Recipe right at the top! Scroll down for notes and tips.
Armenian Pilaf (Rice Pilaf)
Authentic Armenian Pilaf recipe by Armenian Church Ladies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 3 oz vermicelli/fideo or broken angel hair pasta
- 2 cups white rice 2 cups is 14 oz.
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
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Melt half stick butter; sautee pasta, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
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Stir in rice and half stick butter and salt.
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Stir in chicken broth and water, bring to a boil.
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Cover pot, lower heat so liquid stays at a very low simmer, and cook for 20 minutes without lifting lid.
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Turn off heat but keep lid on for 5 minutes.
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Remove pan from heat, remove lid, cover with a towel for 20 minutes.
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Fluff pilaf with a fork and serve.
Recipe Notes
This pilaf recipe fills two, 8x8 square cake pans, or a 9x13 casserole. A full recipe makes around 8 cups of cooked pilaf. That is 16 half-cup servings, or 8 one cup servings.
This pilaf recipe freezez well. To reheat pilaf straight from the freezer, reheat it covered, in a 350 degree oven, for about 45 minutes, or microwave it, covered, for 2 minutes at a time until hot.
Putting the towel over the pilaf after it cooks ensures your pilaf will be fluffy, not sticky, as the steam rises into the towel as it cools slightly before serving or storing.
For a gluten free pilaf recipe, omit the pasta and sautee about 1/3 cup of the rice in the half stick of butter so you will still get the nutty flavor and two-color dish pilaf is known for.
This dish looks a little bland, but it is the authentic Armenian recipe, which I watched Armenian church ladies make in huge pots in the church kitchen for a Christmas party, and pared down the recipe for home use.
Our American version: in our home, we toss the pilaf with a couple tablespoons of fresh, minced parsley, and serve with lemon squeezes.
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- This pilaf recipe fills two, 8×8 square cake pans, or a 9×13 casserole. A full recipe makes around 6 cups of cooked pilaf. That is 16 half-cup servings, or 8 one cup servings.
- This pilaf recipe may be frozen. To reheat pilaf straight from the freezer, reheat it covered, in a 350 degree oven, for about 45 minutes, or microwave it, covered, for 2 minutes at a time until hot.
- Putting the towel over the pilaf after it cooks ensures your pilaf will be fluffy, not sticky, as the steam rises into the towel as it cools slightly before serving.
- For a gluten free pilaf recipe, omit the pasta and sautee about 1/3 cup of the rice in the half stick of butter so you will still get the nutty flavor and two-color dish pilaf is known for.
- This dish looks a little bland, but it is the authentic Armenian recipe, which I watched Armenian church ladies make in huge pots in the church kitchen for a Christmas party, and pared down the recipe for home use.
- Our American version: in our home, we toss the pilaf with a couple tablespoons of fresh, minced parsley, and serve with lemon squeezes.
