Turkish rice??? [moved from UK/Ireland board]

[Otishope]

Hi, i live in a really turkish area of london, and love turkish food. My question is about turkish rice....whenever i eat it in turkish restaurants it's amazing....buttery and salty and meaty and sometimes with flecks of another grain in , or perhaps orzo, but i'm not sure how they make it so good! It's not basmati or long grain, in fact i think i can buy the variety in my local shops (with turkish instructions on the packet) but can anyone tell me how turkish rice is traditionally cooked?
Thanks x

[leiden]

You might want to try medium grain or risotto rice. They are not as starchy as the japanese short variety and not as separating and flavorless as the long grain ones. Dish is called pilav by the way.Otherwise technique is simple. Usually it is more flavorful if you have some kind of stock or broth instead of water.

1 cup risotto, medium grain rice
1.4-1.5 cup water or chicken broth
salt(to taste)
butter(to taste)

place the rice in warm water with salt to remove starch for 20min,
drain,
melt the butter in a pot,
pour drained rice to toast for 1-2 min on med.- low heat
pour the water and the salt
bring water to a soft boil and lower it to med-low and cover
cook until the water almost disappears(15-20 min depending on the pan size)
then remove from heat
put a paper towel underneath the lid
rest it for 3-5 min depending on your level of impatience;)

[MikeG]

You'd probably get more responses on the Home Cooking board, but the rice I've eaten in Turkish restaurants here in the US is usually made pilaf-style, with, as you note, orzo or some other small pasta and a good amount of fat. The preferred rice, not always used due to expense, is called "baldo" rice which may be what you saw in the shop. Here's as good a basic recipe for the pilaf as any: http://www.aturkishcookinamerica.com/...