On culinary forums, you can come across heated discussions about what kind of rice should be used to cook pilaf so as not to end up with “rice porridge” (this is the contemptuous name for failed pilaf with stuck-together grains).
In fact, there is no single standard or strict rule: you can take small round rice, and medium-grain, and long-grain varieties. The main thing is to prepare it correctly and use the right amount of water so that the grains increase in volume but do not boil over (the amount of liquid will differ for each variety).
Pilaf can be considered successful by three indicators: it is crumbly, it has a rich and bright taste, you like it. It does not matter whether you eat it in an expensive, posh restaurant or in a nameless cafe in a godforsaken place.
Pilaf is prepared with lamb and chicken. It can be without meat at all – with seafood, mushrooms or dried fruits. It may not even have rice! A great pilaf is made with pearl barley and bulgur, and Arabs and Turks cook it with pasta or even with just pasta – and that’s okay. The same goes for the eternal debate: a cauldron or a saucepan? Anything! A frying pan will do, if the cook understands the physics and chemistry of the process, is familiar with the history of the dish, has studied the traditions well, has a sense of taste and knows what he wants to get in the end.