**** PILAFS ****

Heat the margarine slightly in a saucepan. Grate the onions. Wash and dry the bulgur with a napkin. Put the onions and bulgur into the saucepan and saute over moderate heat for about 20 minutes until the onions turn golden. Pare and mince the tomatoes and heat the broth. Put the tomatoes, broth, 1/3 tablespoon of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of salt into the saucepan, cover and cook till the bulgur absorbs the water. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stir and serve.

Couscous with meat

Ingredients:

500 gr. couscous
10 glasses of water
2 tablespoons margarine

Meat:

500 gr. mutton
2 1/2 tablespoons margarine
3 large onions
2 large tomatoes or 1/2 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
2 1/2 glasses of water or broth of meat
salt
black pepper

Dressing:

2 tablespoons margarine

Put the chopped meat into a saucepan with the margarine and saute, occasionally stirring until the meat changes color. Add the chopped onions and continue cooking in the same way until the onions turn golden. Chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, 1/3 tablespoon salt and 1/5 tablespoon black pepper to the saucepan. 5 minutes later add 1 1/2 glasses of warm water, cover and cook for about 2 hours over moderate to low heat until the meat is thoroghly cooked.

The Couscous:

About 90 minutes after you start cooking the meat, put 10 glasses of water and 2 tablespoons of salt into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the couscous and boil for 6 minutes. Strain and rinse the couscous. While the couscous is being strained, add 1 glass of warm water or broth to the meat and bring to the boil. Add the couscous to the meat and cook first over moderate then over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

The Dressing:

Heat the margarine and pour it over the meat and couscous. Simmer for 15 minutes on very low heat, stir and serve.

Azerbaijani pilaf

Ingredients:

2 glasses of rice
3 glasses of water or meat broth
3 tablespoons cooking fat
1000 gr. broad beans
2 tablespoons margarine
1 1/2 glasses water
1 teaspoon flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 bunches of dill
salt

Melt the margarine and put into a saucepan with 1 1/2 glasses of water, flour, lemon juice, and a little salt, and mix. Pare the outer and inner skins of the broad beans. Add to the saucepan, cover and bring to the boil on a high heat, then cook for 30-40 minutes over moderate heat until the broad beans are partially cooked. Heat the 3 glasses of water or meat broth separately and add to the saucepan, bring to the boil, remove from heat and set aside.

Put the rice into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of salt and enough warm water to cover and set aside until the water cools. Drain the rice and wash salt away. Drain again. Heat the cooking fat in a saucepan and add the rice. Saute rice for 10 minutes, stirring constantly over high heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and the broad beans to the rice, cover and cook first over high, then over moderate heat until the rice absorbs the water. Chop the dill. Simmer rice for a few minutes, add the dill, stir and serve.

Plain pilaf with tomate sauce

Ingredients:

2 glasses of rice
3 glasses borth, chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons margarine
salt

Tomato sauce:

2 large very ripe tomatoes or 2 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted tomato paste

Boil the rice with 2 tablespoons of salt into a bowl and pour in enough warm water to cover the rice. Set aside for 20-25 minutes. Drain and wash salt awau. Put the brith, chicken stock or water into a saucepan with the margarine and 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and bring to the boil. Add the riceand cook first on high then on medium heat until the rice absorbs the water. Put a cloth napkin under the lid, put the lid on and simmer for 5-10 minutes over a very low heat. Stir and serve.

Rice with tomate sauce:

If tomatoes are preferred, pare the to,atoes and mince them. Put into a separate pan and cook for 6 minutes till the tomatoes become like puree. Add the tomatoes or the tomato paste to the broth or chicken stock or water and cook exactly like plain rice.