaw, palavu, plov, plovas, palov, polov, polo, polu, kurysh, fulao, fulaaw, fulav, fulab, osh, aş, paloo, piles, kürüch
| place_of_origin = 
| region = Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia, South Caucasus, East Africa, Eastern Europe
| associated_cuisine = 
| creator = 
| course = [[Main course|Main]]
| served = Hot
| main_ingredient = [[Rice]], [[stock (cooking)|stock]] or [[broth]], [[spice]]s, [[meat]], [[vegetable]]s, [[dried fruit]]s
| variations = 
| calories = 
| other = 
}}

'''Pilaf''' ({{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|p|iː|l|ɑː|f|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-NaomiAmethyst-pilaf.wav}}), '''pilav''' or '''pilau''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|p|iː|l|aʊ|,_|p|iː|ˈ|l|aʊ}}) is a [[rice]] dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in [[stock (cooking)|stock]] or [[broth]], adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat,{{Sfn|Oxford English Dictionary|2006b}}{{refn|group=note|Oxford English Dictionary (subscription required): "A dish, partly of Middle Eastern, partly and ultimately of South Asian origin, consisting of rice (or, in certain areas, wheat) cooked in stock with spices, usually mixed with meat and various other ingredients.{{Sfn|Oxford English Dictionary|2006b}}}}{{Sfn|Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary|2019}}{{refn|group=note|Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (subscription required): "rice usually combined with meat and vegetables, fried in oil, steamed in stock, and seasoned with any of numerous herbs (as saffron or cumin)."{{Sfn|Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary|2019}}}} and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere.{{Sfn|Perry|2014|p=624}}{{refn|group=note|Perry: "A Middle-Eastern method of cooking rice so that every grain remains separate. ...However, there is no evidence that rice was cooked by this technique in India before the Muslim invasions, and Indians themselves associate pilaf-making with Muslim cities such as Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Delhi. .... The first descriptions of the pilaf technique appear in the 13th-century Arabic books Kitab al-Tabikh and Kitab al-Witsla ila al Habib, written in Baghdad and Syria, respectively. They show the technique in its entirety, including the cloth beneath the lid, and describe still-current flavourings such as meat, pulses, and fruit.{{Sfn|Perry|2014|p=624}}}}{{Sfn|Roger|2000|p=1144}}{{refn|group=note|Roger: "As noted, Iranians have a unique method of preparing rice. This method is designed to leave the grains separate and tasty, making the rice fluffy and very flavorful. After soaking, parboiling, and draining, the rice is poured into a dish smeared with melted butter. The lid is then sealed tightly with a cloth and a paste of flour and water. The last stage is to steam it on low heat for about half an hour, after which the rice is removed and fluffed."{{Sfn|Roger|2000|p=1144}}}}

At the time of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], such methods of cooking rice at first spread through a vast territory  from [[South Asia]] to [[Spain]], and eventually to a wider world. The Spanish ''[[paella]]'',{{Sfn|Roger|2000|p=1143}}{{refn|group=note|Roger: " (p. 1143) Under the Abbassids, for example (ninth to twelfth century), during the Golden Age of Islam, there was one single empire from Afghanistan to Spain and the North of Arabia. The size of the empire allowed many foods to spread throughout the Middle East. From India, rice went to Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and eventually, it became known and cultivated all the way to Spain. ....  Many dishes of that period are still prepared today with ingredients available to the common people. Some of these are vinegar preserves, roasted meat, and cooked livers, which could be bought in the streets, eaten in the shops, or taken home. Such dishes considerably influenced medieval European and Indian cookery;''pilaf'' and meat patties that started out as ''samosa'' or ''sambusak''."{{Sfn|Roger|2000|p=1143}}}} and the South Asian ''pilau'' or ''pulao'',{{Sfn|Nandy|2004|p=11}}{{refn|group=note|name=Nandy11|Nandy: "(p. 11) Not merely ingredients came to the subcontinent, but also recipes. ... All around India one finds preparations that came originally from outside South Asia. ''Kebabs'' came from West and Central Asia and underwent radical metamorphosis in the hot and dusty plains of India. So did ''biryani'' and ''pulao'', two rice preparations, usually with meat. Without them, ceremonial dining in many parts of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh is incomplete. Even the term ''pulao'' or ''pilav'' seems to have come from Arabic and Persian. It is true that in Sanskrit — in the Yajnavalkya Smriti — and in old Tamil, the term ''pulao'' occurs (Achaya, 1998b: 11), but it is also true that ''biryani'' and ''pulao'' today carry mainly the stamp of the Mughal times and its Persianized high culture."{{Sfn|Nandy|2004|p=11}}}} and ''[[biryani]]'',{{Sfn|Sengupta|2014|p=74}}{{refn|group=note |name=Sengupta74|Sengupta: "(p. 74) Muslim influence on the style and substance of Indian food was profound. K.T. Achaya writes that the Muslims imported a new refinement and a courtly etiquette of both group and individual dining into the austere dining ambience of Hindu society. ... Babur's son, Humayun, came back to India after spending a long period of exile in Kabul and the Safavid imperial court in Iran. He brought with him an entourage of Persian cooks who introduced the rich and elaborate rice cookery of the Safavid courts to India, combining Indian spices and Persian arts into a rich fusion that became the iconic dish of Islamic South Asian cuisine, the ''biryani''."{{Sfn|Sengupta|2014|p=74}}}} evolved from such dishes.

Pilaf and similar dishes are common to [[Middle Eastern cuisine|Middle Eastern]], [[West Asia]]n, [[Balkan cuisine|Balkan]], [[Caribbean cuisine|Caribbean]], [[Caucasian cuisine|South Caucasian]], [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]], [[East African cuisine|East African]], [[Eastern European cuisine|Eastern European]], [[Latin American cuisine|Latin American]], [[Maritime Southeast Asia]], and [[South Asian cuisine|South Asian]] cuisines; in these areas, they are regarded as [[Staple food|staple dishes]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Башҡортса пылау (Плов по-башкирски) » Башкирская Кухня |url=https://www.bashkirskayakuhnya.com/vtoroe/%d0%bf%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%b2-%d0%bf%d0%be-%d0%b1%d0%b0%d1%88%d0%ba%d0%b8%d1%80%d1%81%d0%ba%d0%b8-%d0%b1%d0%b0%d1%88%d0%ba%d0%be%d1%80%d1%82%d1%81%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d1%8b%d0%bb%d0%b0%d1%83-2/ |access-date=2023-09-18 |language=ru-RU |archive-date=2023-10-29  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029010213/https://www.bashkirskayakuhnya.com/vtoroe/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%BF%D0%BE-%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%81%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%8B%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%83-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Marks">Gil Marks. ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Food''. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. {{ISBN|9780544186316}}</ref><ref name="Cavendish">Marshall Cavendish. ''World and Its Peoples''. Marshall Cavendish, 2006, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=j894miuOqc4C&pg=PA662 662]. {{ISBN|9780761475712}}</ref><ref name="StreetFood">Bruce Kraig, Colleen Taylor Sen. ''Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture''. ABC-CLIO, 2013, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9XCjAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA384 384]. {{ISBN|9781598849554}}.</ref><ref>Russell Zanca. ''Life in a Muslim Uzbek Village: Cotton Farming After Communism CSCA''. Cengage Learning, 2010, p. 92 [https://books.google.com/books?id=etV63sfgYFYC&pg=PA92 92–96]. {{ISBN|9780495092810}}.</ref>

