Pilav is a side, not a feast
The word pilav shares its roots with our pulao, but in Turkey it plays a different role. A Pakistani pulao is often the main event, full of meat and whole spices. A Turkish pilav is usually a simple, buttery side dish that sits next to a stew, beans or kebab and soaks up the sauce. Its job is to be plain, glossy and perfectly cooked.
The two staples
Şehriyeli pilav is the everyday rice of Turkish homes: a handful of thin vermicelli browned in butter, then rice cooked in stock until every grain is separate. Bulgur pilavı uses coarse instead of rice, cooked with onion, tomato and pepper paste. It’s nutty, filling and the traditional partner for kebabs and grilled meat in Anatolia.
Rice and bulgur in Pakistan
Turkish cooks use a medium-grain rice called baldo. In Pakistan, ordinary basmati or sella rice works well; just rinse it thoroughly and soak it for 20–30 minutes. For bulgur pilavı you need coarse bulgur (pilavlık); the fine kind is for kısır and köfte. Our Turkish pantry guide explains where to find it.
For separate, glossy grains
- Rinse until the water runs clear to remove extra starch.
- Toast the rice in butter for a minute or two before adding liquid.
- Measure the liquid. Turkish pilav is cooked by absorption, not boiled and drained.
- Rest it. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a cloth under the lid and leave it for 10–15 minutes, much like .
- Fluff gently with a fork before serving.
What to serve it with
Pilav goes under kuru fasulye, next to tas kebabı or izgara köfte, and with a bowl of cold hoşaf at weddings and Ramadan meals.
More to try
İç pilav is festive Ottoman rice with pine nuts and currants; tavuklu nohutlu pilav is the Istanbul street-cart chickpea and chicken rice; and perde pilavı is a showpiece pilaf baked inside a pastry dome.