Pilau Rice

This easy to make rice dish is a tasty alternative to plain boiled or fried rice.

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Pilau rice, is a flavorful rice dish that is popular as a side dish or a main dish by adding vegetables, meat and/or fish.

This is a versatile recipe that you can mix up anyway that suits your needs.

It is a versatile and fragrant rice preparation that can be enjoyed in many cuisines.

The key uniqueness of pilau rice is that it is cooked in a seasoned broth or stock, which infuses the rice with a rich and aromatic flavor. The cooking process typically involves sautéing the rice with various spices and other ingredients before adding the liquid.

Many common spices are used in pilau rice and in this recipe we are using cardamom pods, cinnamon, and cloves. These spices contribute to the distinct taste and fragrance of the dish.

Onions are also added to the sauteed spices then the rice is added to toast it up a bit before the broth and then everything is simmered together.

A long-grain rice is used so that the rice is separate and not a cooked lumpy mass, we want the grains to be separate.

I have other rice dishes you can choose from as well such as Fried Rice With Shrimp, which of course the shrimp can be switched out for many other foods. And then there is the famous Rice Pilaf that has similarities to this one.

📖 Recipe

Pilau Rice

Judith Coates

This easy to make rice dish is a tasty alternative to plain boiled or fried rice.

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Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsps vegetable oil
• 5 cm piece of cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom pods crushed
• 4 cloves
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 250 gm long-grain rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 600 ml beef stock or water or mix of both
• Salt

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a casserole or other large pan.
• Add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and fry for a few seconds.
• Add the onion and fry over a medium heat until golden.
• Drain the rice thoroughly and add to the pan and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Add the stock/water, and salt to taste. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed.

Notes

Vegetable Pilau

To make a vegetable pilau, add 125 gm of peas, thinly sliced or diced carrots and small cauliflower florets to the pan after frying the onion (Stage 3). Fry for 5 minutes, then add the rice and proceed as above.

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