==Etymology==
According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', Third Edition (2006) the [[English language|English]] word ''pilaf'', which is the later and [[North American English]] form, is a borrowing from [[Turkish language|Turkish]], its etymon, or linguistic ancestor, the Turkish {{lang|tr|pilav}}, whose etymon is the Persian {{lang|fa-latn|pilāv}}; "pilaf" is found more commonly in North American dictionaries than ''pilau'', all from the Persian {{lang|fa-latn|pilav}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Desmaisons |first=Jean J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TsoUAAAAIAAJ&dq=pilaw&pg=PA80 |title=Dictionnaire Persan-francais |date=1908 |publisher=Brill Archive |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Vieyra |first=Antonio |title="Chapter 2. Second part developing the title of this story and inviting the Portuguese to read it [Address to the Portuguese]" |work=History of the Future |pages=92–100 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4000/books.ugaeditions.881 |access-date=2024-03-30 |publisher=UGA Éditions|doi=10.4000/books.ugaeditions.881 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{Sfn|Oxford English Dictionary|2006a}}

The [[British English|British]] and [[English in the Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth English]] spelling, ''pilau'', has etymon Persian {{lang|fa-latn|pulaw}} (in form ''palāv'', ''pilāv'', or ''pulāv'' in the 16th century) and [[Urdu]] {{lang|ur-latn|pulāv}} ("dish of rice and meat"), from [[Sanskrit|Persian]]<ref>{{Citation |title=English, v. |date=2023-03-02 |work=Oxford English Dictionary |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oed/2599967978 |access-date=2024-03-30 |publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/oed/2599967978 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''pulāv'' ("Side dishes, spices, meat, vegetables, even plain rice "), the Tamil Pulukku ("Dravidian (compare Tamil puḷukku (adjective) simmered, (noun) boiled or parboiled food, ''puḷukkal'' cooked rice); in turn probably from [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa-latn|pulāka}} ("ball of rice").{{Sfn|Oxford English Dictionary|2006b}}

==History==
[[File:Arroz enjoyado - Morasa Poló.JPG|thumb|left|Persian-style pilav]]
Although the cultivation of rice had spread much earlier from [[India]] to [[Central Asia|Central]] and [[West Asia]], it was at the time of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] that methods of cooking rice which approximate modern styles of cooking pilaf at first spread through a vast territory from [[Spain]] to [[Afghanistan]], and eventually to a wider world. The Spanish ''[[paella]]'',{{Sfn|Roger|2000|p=1143}}{{refn|group=note|Roger: " (p. 1143) Under the Abbassids, for example (ninth to twelfth century), during the Golden Age of Islam, there was one single empire from Afghanistan to Spain and the North of Arabia. The size of the empire allowed many foods to spread throughout the Middle East. From India, rice went to Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and eventually, it became known and cultivated all the way to Spain. ....  Many dishes of that period are still prepared today with ingredients available to the common people. Some of these are vinegar preserves, roasted meat, and cooked livers, which could be bought in the streets, eaten in the shops, or taken home. Such dishes considerably influenced medieval European and Indian cookery; for example, ''paella'', which evolved from ''pulao'', and ''pilaf'' and meat patties that started out as ''samosa'' or ''sambusak''."{{Sfn|Roger|2000|p=1143}}}} and the [[South Asia]]n ''pilau'' or ''pulao'',{{Sfn|Nandy|2004|p=11}}{{refn|group=note|Nandy: "(p. 11) All around India one finds preparations that came originally from outside South Asia. ''Kebabs'' came from West and Central Asia and underwent radical metamorphosis in the hot and dusty plains of India. So did ''biryani'' and ''pulao'', two rice preparations, usually with meat. Without them, ceremonial dining in many parts of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh is incomplete."{{Sfn|Nandy|2004|p=11}}}} and ''[[biryani]]'',{{Sfn|Sengupta|2014|p=74}}{{refn|group=note|Sengupta: "(p. 74)  Muslim influence on the style and substance of Indian food was profound. K.T. Achaya writes that the Muslims imported a new refinement and a courtly etiquette of both group and individual dining into the austere dining ambience of Hindu society. ... Babur's son, Humayun, came back to India after spending a long period of exile in Kabul and the Safavid imperial court in Iran. He brought with him an entourage of Persian cooks who introduced the rich and elaborate rice cookery of the Safavid courts to India, combining Indian spices and Persian arts into a rich fusion that became the iconic dish of Islamic South Asian cuisine, the ''biryani''."{{Sfn|Sengupta|2014|p=74}}}} evolved from such dishes.

