Rice Dish

Shola is a traditional dish that is based on a kind of short-grain sticky rice, which is also referred to as shola. The dish has been prepared in both sweet and savory versions, although the latter version is more common these days. Savory shola is a traditional home-cooked dish that is typically made by combining short-grain sticky rice and mash mung beans or split peas, and it can also contain some meat in it such as beef or lamb. Warm and hearty, shola is ideally enjoyed during the cold months, and it is usually accompanied by a glass of plain yogurt, quroot (dried curd), along with a fresh vegetable salad. Different versions of shola, also called sholleh, have also been widely consumed in Iran and the Middle East, with various other ingredients used in the preparation, making the dish either sweet or savory.

Shola

Afghanistan

Sholeh ghorbandi is a traditional rice dish hailing from Afghanistan's Ghorband district. The dish is usually made with a combination of medium-grain rice, oil, onions, tomatoes, mung beans, lime, dill, and black pepper. The onions are fried in oil and mixed with tomatoes, mung beans, salt, and water. The mixture is simmered until the mung beans become slightly softened but not mushy. It is then mixed with rice and cooked until the rice has absorbed the liquid. The rice shouldn't be stirred at this stage as the grains will break and completely change the texture of sholeh ghorbandi. Once done, the dish is sprinkled with black pepper and served on a large platter before it's garnished with lime wedges and dill sprigs. Sholeh ghorbandi is traditionally served as an accompaniment to a rich lamb curry called qormeh gosfand.

Sholeh ghorbandi

Pakistan

Sindhi biryani is one of the most popular Pakistani dishes originating from the province of Sindh, hence the name. It is prepared with a huge variety of ingredients, including basmati rice, tomatoes, yogurt, potatoes, onions, prunes, spices (red chili powder, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, mint, and bay leaves), and either chicken, goat, or lamb meat. This layered rice dish is usually served with raita on the side.

Sindhi biryani

Sindhi pulao is a traditional dish hailing from the province of Sindh. This dish is often compared to and even mistaken for another Sindhi specialty called sindhi biryani as the key ingredients of both dishes include rice and meat or vegetables. Other than that, sindhi pulao and sindhi biryani are two entirely different dishes. Unlike the biryani, in which the ingredients are typically layered, the pulao tosses everything together into a one-pot meal. Other key differences between the dishes include their different methods of preparation and the number of spices used in each. Sindhi pulao is made by combining all ingredients and cooking them with water or stock until the liquid is fully absorbed. Sindhi biryani, on the other hand, involves preparing the ingredients individually and then cooking them together in layers. When it comes to spices, the pulao uses less spices than the biryani, which is highly aromatic and flavor-packed. Nevertheless, both dishes are staples in Sindhi households.

Sindhi pulao

Uzbekistan

Sofakli palov is a traditional Uzbek rice pilaf dish originating from Samarkand. The plov is usually made with a combination of rice, onions, carrots, oil, salt, pepper, and mutton or beef. The meat and whole carrots are boiled in water, and the meat is cut into pieces, while the carrots are cut into thin strips. Both are seasoned with salt and pepper, then mixed with fried onion slices. The rice is boiled in salted water, served in individual plates, coated with hot fat, then topped with the mixture of meat, onions, and carrots.

Sofakli palov

In its simplest form, spanakorizo consists of rice and spinach that are slowly simmered until creamy and well combined. The dish is usually generously seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil and is easily adapted with additional ingredients such as spring onions, chickpeas, leeks, and a variety of herbs and spices. It is traditionally prepared during Lent but is commonly enjoyed all year round as a healthy main course, when it is typically accompanied by feta, or as an accompaniment to various meat or seafood dishes.

Spanakorizo

Considered the national dish of the country, Sri Lankan rice and curry consists of steaming hot, fluffy rice (samba or kakulu varieties) that is served with a variety of side dishes commonly called curries. There are typically at least three (ideally five) different curries served along with the rice, one of which is usually based on fish or meat, and the other two are based on vegetables. Common accompaniments to rice and curry include sambol (a Sri Lankan relish), a gravy or hodda with spices and coconut milk, mallum (chopped leaves with coconut), and fried crispy foods such as papadams. This specialty is a typical home-cooked dish and an undisputed staple on restaurant menus throughout Sri Lanka. It is enjoyed every day, usually for lunch, although it can also be consumed as a dinner or very rarely as a breakfast, and it is traditionally eaten with hands.

