How to serve rice: options for dishes to which rice is served with a side dish

Rice is not in vain, along with wheat, rye and corn called the bread of mankind. The homeland of this cereal is Southeast Asia. And it is not surprising that over four thousand years of cultivation, many varieties of rice were bred there. This cereal is long and round-grain. Grain differs in its primary processing. For example, there is polished rice, in a natural shell, steamed, wild. The more processed the grain, the faster it is cooked. But it should be borne in mind that the amount of nutrients in such a product also decreases.

In Russia, rice appeared only about three hundred years ago. And so far, unfortunately, porridge is mainly cooked from it. Although in the homeland of cereals, in Asia, recipes with rice are very popular. Salads, soups, main hot dishes and even desserts are made from this cereal. In Russia, rice is cooked to a side dish. How to serve such a mess? What foods does cereal work best with? This article will be devoted to our article.

How to serve a side dish

The answer to the question of what rice is combined with depends on:

• from a variety of cereals;
• method of its preparation.

Agree, if you cooked a liquid and viscous porridge, then some dry dish will fit it - schnitzel or fried fish. But if the rice came out dry and crumbly, then in this case gravy is needed for it. Serving a side dish can also be done in different ways. Appetizing balls can be made from sticky rice with an ice cream spoon. Separately, in a bowl, serve the sauce. Dry rice is served in a plate. The main course (meat, fish, vegetables) in gravy is laid on top of it.

But you can do otherwise. Stir your side dish with chopped small oblong slices of the main dish. Such food can be “sanded” by heating in the oven or microwave under a cheese cap. Experiment, use foreign experience: dishes such as Spanish paella and Italian risotto are very tasty. Garnish can be hidden in the middle. For example, put porridge between two layers of stewed cabbage.

With meat and sauce

If you cooked a dry boiled rice for a side dish, with gravy it will be the very thing to eat. Beef stroganoff is best suited for such porridge, but other types of meat, including pork, can be used.

1. First, chop the onion finely, and grate the large carrots.
2. Pour a little vegetable oil into a cauldron or deep pan or lay out lard.
3. When the fat warms up well, put the onion in it. We wait until it is slightly gilded.
4. Attach the carrots to the onion. Passing them.
5. Cut the meat with oblong cubes. Spread to the vegetables.
6. We need to “seal” the fibers. Therefore, mix the meat just a few times.
7. After this, pour a little broth (or boiled water) into a cauldron or pan and simmer the beef stroganoff until soft.
8. At the end, add a spoon or two of tomato paste.
9. The density of the sauce is regulated by flour.
10. Put the rice on a portion plate. We put the meat in the sauce on it.

Rice to fish baked in foil

This side dish can be served without sauce. The main thing is that the rice porridge is neither viscous nor too dry. In any case, it must be generously seasoned with butter. Rice and fish are a great pair. But how to cook the latter? The answer to this question depends on the method of preparation of cereals. For example, you have a side dish of boiled rice. How to serve such porridge? Fish baked in foil would be appropriate here.

This cooking method retains moisture inside the carcass. The fish is juicy, tender, soft. Cooking in foil will save hake or pollock from collapse into ugly fibers (as in the case of frying or cooking). Salmon or salmon will retain their fat, which will be an additional sauce to the rice side dish. Baking fish in foil is extremely simple. It just needs to be cleaned, gutted, cut into portioned pieces and sprinkled with spices. After 10 minutes, wrap in foil. You can put a sprig of dill and a circle of lemon in each aluminum envelope.

With fried fish

The carcass needs to be cleaned from scales, gutted. If the fish is large, then it should be cut into portions. Before frying, you need to prepare a lezon from salted eggs and flour. But if the fish is oily enough, then you can do without it. Just roll the pieces first in spices and then in flour. We will fry on both sides.

Rice fits any white fish - both round and long-grain. The main thing is that the porridge does not come out too dry. But in this case, there is a way out. Prepare a delicious creamy sauce for fish and rice. Both bechamel and olandez will do. Serve the dish with some vegetables - fresh, boiled or grilled.

With stewed fish or canned food

You got too viscous, thin porridge? Do not be bothered by the question of how to serve rice with such a consistency. We open canned fish. It can be in oil or in tomato sauce, but not in its own juice. We transfer the contents of the jar into porridge and stir. If the fish is large (capelin, silver carp), then you must first remove the bones from it. Canned sauce will “bind” rice grains, and the dish will turn out delicious.