According to author [[K. T. Achaya]], the Indian epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'' mentions an instance of rice and meat cooked together. Also, according to Achaya, "pulao" or "pallao" is used to refer to a rice dish in ancient Sanskrit works such as the ''[[Yājñavalkya Smṛti]]''.<ref name="KTAchaya1994">{{cite book |author=[[K. T. Achaya]] |title=Indian food: a historical companion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-cFcH2ZHWLcC |year=1994 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=11|isbn=978-0-19-562845-6 }}</ref> However, according to food writers [[Colleen Taylor Sen]] and [[Charles Perry (food writer)|Charles Perry]], and social theorist [[Ashis Nandy]], these references do not substantially correlate to the commonly used meaning and history implied in pilafs, which appear in Indian accounts after the medieval Central Asian conquests.<ref>{{citation|last=Sen|first=Colleen Taylor|title=Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VN_vCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164|year=2014|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-78023-391-8|pages=164–5}} Quote: "(pp. 164–165) "Descriptions of the basic technique appear in thirteenth-century Arab cookbooks, although the name pulao is not used. The word itself is medieval Farsi, and the dish may have been created in the early sixteenth century at the Safavid court in Persia.  ... Although dishes combining rice, meat and spices were prepared in ancient times, the technique of first sautéing the rice in ghee and then cooking it slowly to keep the grains separate probably came later with the Mughals."</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Perry|first=Charles|title=Annual Cookbook Issue : BOOK REVIEW : An Armchair Guide to the Indian Table : INDIAN FOOD: A Historical Companion By K. T. Achaya (Oxford University Press: 1994; $35; 290 pp.)|journal=Los Angeles Times|date=December 15, 1994|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-fo-9100-story.html}} Quote: "The other flaw is more serious. Achaya has clearly read a lot about Indian food, but it was in what historians call secondary sources. In other words, he's mostly reporting what other people have concluded from the primary evidence. Rarely, if ever, does he go to the original data to verify their conclusions.  This is a dangerous practice, particularly in India, because certain Indian scholars like to claim that everything in the world originated in India a long time ago. ... Achaya even invents one or two myths of his own. He says there is evidence that south Indians were making pilaf 2,000 years ago, but if you look up the book he footnotes, you find that the Old Tamil word pulavu had nothing to do with pilaf. It meant raw meat or fish."</ref><ref>{{citation|last1=Nandy|first1=Ashis|authorlink=Ashis Nandy|title=The Changing Popular Culture of Indian Food: Preliminary Notes|journal=South Asia Research|volume=24|issue=1|year=2004|pages=9–19|issn=0262-7280|doi=10.1177/0262728004042760|citeseerx=10.1.1.830.7136|s2cid=143223986 |ref=none}} Quote: " (p. 11) Not merely ingredients came to the subcontinent, but also recipes. ... All around India one finds preparations that came originally from outside South Asia. ''Kebabs'' came from West and Central Asia and underwent radical metamorphosis in the hot and dusty plains of India. So did ''biryani'' and ''pulao'', two rice preparations, usually with meat. Without them, ceremonial dining in many parts of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh is incomplete. Even the term ''pulao'' or ''pilav'' seems to have come from Arabic and Persian. It is true that in Sanskrit — in the Yajnavalkya Smriti — and in old Tamil, the term ''pulao'' occurs (Achaya, 1998b: 11), but it is also true that ''biryani'' and ''pulao'' today carry mainly the stamp of the Mughal times and its Persianized high culture.''</ref>

Similarly [[Alexander the Great]] and his army, many centuries earlier, in the 4th century BCE, have been reported to be so impressed with [[Bactria]]n and [[Sogdia]]n ''pilavs'' that his soldiers brought the recipes back to [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]] when they returned.<ref name=nabhan>{{cite book|last=Nabhan|first=Gary Paul|title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135|publisher=University of California Press|date=2014|isbn=9780520267206}}</ref> Similar stories exist of Alexander introducing pilaf to [[Samarkand]]; however, they are considered apocryphal by art historian [[John Boardman (art historian)|John Boardman]].{{Sfn|Boardman|2019|p=102}} Similarly, it has been reported that pilaf was consumed in the [[Byzantine Empire]] and in the [[Republic of Venice]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Παναγιωτάκης |first=Νικόλαος |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D4dXAAAAMAAJ |title=Ἄνθη χαρίτων: μελετήματα ἑόρτια συγγραφέντα ὑπὸ τῶν ὑποτρόφων τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ ἰνστιτούτου βυζαντινῶν καὶ μεταβυζαντινῶν σπουδῶν τῆς Βενετίας... |date=1998 |publisher=[[Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice]] |isbn=978-960-7743-01-5 |pages=72 |language=el |access-date=2023-04-12  |archive-date=2023-08-27  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827182811/https://books.google.com/books?id=D4dXAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The earliest documented recipe for pilaf comes from the tenth-century [[Persian people|Persian]] scholar [[Avicenna]] (Ibn Sīnā), who in his books on medical sciences dedicated a whole section to preparing various dishes, including several types of pilaf. In doing so, he described the advantages and disadvantages of every item used for preparing the dish. Accordingly, Persians consider Ibn Sina to be the "father" of modern pilaf.<ref name=nabhan /> Thirteenth-century Arab texts describe the consistency of pilaf that the grains should be plump and somewhat firm to resemble peppercorns with no mushiness, and each grain should be separate with no clumping.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web|title=How to cook perfect pilaf|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/sep/27/how-to-cook-perfect-pilaf|work=The Guardian|date=2012-09-26|access-date=2019-02-13 |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307094944/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/sep/27/how-to-cook-perfect-pilaf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another primary source for pilaf dishes comes from the 17th-century Iranian philosopher [[Molla Sadra]].<ref name=algar>{{cite book|last=Algat |first=Ayla |title=Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the America |publisher=HarperCollins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gn49svh2_KUC&pg=PT13|isbn=9780062039118 |date=2013-07-30 }}</ref>

Pilau became standard fare in the [[Middle East]] and [[Transcaucasia]] over the years with variations and innovations by the Persians, [[Arabs]], [[Turkish people|Turks]], and [[Armenians]].

During the period of the [[Soviet Union]], the Central Asian versions of the dish spread throughout all Soviet republics, becoming a part of the common [[Soviet cuisine]].

==Preparation==
Some cooks prefer to use [[basmati]] rice because it is easier to prepare a pilaf where the grains stay "light, fluffy and separate" with this type of rice. However, other types of long-grain rice are also used. The rice is rinsed thoroughly before use to remove the surface starch. Pilaf can be cooked in water or stock. Common additions include fried onions and fragrant spices like [[cardamom]], [[bay leaves]] and [[cinnamon]].<ref name=guardian />

Pilaf is usually made with meat or vegetables, but it can also be made plain which is called ''sade pilav'' in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], ''chelo'' in [[Persian language|Persian]] and ''ruzz mufalfal'' in [[Arabic language|Arabic]].{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=624}} On special occasions [[saffron]] may be used to give the rice a yellow color. Pilaf is often made by adding the rice to hot fat and stirring briefly before adding the cooking liquid. The fat used varies from recipe to recipe. Cooking methods vary with respect to details such as pre-soaking the rice and steaming after boiling.<ref name=guardian />

==Local varieties==
There are thousands of variations of pilaf made with rice or other grains like [[bulgur]].<ref name=guardian /> In Central Asia there are ''plov'', ''pulao'' on the Indian subcontinent, and variations from [[Turkmen cuisine|Turkmenistan]] and [[Turkish cuisine|Turkey]]. Some include different combinations of meats, fruits or vegetables, while others are simple and served plain.<ref name=guardian /> [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]], [[South Asian cuisine]], Turkish cuisine, [[Iranian cuisine|Iranian]] and [[Caribbean cuisine]] are some with distinctive styles of making pilaf.<ref name=perry>{{cite web|last=Perry|first=Charles|title=Rice Pilaf: Ingredients, Texture Varies|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1994-04-28-9404250390-story.html|work=Sun Sentinel|date=1992-04-28|access-date=2019-02-13 |archive-date=2019-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213124108/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1994-04-28-9404250390-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Afghanistan ===
[[File:Bukhari Meal - Pilaf.jpg|thumb|Bukhari (pilaf) meal in Saudi Arabia]]