Sri Lankan Rice and Curry

Sumi ika nigiri is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of golden spineless cuttlefish (sumi ika, meaning ink squid), which is a mollusk. The golden spineless cuttlefish is very soft and has a delicate and sweet flavor and a chewy texture. The best season for enjoying this nigiri sushi is from winter to spring. If very fresh, sumi ika is served raw, if not, it's usually quickly boiled in a mixture of sake, sugar, and shoyu, then brushed with tsume sauce. This type of nigiri is expensive and very rare, so it can be a bit difficult to find it. It's recommended to serve sumi ika nigiri with pickled ginger (gari) and wasabi on the side.

Sumi ika nigiri

Vinegared rice, seasoned and cooled to body temperature, paired with raw or cured fish, vegetables or egg: sushi is the rice, not the fish, and the word covers a family that runs from the pressed oshizushi of Osaka to the hand-formed nigiri of Tokyo and the rolled maki that most of the world pictures. It began as a way of preserving fish in fermenting rice, and the fast version served at Edo street stalls in the 1820s, a slice of fish on a finger of rice eaten in one bite, is the ancestor of what a sushi counter serves now. The nigiri is the chef's test; maki, temaki hand rolls and chirashi bowls are the same ingredients in easier shapes. Outside Japan the form absorbed cream cheese, mayonnaise, avocado and deep-frying, and those rolls are a separate cuisine that should be judged on its own terms rather than as sushi gone wrong.

The rice is short-grain japonica, washed until the water runs clear, cooked firm and dressed while hot with rice vinegar, sugar and salt, then fanned and turned so each grain is coated and separate and the whole mass cools to roughly skin temperature, which is where it is held and served; refrigerated rice is dead rice. Fish is bought whole or in loins, aged for a day or several to develop flavour, and cut to order against the grain with a long single-bevel knife, each slice sized to the rice beneath it. For nigiri the chef takes a small amount of rice, shapes it in two or three movements so it is firm on the outside and loose inside, touches a trace of wasabi to the fish and lays it over the rice with a final press. Soy sauce is brushed on by the chef or dipped fish-side down by the eater; pickled ginger clears the palate between pieces.

Taste the rice first, on its own if you can: it should be slightly warm, clearly seasoned with vinegar, each grain distinct, and it should fall apart in the mouth rather than in the fingers. Cold, hard, sweet or gluey rice fails the dish before the fish is considered. The fish should be cut cleanly, glossy and at cool room temperature, with no smell beyond the sea and no slime or dullness; the proportion of fish to rice should let both register. Mark down nigiri that collapses when lifted, rice packed into a dense brick, fish that is frozen at the centre, wasabi that tastes of horseradish paste, a plate assembled hours earlier under cling film, and rolls where sauce and crunch are doing the work. A counter that serves pieces one at a time, at the chef's pace, is showing you how it is meant to be eaten.

Sushi

The famous Iranian tahchin is a savory rice delicacy resembling a cake or a casserole. The dish is made with precooked rice which is spiced with saffron, layered in a pan, then baked. After it has been baked, this rice casserole is turned upside down and cut into pieces. The dish is usually improved by the addition of meat or vegetables, which are layered between the rice. However, it can also be baked without any additional fillings. Numerous tahchin varieties can be found all over Iran in many traditional Iranian restaurants or at popular bazaars. With its unique yellow color and shape, the dish has an unusual appearance and can be further decorated with red barberries or pistachios. Tahchin is one of the favorite dishes among Iranians, and it is traditionally served on special and formal occasions. It is usually eaten as the main dish, while a generous portion of yogurt is usually served on the side.

Tahchin

Tahdig is a traditional Persian rice dish. The name tahdig means bottom of the pot, referring to the crispy layer of crusty rice at the bottom of the cooking pot. The dish is typically made with basmati rice, ghee or oil, and salt, while turmeric and saffron can also be added for a nice touch of color and flavor. Tahdig is made by putting extra ghee or oil in the pan so that the bottom layer of the rice gets fried, while the rice layers above it get steamed. There are also versions of tahdig with lavash bread, sliced potatoes, or yogurt on the bottom of the pan. The dish can be served as it is or as a side dish accompanying stews and other main dishes.

Tahdig

Taḥt al-qadir refers to a traditional Middle Eastern method of cooking, where the ingredients are placed in a pot, which is then sealed and placed under or within a source of heat, typically in a fire or buried in hot ashes.The phrase literally means "under the pot", and the dish cooks slowly over a long period, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify. This cooking method is often associated with communal or festive meals, where the slow-cooked dish is shared among family and friends.