Students, take a note: for such a side dish, you can open not only a can of sardines or bull-calves. Any other canned food will do. Those who served in the army know that rice with stew is a very satisfying and easy-to-cook dish. The meat needs only to be sorted into fibers and mixed with porridge. And the fish - the same capelin, only fresh - can be put out. Passing the onion until golden. We spread the fish and add a little water. Salt, season with spices and simmer until cooked. Such a fish with plenty of gravy will go with excessive dry porridge.

With chicken

Now there are many varieties of rice groats on sale. As mentioned above, the most useful is unpolished. The color of the grain from her ranges from light yellow to dark brown. This cereal is slowly digested, so it is considered dietary. It is useful for diabetics. But with what to serve brown long-grain rice? This variety is suitable for poultry and other types of meat. The taste of brown rice will reveal itself more fully if the main course is cooked according to an oriental recipe - with the addition of soy sauce, for example, or turmeric.

1. Since unpolished grits are cooked for a long time, we prepare the side dish in advance.
2. Then pour a little vegetable oil into the cauldron. When it is heated, pour the chicken into pieces. She will let the juice go.
3. Let's wait until it evaporates.
4. Add a little more vegetable oil and add finely chopped vegetables (onions, bell peppers) or mushrooms.
5. Fry until soft.
6. Now it’s the turn to lay the finished porridge from brown rice.
7. Add soy sauce and seasonings.
8. Stew for five minutes under the lid.
9. When serving, sprinkle with lime juice. You can sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Kau pad

What to serve with rice if the refrigerator is full of zen and there is nothing but onions, eggs and soy sauce? Don’t be sad: this is the same set of products that are required to prepare Thai kau pad. Boil first until fully cooked rice. It is best to take the Jasmine variety with snow-white, moderately elongated grains. All other ingredients of the dish must be pre-cut, as the frying process is very fast. In Thailand, a special wok pan and high fire are used to prepare the kau pada, but in European cuisine you can take ordinary dishes with high walls.

1. Pour in vegetable oil.
2. When it is hot, put in it chopped onion, 2 garlic cloves and a quarter of a pod of chili pepper.
3. We stir two eggs with three tablespoons of soy sauce.
4. Add to the pan. Stir.
5. Spread the cooled rice porridge.
6. Pour some more soy sauce.
7. Solim. Fry, stirring constantly, 10 minutes.
8. We serve rice with an egg, sprinkling the dish with lime juice.

With vegetable mix

Now there are many frozen vegetables on sale. Manufacturers make up mixtures of them - “Mexican”, “Hawaiian”, “Portuguese”, etc. Mostly such semi-finished products are used by cooks for making soups. But if you do not know how to serve rice with vegetarians, then get this mixture as a main dish. For speed, we will cook in a slow cooker.

1. Pour a little olive oil into her bowl.
2. We spread a pack of vegetable mixture (preferably “Portuguese”), a teaspoon of thyme, a few pinches of salt and a little black pepper.
3. Pour a glass (200 grams) of raw rice groats. For this dish, the recipe recommends taking a mixture of white and brown long grains.
4. Pour approximately 600 ml of water.
5. Turn on the slow cooker in the "Extinguishing" mode for 25 minutes.
6. If you use a different kind of rice, when cooking, focus on the period indicated on the package.

With mushrooms

Prepare an Italian dinner and have rice on your side dish? With what to serve boiled cereals is an idle question. Of course, with mushrooms. If there are no truffles, take ordinary mushrooms, you can pickle. But you need to put them out of the can in a colander ahead of time, so that the glass is all liquid.

1. Pour olive oil into the pan and dip a few whole garlic cloves there.
2. We are waiting for the fat to absorb their aroma. Then we pull out the cloves, and put the finely chopped onion into the garlic oil.
3. When it becomes golden and soft, add chopped mushrooms.
4. From red bell pepper remove the stalk with seeds.
5. Cut the pulp into cubes and also add to the pan.
6. We mix this dish with a side dish - boiled rice. If necessary, salt.
7. Three two types of cheese (e.g. parmesan and cheddar).
8. Stir thoroughly again.
9. We ram the dish in portioned cups.
10. Pour a little marinara sauce onto the serving plates. Gently turn the cup so that the rice falls out of it with a cylinder.

What else to serve rice with?

This is not a complete list of dishes that are suitable for cereals. For example, rice is in perfect harmony with various cutlets - meat and fish, fried and steam. Chops, schnitzel, and steak can also be served with porridge. Grilled chicken will also make a good pair of rice.

This cereal will be an excellent side dish for all kinds of vegetable dishes - sautéed zucchini, baked bell peppers, stewed cabbage, boiled green beans, broccoli and so on. In a word, rice, due to its neutral taste, is suitable for most products. A viscous milk porridge can serve as the basis for desserts.