In [[Afghan cuisine]], ''[[Kabuli palaw]]'' (Persian : کابلی پلو) is made by cooking [[basmati]] with mutton, lamb, beef or chicken, and oil. Kabuli palaw is cooked in large shallow and thick dishes. Fried sliced [[carrot]]s and [[raisin]]s are added. Chopped nuts like [[pistachio]]s, [[walnut]]s, or [[almond]]s may be added as well. The meat is covered by the rice or buried in the middle of the dish. Kabuli palaw rice with carrots and raisins is very popular in [[Saudi Arabia]], where it is known as ''roz Bukhari'' (Arabic: رز بخاري), meaning '[[Emirate of Bukhara|Bukhara]]n rice'.

=== Albania ===

In [[Albanian cuisine]], pilaf is a very common dish.<ref name="RiceConsumptionInEurope">{{cite web|url=https://landgeist.com/2022/06/25/rice-consumption-in-europe/|title=Rice consumption in Europe|website=landgeist.com}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=https://www.myalbanianfood.com/recipe/albanian-chicken-pilaf-pule-me-oriz/ |title=Albanian Chicken Pilaf (Pule me Oriz) |website=My Albanian Food |quote=In Albania you will find a lot of rice dishes and in almost every case served as a meal rather than a side. Albanian Baked Lamb and Rice with Yogurt (Tavë Kosi) is one of the most traditional and popular dishes or, fruits and spices are added to make the rice into a pudding known as Kabuni. |access-date=17 February 2025}}</ref> It is typically accompanied by yogurt and eaten with bean stew, meat soup or baked meats such as chicken and lamb. Medium-long grain rice is used, and it is cooked plainly with butter, resulting in a soft yet non-sticky texture.

There are various rice dishes in Albania, which are all commonly referred to as pilaf.

Albania ranks among the top three countries in Europe for rice consumption.<ref name="RiceConsumptionInEurope" />

===Armenia===
[[File:Chou farci-Arménie.jpg|thumb|Armenian [[cabbage roll]] stuffed with chickpeas and bulgur pilaf]]
Armenians use a lot of ''[[bulgur]]'' ("cracked wheat") in their pilaf dishes.<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-280681-9| last = Davidson| first = Alan| editor1-first = Tom| editor1-last = Jaine| title = The Oxford Companion to Food| access-date = 2018-07-16| date = 2006| url = http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192806819.001.0001/acref-9780192806819| doi = 10.1093/acref/9780192806819.001.0001| archive-date = 2018-06-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180603175749/http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192806819.001.0001/acref-9780192806819| url-status = live}}</ref> Armenian recipes may combine [[vermicelli]] or [[orzo]] with rice cooked in stock seasoned with mint, parsley and allspice.<ref>{{cite news |title=Recipe for Armenian-style rice pilaf with vermicelli, peas, and herbs |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2014/01/14/recipe-for-armenian-style-rice-pilaf-with-vermicelli-peas-and-herbs/Wcm7hyz9ChB530Viay5LeO/story.html |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=2014-01-14 |access-date=2019-02-13  |archive-date=2019-02-14  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214174258/https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2014/01/14/recipe-for-armenian-style-rice-pilaf-with-vermicelli-peas-and-herbs/Wcm7hyz9ChB530Viay5LeO/story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> One traditional Armenian pilaf is made with the same noodle rice mixture cooked in stock with [[raisins]], [[almonds]] and allspice.<ref>{{cite news|title=Armenian Rice Pilaf With Raisins and Almonds|url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016976-armenian-rice-pilaf-with-raisins-and-almonds|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2019-02-13 |archive-date=2019-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214061747/https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016976-armenian-rice-pilaf-with-raisins-and-almonds|url-status=live}}</ref>

Armenian kinds of rice are discussed by Rose Baboian in her cookbook from 1964 which includes recipes for different pilafs, most rooted in her birthplace of [[Antep]] in Turkey.<ref name=":0" /> Baboian recommends that the noodles be stir-fried first in chicken fat before being added to the pilaf. Another Armenian cookbook written by Vağinag Pürad recommends to render poultry fat in the oven with red pepper until the fat mixture turns a red color before using the strained fat to prepare pilaf.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Baboian |first=Rose |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zBhcGQAACAAJ |title=Rose Baboian's Armenian-American Cook Book |date=1964 |publisher= |language=en |access-date=2023-05-01  |archive-date=2023-08-27  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827182811/https://books.google.com/books?id=zBhcGQAACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Lapa'' is an Armenian word with several meanings one of which is a "watery boiled rice, thick rice soup, mush" and ''lepe'' which refers to various rice dishes differing by region.<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag| isbn = 978-3-447-03640-5|author1-link=Robert Dankoff | last = Dankoff| first = Robert| title = Armenian Loanwords in Turkish| date = 1995 |page=53}}</ref> Antranig Azhderian describes Armenian pilaf as a "dish resembling porridge".<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Mershon Company| last = Azhderian| first = Antranig| title = The Turk and the Land of Haig; Or, Turkey and Armenia: Descriptive, Historical, and Picturesque| date = 1898 |pages=171–172}}</ref>

=== Azerbaijan ===
Azerbaijani cuisine includes more than 40 different plov recipes.<ref name=kukhnya>[/ ''Азербайджанская кухня''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216024404/http://azeri.ru/az/cuisine/azerbaydjanskaya_kuhnya |date=2009-02-16 }}, (''Azerbaijani Cuisine'', Ishyg Publ. House, Baku {{in lang|ru}})</ref> One of the most reputed dishes is plov from saffron-covered rice, served with various herbs and greens, a combination distinctive from Uzbek plovs. Traditional Azerbaijani plov consists of three distinct components, served simultaneously but on separate platters: rice (warm, never hot), ''gara'' (fried beef or chicken pieces with onion, chestnut and dried fruits prepared as an accompaniment to rice), and aromatic herbs. Gara is put on the rice when eating plov, but it is never mixed with rice and the other components. Pilaf is usually called aş in Azerbaijani cuisine.<ref name=mamedov>[http://restaurant.dsnews.ua/art18684.html Interview with Jabar Mamedov] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221125707/http://restaurant.dsnews.ua/art18684.html |date=2008-12-21 }}, Head Chef at the "Shirvan Shah" Azerbaijani restaurant in Kyiv, 31 January 2005.</ref>
<gallery class="center" widths="180px" heights="145px" caption="Rice pilaf examples from Azerbaijan">
File:Aş və salat.JPG|[[Azerbaijani cuisine|Azerbaijani]] plov with ''qazmaq'' (the same as Persian ''[[tahdig]]''), served with [[choban salad]]
File:Shah-plow azerbaijani.JPG|[[Azerbaijani cuisine|Azerbaijani]] shah-pilaf
</gallery>