Taḥt al-qadir

Japan

Tai-meshi is a traditional dish consisting of seasoned rice with red sea bream. The fish is scaled, gutted, cleaned, seasoned with salt and sake, then lightly grilled. The stock is made with a combination of kombu kelp, salt, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and grated ginger. In order to prepare the dish, the rice and the red sea bream are cooked in the stock, and the dish is served by stirring the fish meat into the rice, which should be light and fluffy, or serving the whole fish on top of the rice. Tai-meshi is often garnished with chopped chives and white sesame seeds. It&rsquo;s especially popular in Ehime Prefecture during springtime.

Tai-meshi

Tai zuke don is a traditional dish originating from Japan. The dish is usually made with a combination of sea bream fillets, rice, egg yolks, and chives. The sea bream is thinly sliced and marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sesame seeds, and onions. The rice is served in large bowls and topped with the sea bream fillets and the onions from the marinade. Some of the marinade is spooned over the rice, and egg yolk is placed in the center, and the dish is finally garnished with chopped chives before serving.

Tai zuke don

Takikomi gohan is a traditional rice dish originating from Japan. There are many versions of takikomi gohan depending on the season or the region. Still, the most common ingredients used for the dish include rice, carrots, konnyaku, dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and aburaage (deep-fried tofu). Optional ingredients include chicken, beef, bamboo shoots, tuna, chestnuts, clams, seaweed, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and peas. The rice is soaked, drained, mixed with the rest of the ingredients, and the dish is then cooked until everything is tender. It&rsquo;s typically served hot or at room temperature.

Takikomi gohan

Tako nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of octopus. The dish has a mild, slightly sweet and sour flavor and a texture that can be quite chewy. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

Tako nigiri sushi

Tamago kake gohan is a Japanese dish consisting of cooked rice that is topped with a raw egg. Even though the dish is so simple that some people don't consider its preparation an act of cooking, today there are numerous restaurants in Japan which prepare this dish as their specialty. Tamago kake gohan was first prepared by Ginko Kishida during the Meiji Era in the 19th century. The dish is so popular that there are more than 50 varieties of special soy sauces used only with tamago kake gohan.

Tamago kake gohan

Tekkadon is a simple Japanese dish that consists of steamed, vinegar-flavored rice that is topped with pieces of sashimi-style, raw tuna. The dish is often garnished with strips of nori seaweed and sliced scallions and is usually served with a soy sauce on the side. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with maguro zuke don&mdash;a similar dish that incorporates marinated pieces of tuna and which is usually served without a dipping sauce on the side. Tekkadon belongs to the group of donburi dishes, and it can be enjoyed as a light main course.

Tekkadon

Falling in the broad category of hosomaki sushi, tekkamaki rolls are one of the most common sushi varieties. Nori sheets, sushi rice, and raw tuna are the three essential tekkamaki ingredients. Nori, the pressed and dried seaweed sheets are used as a wrapper which holds all the ingredients together. The firm sushi rice, with a slightly acidic taste, is spread on top of nori, and the central part of the roll is a piece of raw tuna. Tender and soft, pink in color and mild in flavor, tuna perfectly balances the subtle flavors of nori and rice. Tuna is placed on top of the rice, and tekkamaki is then rolled by hand using a bamboo mat. When rolled, the assembled roll is sliced into uniformed bite-sized pieces. All the ingredients should be neatly arranged in order for each piece to have three clearly visible essential elements. Since they are regarded as a variety of hosomaki, which translates as small rolls, tekkamaki rolls are usually thinner and smaller in size than other varieties. Because the tuna is not entirely visible, it often employs the cuts which are not as luxurious or appealing as the cuts used in nigiri sushi. This makes it a convenient and affordable sushi option that is a staple in almost every sushi establishment. Similar to other sushi dishes, soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger are standard accompaniments to these perfectly balanced rolls.

Tekkamaki

Temaki is a hand-rolled type of sushi characterized by its conical shape. The dish consists of rice, raw fish, and vegetables wrapped in a piece of nori seaweed. Due to the ease of preparation, temaki is most commonly made at home, and is somewhat hard to find in regular sushi restaurants in Japan. Traditionally, temaki is prepared for home parties and large family celebrations. It is also a great way of introducing foreigners to sushi. Temaki is almost always eaten by hand because chopsticks are quite unnecessary for this type of sushi. It is recommended to pair temaki with pickled ginger, wasabi, and dipping sauces such as soy sauce and ponzu sauce.

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