After resting, lift rice pilaf from the edge of the pot with a wide spoon to fluff it into the serving dish; do not press into its center with a ladle. This keeps the grains intact and separate. To serve it in a mold, fill the mold by placing the rice loosely inside without pressing it down, then invert it onto a serving plate in one motion. Both of the 2 methods require the rice to have rested first.
Do not transfer rice pilaf to a serving dish as soon as it is cooked. The grains continue to cook in the steam after the pot comes off the heat and are still soft; scooping them at this point mashes them and makes them stick together. As the pilaf rests with a towel under the lid, the grains firm up and separate. How long to let it rest and how to cover it with the towel are the subject of a separate tip; for serving, the only thing you need to know is that unrested rice pilaf will get mashed no matter how you transfer it to the dish. Serving starts by preparing the dish and spoon while the rice rests.
Lift the rested rice pilaf to fluff it. Lower a wide spoon or fork from the edge of the pot toward the bottom and gently lift and fold the rice toward the center; this motion separates the grains and lets air between them. Pressing a ladle into the center of the rice and turning it breaks the grains and releases starch. If there is a browned crust at the bottom of the pot, remove it last and do not mix it with the white grains above; some people serve it separately on another plate.
Choose a serving dish of medium depth, not one that is very wide and shallow. Pile the rice loosely into the dish with a spoon without pressing it down; pressed rice compacts and loses its distinct-grain appearance. Preheating the dish helps the pilaf stay warm longer at the table. For mixed pilafs, such as iç pilav, chickpea pilaf, or vermicelli pilaf, mix the ingredients in the pot and do not stir them again in the serving dish. Add currants, pistachios, or butter-toasted almonds right before serving.
Molding gives rice pilaf a neat shape on the plate and makes portions more even at large gatherings. The mold can be a small bowl or a tea glass. Grease the inside with a drop of oil or wet it so the rice will not stick. Fill the mold with a spoon and use only the back of the spoon to smooth the rice lightly; rice packed into the mold sits like a ball on the plate, loses its distinct-grain appearance, and feels dense when eaten. If you place toasted almonds at the bottom of the mold first, they will end up on top of the pilaf when you turn it out.
Invert it in one motion. Place the serving plate over the opening of the mold, quickly turn the plate and mold over together, let the mold rest upside down on the plate for a moment, then lift it straight up. Lifting the mold at an angle scatters one side of the pilaf. If the rice does not come out of the mold, wrap the outside with a hot towel or tap the mold gently. If serving a saucy dish with the molded rice, put it next to the rice, not on top; the sauce will quickly break down the shape made by the mold.