=== Bangladesh ===
{{see also|Bengali Cuisine|Bangladeshi cuisine}}
[[File:Jarda_Pulao_(23411150413).jpg|thumb|right|[[Bengali cuisine|Bengali style]] Mishti Polao (sweet pilaf). Often known as "''Bashonti Polao''"]]
In [[Bangladesh]], ''pulao'' ({{lang|bn|পোলাও}}), ''fulao'', or ''holao'', is a popular ceremonial dish cooked only with aromatic rice. Bangladesh cultivates many varieties of aromatic rice which can be found only in this country and some surrounding Indian states with predominantly Bengali populations. Historically, there were many varieties of aromatic rice. These included short grained rice with buttery and other fragrances depending on the variety. Over a long span of time many recipes were lost and then reinvented.

Since the 1970s in Bangladesh ''pulao'' has referred to aromatic rice ({{lang|bn|বাসন্তী পোলাও}}) ''"Bashonti polao"'', first fried either in oil or clarified butter with onions, fresh ginger and whole aromatic spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and more depending on each household and region. This is then cooked in stock or water, first boiled and then steamed. It is finished off with a bit more clarified butter, and fragrant essences such as rose water or kewra water. For presentation, beresta (fried onions) are sprinkled on top. Chicken ''pulao'', (''morog pulao''), is a traditional ceremonial dish among the Bangladeshi Muslim community. There are several different types of ''morog pulao'' found only in particular regions or communities.

In Sylhet and Chittagong, a popular ceremonial dish called ''[[akhni]] pulao''. ''Aqni'' being the rich stock in which mutton is cooked and then used to cook the rice. Another very spicy ''biryani'' dish very popular and unique to Bangladesh is called ''tehari''. It is very different in taste to the ''teharis'' found in some parts of neighboring India. They are most popularly eaten with beef and ''chevon'' (goat meat) but are also paired with chicken.<ref name="Long2015">{{cite book |last1=Long |first1=Lucy M. |title=Ethnic American Food Today: A Cultural Encyclopedia |year=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-2731-6 |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DBzYCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |access-date=2022-07-22  |archive-date=2022-07-22  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722200740/https://books.google.com/books?id=DBzYCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |url-status=live }}</ref> Young small potatoes, mustard oil (which is alternated with clarified butter or oil depending on individual taste), and a unique spice blend found in ''teharis'' distinguish them from other meat ''pulaos''. The most famous ''tehari'' in the capital city of [[Dhaka]] is called ''[[Hajir biryani]]''. Although here the name ''biryani'' is a misnomer, in usage among the urban young population it differentiates the popular dish mutton ''biryanis'' (goat meat).

=== Brazil ===
A significantly modified version of the recipe, often seen as influenced by what is called {{lang|pt|arroz pilau}} there, is known in [[Brazilian cuisine|Brazil]] as {{lang|pt|arroz de frango desfiado}} or {{lang|pt|risoto de frango}} ({{IPA|pt|ɐˈʁoz dʒi ˈfɾɐ̃ɡu dʒisfiˈadu|lang}}, "shredded chicken rice"; {{IPA|pt|ʁiˈzotu|}}, "chicken [[risotto]]"). Rice lightly [[Sofrito|fried]] (and optionally seasoned), salted and cooked until soft (but neither soupy nor sticky) in either water or chicken stock is added to chicken stock, onions and sometimes cubed bell peppers (cooked in the stock), shredded chicken breast, green peas, tomato sauce, [[soy sauce|shoyu]], and optionally vegetables (e.g. canned sweet corn, cooked carrot cubes, courgette cubes, [[broccolini]] flowers, chopped broccoli or broccolini stalks or leaves fried in garlic seasoning) or herbs (e.g., mint, like in {{lang|pt|[[Canja de galinha|canja]]}}) to form a distantly [[risotto]]-like dish – but it is generally fluffy (depending on the texture of the rice being added), as generally, once all ingredients are mixed, it is not left to cook longer than five minutes. In the case shredded chicken breast is not added, with the rice being instead served alongside chicken and {{lang|fr|sauce suprême}}, it is known as {{lang|pt|arroz suprême de frango}} ({{IPA|pt|ɐˈʁos suˈpɾẽm(i) dʒi ˈfɾɐ̃ɡu|lang}}, "chicken [[supreme (cookery)|supreme]] rice").

=== Caribbean ===
{{see also|Caribbean cuisine}}
[[File:LiviesFamilyFunDay2018SaltfishAndCallaloo.jpg|thumb|Caribbean-style ''pelau'' with [[saltfish]] and [[callaloo]]]]

In the [[Eastern Caribbean]] and other Caribbean territories there are variations of ''[[pelau]]'' which include a wide range of ingredients such as [[pigeon pea]]s, [[Pea|green peas]], [[green bean]]s, corn, carrots, pumpkin, and meat such as beef or chicken, or cured pig tail.  The seasoned meat is usually cooked in a stew, with the rice and other vegetables added afterwards. Coconut milk and spices are also key additions in some islands.

[[Trinidad]] is recognized for its ''pelau'', a layered rice with meats and vegetables. It is a mix of traditional [[African cuisine]] and "New World" ingredients like [[ketchup]]. The process of browning the meat (usually chicken, but also stew beef or lamb) in [[sugar]] is an African technique.<ref name=ganeshram>{{cite book|last=Ganeshram|first=Ramin|title=Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zNA8RWWB3gwC|publisher=Hippocrene Books|isbn=9780781811255|date=2005-10-31}}</ref>

In [[Tobago]], ''pelau'' is commonly made with [[Crab meat|crab]].<ref name=ganeshram />

=== Central Asia ===
[[File:Plov Tashkent.jpg|thumb|right|Public cooking in [[Tashkent]]]]
[[File:Samarkand Zigir-pilaf.jpg|thumb|right|[[Samarkand]] pilaf cooked with linseed oil]]
[[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]], e.g. [[Uzbek cuisine|Uzbek]], [[Kyrgyz cuisine|Kyrgyz]] and [[Tajik cuisine|Tajik]] ({{langx|uz|Osh, Palov}}, {{langx|ky|Аш, палоо}}, {{langx|tg|Палов|italic = palav}}) Kazakh, Turkmen, Karakalpak ({{langx|kk|Палау, Palaw}}) or ''osh'' differs from other preparations in that rice is not steamed, but instead [[simmer]]ed in a rich [[stew]] of meat and vegetables called ''zirvak'' ([[wikt:зирвак|зирвак]]), until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice. A limited degree of steaming is commonly achieved by covering the pot. It is usually cooked in a ''[[Kazon (cookware)|kazon]]'' (or ''deghi'') over an open fire. The cooking tradition includes many regional and occasional variations.<ref name="StreetFood" /><ref name="uzbek palov">{{cite web| url=http://www.people-travels.com/uzbekistan-photo-gallery/uzbek-cuisine-photos.html| title=Uzbek Cuisine Photos: Palov| access-date=2013-05-23| archive-date=2014-01-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212638/http://www.people-travels.com/uzbekistan-photo-gallery/uzbek-cuisine-photos.html| url-status=live}}</ref> Commonly, it is prepared with [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] or [[beef]], browned in lamb fat or oil, and then stewed with fried [[onion]]s, [[garlic]] and carrots. [[Chicken (food)|Chicken]] palov is rare but found in traditional recipes originating in [[Bukhara]]. Some regional varieties use distinct types of oil to cook the meat. For example, [[Samarkand]]-style plov commonly uses ''zig'ir'' oil, a mix of melon seed, [[cottonseed oil|cottonseed]], [[sesame seed]], and [[linseed oil|flaxseed]] oils. Plov is usually simply spiced with salt, [[black pepper|peppercorns]], and [[cumin]], but [[coriander]], [[Barberry|barberries]], [[Peppercorn|red pepper]], or [[Pot marigold|marigold]] may be added according to regional variation or the chef's preference. Heads of garlic and chickpeas are sometimes buried into the rice during cooking. Sweet variations with dried [[apricot]]s, [[cranberry|cranberries]] and raisins are prepared on special occasions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=chef.rustam - Central Asian, e.g. Tajik and Uzbek (Tajik:... |url=https://www.facebook.com/111350780491947/photos/a.122699232690435/133611988265826/?type=3 |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}</ref>

Although often prepared at home, plov is made on special occasions by an ''oshpaz'' or ''ashpoz'' (osh/ash master chef), who cooks it over an open flame, sometimes serving up to 1,000 people from a single cauldron on holidays or occasions such as weddings. ''Oshi nahor'', or "morning palov", is served in the early morning (between 6 and 9 am) to large gatherings of guests, typically as part of an ongoing wedding celebration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Perfect Plov Recipe|url=https://nargiscafe.com/perfect_plov_recipe/|website=nargiscafe.com|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-date=2021-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227060432/https://nargiscafe.com/perfect_plov_recipe/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Uzbek-style plov is found in the post-[[Soviet cuisine|Soviet]] countries and [[Xinjiang|Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region]] of China. In Xinjiang, where the dish is known as polu, it is often served with pickled vegetables, including carrots, onion and tomato.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |last2= |title=Going to Xinjiang? Here's What You'll Eat |url=https://www.tripsavvy.com/introduction-foods-of-xinjiang-province-3955772 |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=TripSavvy |language=en |archive-date=2022-07-03  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703154746/https://www.tripsavvy.com/introduction-foods-of-xinjiang-province-3955772 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery class="center" widths="180px" heights="145px" caption="Rice pilaf examples from Central Asia">
File:Plov122.jpg|[[Uzbek cuisine|Uzbek]] plov being prepared in a ''[[Kazon (cookware)|kazon]]'' in a Tashkent home
File:Oshi palov tajik.jpg|Osh palov, a staple dish in [[Uzbek cuisine|Uzbek]], [[Tajik cuisine|Tajik]], and [[Bukharan Jews#Cuisine|Bukharan Jewish]] cuisine
File:Polu.jpg|[[Uyghur cuisine|Uyghur]] ''polu''
File:Tajik plov.jpg|[[Tajik cuisine|Tajik]] ''oshpaz''
</gallery>

=== Greece ===
[[File:Greek foods.jpg|thumb|A Greek meal with rice pilaf (bottom right)]]
In [[Greek cuisine]], ''piláfi'' (πιλάφι) is fluffy and soft, but neither soupy nor sticky, rice that has been boiled in a meat stock or [[Bouillon cube|bouillon broth]]. In Northern Greece, it is considered improper to prepare ''piláfi'' on a stovetop; the pot is properly placed in the oven.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} ''Gamopílafo'' ("wedding pilaf") is the prized pilaf served traditionally at weddings and major celebrations in [[Crete]]: rice is boiled in lamb or goat broth, then finished with [[lemon]] juice. Although it bears the name, ''Gamopílafo'' is not a pilaf but rather a kind of [[risotto]], with a creamy and not fluffy texture.

=== India ===
''Pulao'' is usually a mixture of either [[lentil]]s or vegetables, mainly including [[pea]]s, [[potato]]es, [[green bean]]s, carrots or meat, mainly chicken, fish, lamb, goat, pork or prawn with rice. A typical [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]] style pulao is prepared using vegetarian ingredients like [[Long-grain rice|Long grain rice]] or [[aromatic rice]], [[cashewnut]], [[raisin]], [[saffron]], [[ghee]] and various spices like [[nutmeg]], [[bay leaf]], [[cinnamon]], [[cardamom]], [[cumin]], [[clove]] and [[Mace (spice)|mace]]. There are also a few very elaborate ''pulaos'' with Persian names like ''hazar pasand'' ("a thousand delights").{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=}} It is usually served on special occasions and weddings, though it is not uncommon to eat it for a regular lunch or dinner meal. It is considered very high in [[food energy]] and [[fat]]. A pulao is often complemented with either spiced yogurt or ''[[raita]]''.
<gallery class="center" widths="180px" heights="145px" mode="packed" caption="Rice pilaf examples from India">
File:Bengali Peas Pulao with Mutton Masala - Traditional Bengali Style.jpg|''Pulao Mutton'', from [[West Bengal, India]]
File:Kashmiri pulao (cropped).JPG|[[Kashmiri cuisine|Kashmiri]] pulao with nuts and fruit
File:Matar Pulao, boondi raita, dry roasted-papad.JPG|Matar pulao with peas served with [[boondi]] raita and [[papadum]]
File:Kesar Pulao and Dim Kosha.jpg|Saffron pulao served alongside eggs in gravy
</gallery>

=== Iran ===
[[File:Loobia Polo.jpg|thumb|right|''Lubia polo'', 'rice with green beans' in Iran]]
[[Persian cuisine|Persian]] culinary terms referring to [[rice]] preparation are numerous and have found their way into the neighbouring languages: ''polow'' (rice cooked in broth while the grains remain separate, straining the half cooked rice before adding the broth and then "brewing"), ''chelow'' (white rice with separate grains), ''[[kateh]]'' (sticky rice) and ''[[tahchin]]'' (slow cooked rice, vegetables, and meat cooked in a specially designed dish). There are also varieties of different rice dishes with vegetables and herbs which are very popular among Iranians.

There are four primary methods of cooking rice in Iran:
* ''Chelow'': rice that is carefully prepared through soaking and [[parboiling]], at which point the water is drained and the rice is steamed. This method results in an exceptionally fluffy rice with the grains separated and not sticky; it also results in a golden rice crust at the bottom of the pot called ''[[tahdig]]'' (literally "bottom of the pot").
* ''Polow'': rice that is cooked exactly the same as ''chelo'', with the exception that after draining the rice, other ingredients are layered with the rice, and they are then steamed together.
* ''Kateh'': rice that is boiled until the water is absorbed. This is the traditional dish of Northern Iran.
* ''Damy'': cooked almost the same as ''kateh'', except that the heat is reduced just before boiling and a towel is placed between the lid and the pot to prevent steam from escaping. ''Damy'' literally means "simmered".

=== Japan ===
Japanese style Pilaf(ピラフ) is commonly eaten with Japanese school lunch, or kyushoku(給食).  The most common pilaf enjoyed with Japanese school lunch is a corn pilaf.

=== Kenya ===
In [[Kenya]] pilau is mostly eaten in coastal regions. The spices are similar to Indian varieties. Potatoes are typically added to the masala and the dish can be eaten with meat, fish or meatless. It is often served with a side of tomato salsa and banana.

=== Pakistan ===
[[File:Zafrani Pulao.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Zafrani chicken pulao, Karachi, Pakistan]]
[[File:Cholistani Camel Meat Pulao.JPG|thumb|right|Camel meat pulao, Pakistan]]
In [[Pakistan]], ''pulao'' ({{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|پلاؤ}}}}), also romanized as ''{{lang|ur-latn|pulāv}}''''',''' is a popular dish made with fragrant [[basmati]] rice cooked in a seasoned meat or bone broth. Typically non-spicy, it features tender pieces of meat, such as chicken, lamb, or beef, though vegetarian variations are also popular. As with Afghan cuisine, ''[[Kabuli palaw|Kabuli pulav]]'' is a staple dish in Pakistan, especially in the western regions. This variation of pulav is often adorned with sliced carrots, almonds, and raisins fried in a sweet syrup, adding a unique touch of sweetness and texture to the dish.
[[Bannu|Bannu Beef Pulao]], also known as Bannu Gosht Pulao, is a traditional and popular variation of pulav recipe hailing from the [[Bannu District|Bannu district]] of the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province in [[Pakistan]]. The dish is made with beef, basmati rice, and a blend of local spices, resulting in a flavor profile characteristic of the region. The beef is first cooked in a separate preparation known as [[Yahni|Beef Yakhni]], made using a combination of salt, ginger, garlic, onions, and garam masala. This broth enhances the flavor and ensures the meat is tender. The rice is then combined with the cooked beef, allowing the flavors to meld together. This delicacy is often served during special occasions and family dinners and is a [[Staple food|staple]] of the [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] culinary tradition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Bannu Beef Pulao Chuburji |url=https://www.bannubeefpulaoturabfoods.pk/chuburji/home |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=www.bannubeefpulaoturabfoods.pk |archive-date=2023-01-22  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122181708/https://www.bannubeefpulaoturabfoods.pk/chuburji/home |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Malang Jan Bannu Beef Pulao |url=http://niftyfoodz.com/recipe/malang-jan-bannu-beef-pulao |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=niftyfoodz.com |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-22  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122181719/https://niftyfoodz.com/recipe/malang-jan-bannu-beef-pulao |url-status=live }}</ref>

Pulao is popular in all parts of Pakistan, but the cooking style can vary slightly in other parts of the country. It is prepared by [[Sindhi people]] of Pakistan in their marriage ceremonies, condolence meetings, and other occasions.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Reejhsinghani|first1=Aroona|title=Essential Sindhi Cookbook|date=2004|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=9780143032014|page=237|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ym9IWIZELc8C&q=Sindhi+Pulao&pg=PA237|access-date=22 August 2015|archive-date=2023-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415083259/https://books.google.com/books?id=ym9IWIZELc8C&q=Sindhi+Pulao&pg=PA237|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Reejhsinghani|first1=Aroona|title=The Sindhi Kitchen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1HAYAgAAQBAJ&q=Sindhi+Pulao&pg=PT175|access-date=22 August 2015|isbn=9789383260171|date=2013-07-25|publisher=Westland }}</ref>

===Romania===
Romanian style ''pilaf'' is often more watery in consistency, more akin to [[congee]], and uses chicken breast meat along with chopped red peppers, onion, and carrot.

===Levant===
Traditional Levantine cooking includes a variety of Pilaf known as "[[Maqlubeh]]", known across the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. The rice pilaf which is traditionally cooked with meat, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and cauliflower also has a fish variety known as "Sayyadiyeh", or the Fishermen's Dish.

===Turkey===
[[File:Pilav.JPG|thumb|right|Typical Turkish pilav. Rice with [[orzo (pasta)|orzo]].]]
Historically, mutton stock was the most common cooking liquid for Turkish pilafs.

Turkish cuisine contains many different pilaf types. Some of these variations are ''pirinç'' (rice) pilaf, ''[[bulgur]]'' pilaf, and ''arpa şehriye'' ([[orzo]]) pilaf. Using mainly these three types, Turkish people make many dishes such as ''[[perdeli pilav]]'', and ''etli pilav'' (rice cooked with cubed beef). Unlike Chinese rice, if Turkish rice is sticky, it is considered unsuccessful. To make the best rice according to Turkish people, one must rinse the rice, cook in butter, then add the water and let it sit until it soaks all the water. This results in a pilaf that is not sticky and every single rice grain falls off of the spoon separately.

===Baltics===
Lithuanian pilaf is often referred to as ''plovas''. It tends to consist of rice and vegetables; depending on the region the vegetables can be tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, and/or mushrooms. It often contains chicken pieces or cut-up pieces of pork, usually the meat around the neck or the stomach; seasonings can be heavy or light, and some ''plovas'' might be made with rice that is very soft, unlike other variants.

Latvian pilaf is often referred to as ''plovs'' or ''plov''. It tends to contain the same ingredients as the Lithuanian ''plovas'' and can vary from county to county.

The Greek Orthodox [[Pontic Greeks|Pontian]] minority had their own methods of preparing pilav.<ref>{{cite web |title=Five Pontian recipes for Lent |url=https://www.pontosnews.gr/293024/syntages/pente-pontiakes-syntages-gia-to-sarak/ |work=Pontos News |language=Greek |date=March 2, 2014 |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2023-03-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307095019/https://www.pontosnews.gr/293024/syntages/pente-pontiakes-syntages-gia-to-sarak/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Voutira |first1=Eftihia |title=Genealogies across the cold war divide: The case of the Pontic Greeks from the former Soviet Union and their 'affinal repatriation' |journal=Ethnography |date=2020 |url=https://www.academia.edu/44724165 |volume=21 |issue=3 |page=360 |doi=10.1177/1466138120939589 |s2cid=221040916 |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2022-09-06  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220906054108/https://www.academia.edu/44724165 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sinope Pilaf |work=Pontos News |language=Greek |date=October 7, 2012 |url=https://www.pontosnews.gr/260394/syntages/pilafi-sinopis/ |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2023-03-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307095029/https://www.pontosnews.gr/260394/syntages/pilafi-sinopis/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pontians along the Black Sea coast might make pilav with anchovies (called {{lang|pnt|hapsipilavon}}) or mussels (called {{lang|pnt|mythopilavon}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=Mythopilavon: the Pontian mussel pilav |work=Pontos News |language=Greek |date=February 15, 2013 |url=https://www.pontosnews.gr/272040/syntages/mythopilavon-to-pontiako-mydopilafo/ |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2023-03-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307095028/https://www.pontosnews.gr/272040/syntages/mythopilavon-to-pontiako-mydopilafo/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hapsipilavon, the Pontian pilaf with fish |work=Pontos News |language=Greek |date=February 19, 2021 |url=https://www.pontosnews.gr/640286/syntages/chapsopilavon-pontiako-pilafi-ta-psaria/ |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2023-03-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307095028/https://www.pontosnews.gr/640286/syntages/chapsopilavon-pontiako-pilafi-ta-psaria/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other varieties of Pontian pilav could include chicken,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Charmei |first1=Amber |title=Homecoming, Greek-Style |work=Greece Is |date=2018 |url=https://www.greece-is.com/article/homecoming-greek-style/ |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2021-04-10  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410032246/https://www.greece-is.com/article/homecoming-greek-style/ |url-status=live }}</ref> lamb, and vegetables. Typical seasonings are anise, dill, parsley, salt, pepper, and saffron. Some Pontians cooked pine nuts, peanuts, or almonds into their pilav. While pilav was usually made from rice, it could also be made with buckwheat.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Aglaia Kremezi |title=Greece Culinary Travel with Aglaia Kremezi |website=Epicurious |url=https://www.epicurious.com/archive/diningtravel/culinarytravel/greecemacedoniathrace |access-date=2021-04-10  |archive-date=2021-04-10  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410032236/https://www.epicurious.com/archive/diningtravel/culinarytravel/greecemacedoniathrace |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Crimea===

Traditional [[Crimean Tatar cuisine|Crimean Tatar pilyav]] (pilâv) is prepared from rice; meat, onions, or raisins can be added.<ref>{{Citation |title=Qırımtatar yemekleri: Пиляв | date=5 January 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGsCLwQvVI |access-date=2024-02-10 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Готовим къыймалы пиляв | date=20 August 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVhfMlxnzfs |access-date=2024-02-10 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
* ''[[Nasi kebuli]]'', a similar dish from [[Indonesia]]
* [[List of rice dishes]]
* [[Bannu pulao]]
* [[Fried rice]]
* ''[[Nasi lemak]]''
* ''[[Nasi goreng]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note|2}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Citation|title=Indian Food Tradition A Historical Companion|last=Achaya|first=K.T.|publisher=Oxford University Press India|year=1994|isbn=978-0195628456|page=44}}.
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*{{citation|last=Nabhan|first=Gary Paul|title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey|year=2014 |publisher=Univ of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-26720-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ}}.
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*{{citation|author=Oxford English Dictionary|title=pilaf (n)|publisher=Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, online (subscription required)| year = 2006a|url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/265992?redirectedFrom=pilaf#eid}}.
*{{citation|author=Oxford English Dictionary|title=pilau (n)|publisher=Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, online (subscription required)| year = 2006b|url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/143814 |quote= "A dish, partly of Middle Eastern, partly and ultimately of South Asian origin, consisting of rice (or, in certain areas, wheat) cooked in stock with spices, usually mixed with meat and various other ingredients.}}
*{{citation|last=Perry |first=Charles|author-link=Charles Perry (food writer) |editor=Jaine, Tom |title=The Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson, 3rd Edition|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA624|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-967733-7|pages=624–625|chapter=Pilaf}}.
*{{citation|last=Perry|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Perry (food writer)|title=Annual Cookbook Issue : BOOK REVIEW : An Armchair Guide to the Indian Table : INDIAN FOOD: A Historical Companion By K. T. Achaya (Oxford University Press: 1994; $35; 290 pp.)|journal=Los Angeles Times|date=15 December 1994|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-fo-9100-story.html}}.
*{{citation|last=Perry|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Perry (food writer)|title=RICE PILAF: INGREDIENTS, TEXTURE VARIES|date=28 April 1994|journal=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1994-04-28-9404250390-story.html}}.
* {{citation|last=Rasanayagam|first=C.|orig-year=1926|title=Ancient Jaffna: Being a Research Into the History of Jaffna from Very Early Times to the Portug&#91;u&#93;ese Period|url=https://archive.org/details/ancientjaffna00muda/page/154|year=1984|isbn=978-81-206-0210-6|pages=153–4|publisher=Everyman's Publisher (Madras)}}.
* {{citation|last=Roger|first=Delphine|editor=Kiple, Kenneth F. |editor2=Ornelas, Kriemhild Coneè |title=The Cambridge World History of Food|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vr2qnK_QOuAC&pg=PA1140|volume=2|year=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge and New York|isbn=978-0-521-40215-6|pages=1140–1150|chapter=The Middle East and South Asia (in Chapter: History and Culture of Food and Drink in Asia)}}.
*{{citation|last=Sen|first=Colleen Taylor|title=Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VN_vCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164|year=2014|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-78023-391-8|pages=164–5}}.
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==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Pilaf}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Cookbook-inline|Pulao}}
* {{Cookbook-inline|Rice Pilaf}}
* {{Cookbook-inline|Kashmiri Pulao}}

{{Rice dishes}}
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