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Pilau rice: A Culinary Journey for Your Tastebuds
Master the art of cooking pilau rice to perfection. We’ll guide you through each step, from choosing the right rice variety to achieving the ideal rice-to-liquid ratio. Learn how to infuse the rice with aromatic flavors and achieve a light and fluffy texture that will leave your taste buds longing for more.
Experience the magic of aromatic spices that bring pilau rice to life. Delve into a world of fragrant cinnamon, earthy cumin, and warm cardamom, as well as other secret ingredients that contribute to the tantalizing flavour profile of this dish. Discover the perfect balance of spices to create a harmonious and unforgettable culinary sensation.
Ingrediants
- Rice ~ You can use either white or brown rice. Take note that brown rice will take longer to cook
- Oil ~ I prefer to use coconut butter/oil when cooking any food as it’s healthier. But you can use olive oil if you prefer.
- Vegetable stock ~ You can also use chicken stock if you want more of that flavour. Vegetable stock is just as good, especially if you have vegan/vegetarian requirements.
- Cinnamon stick, Cardammon & Cloves ~ The infusion of these spices create the aromatic flavours to the rice
- Onion, Garlic & Ginger ~ These help to enhance the flavours, as well as aiding digestion so the rice is easier on your stomach
- Green chilli ~ Make sure you have tested the chillies in other foods so you know the spice level of them, some chillies are hotter than others.
- Cumin seeds ~ The smell of these while cooking is just as amazing as the delicious flavour is gives to the pilau.
- Tinned Tomatoes
- Garam masala ~ This can be optional but it does give the pilau rice a bit of a ‘kick’ along with the green chillies
- Coriander ~ For garnish and flavour.
- Salt ~ Because every dish needs it!
How to make Pilau Rice?
- Soak 1 cup of rice in water for 30-60 minutes.
- Using a measuring cup, measure 1L of boiling water and then add two teaspoons of vegetable stock, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamons and 2 cloves to it to make a broth. Leave it for 15-20 minutes to soak up all the flavour.
- Pour oil into a pan, then add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. (Make sure it’s on low/medium heat)
- Dice 3 garlics and one inch of ginger. Add them to the pan a minute after adding the cumin seeds.
- Now chop half an onion, add it to the pan and stir until it turns lightly golden brown (it doesn’t need to be completely brown).
- After a 1-2 minutes, add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala and diced green chillies (probably 1/4 teaspoon, you can add more later)
- You may also want to add salt to it, however, because the vegetable stock has salt already in it, you won’t need to add too much salt…probably only a pinch…but you can taste it later to test it.
- While waiting for the onions to cook a bit, take the tinned tomatoes and blend them in a food processor/blender.
- Once the onions have turned light golden brown, you can now add the blended tomatoes. *This is a bit tricky*. Just add enough but not too much. The tomatoes should just about be covering the top of the onions…but do not ‘drown’ it into the tomatoes.
- Stir the mixture and let it simmer for a bit on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. You will know its done when the tomatoes have soaked up and is less watery.
- Now, you can add the vegetable broth. First, strain the broth taking out the cinnamon stick, cardamons and cloves. Take 2 cups of the broth and pour this into the pan.
- Now, strain the rice, and put this into the pan with the broth. Stir this around a bit.
- After stirring the contents of the pan a few times, test the taste…see if if needs more salt or chillies. Add them if needed.
- If everything tastes fine, place the lid on the pan and let the rice cook on medium/low heat, for 30-60 minutes.
- Keep checking on the rice and once the rice has soaked up the broth and looks fluffy, it is now done. (Have a quick taste to make sure it is done. If it doesn’t taste completely cooked, you can add some more broth into the rice and cook it some more. However, it should be done.)
- For a garnish, you can sprinkle some coriander on top.
- Enjoy!!
Serving Suggestings
When it comes to serving pilau rice, there are numerous delicious options to consider. Here are some serving suggestions that pair well with pilau rice:
- Curries: Pilau rice is a perfect accompaniment to a variety of curries, such as chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, or vegetable curry. The fragrant rice helps balance the spices and flavors of the curry.
- Naan bread (flatbread)
- Raita and Chutneys: Serve pilau rice with refreshing raita (yogurt dip) and a selection of chutneys like mint chutney, mango chutney, or tamarind chutney. The coolness of the raita and the tangy sweetness of the chutneys complement the spices in the rice.
- Lentil Dishes: Pilau rice pairs well with lentil-based dishes like dal or lentil curry. The combination of the hearty lentils and fragrant rice creates a satisfying and comforting meal.
- Yogurt-Based Dishes: Pilau rice is a great accompaniment to yogurt-based dishes like biryani or korma. The creamy and flavorful yogurt-based sauces complement the rice and create a harmonious balance of textures and flavors.
Remember, these serving suggestions are just a starting point. Feel free to experiment and pair pilau rice with your favorite dishes to create your own delightful combinations.
Tips
- Always taste check the salt and chillies
- Dice the onion, ginger and garlic beforehand to make it easy and quick for you
- The rice should come out fluffy when they are done
- Do not cook on high heat EVER, always cook on low/medium heat
- Soaking the rice for longer will help to make the rice fluffy
- Check the how hot your green chillies are, if they are too hot don’t add it all straight away. Add a bit in step 6, then while taste testing in step 13, see if you need to add more
- You can mix vegetables in it if you want
More Pilau recipes to try
- Vegetable Pilau Rice
- Chicken Pilau Rice
- Prawn Pilau Rice
- Lamb Pilau Rice
This pilau recipe is great for vegans and vegetarians, it contains all plant-based organic ingrediants.
Give it a try and share in the comments how you did!
Pilau rice
Authentic Indian pilau rice recipe, a delicous dish, full of flavours, for an evening dinner
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Measuring cup
- 1 Food processor/blender for the tomatoes
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice
- 1 tbsp Coconut butter/oil or Olive oil
- Salt Add more later if needed
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 Cardamoms
- 1 Cinnamon stick not too big
- 2 Cloves
- 1 or 2 Tinned tomatoes easier when blended
- ½ Onion Preferably red onion but not essential
- 1 inch Ginger
- 3 Garlics
- ¼ tsp Green chilli
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- Coriander
Instructions
- Soak 1 cup of rice in water for 30-60 minutes.
- Using a measuring cup, measure 1L of boiling water and then add two teaspoons of vegetable stock, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamons and 2 cloves to it to make a broth. Leave it for 15-20 minutes to soak up all the flavour.
- Pour oil into a pot, then add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. (Make sure it's on low/medium heat)
- Dice 3 garlics and one inch of ginger. Add them to the pot a minute after adding the cumin seeds.
- Now chop half an onion, add it to the pan and stir until it turns lightly golden brown (it doesn't need to be completely brown).
- After a 1-2 minutes, add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala and diced green chillies (probably 1/4 teaspoon, you can add more later)
- You may also want to add salt to it, however, because the vegetable stock has salt already in it, you won't need to add too much salt…probably only a pinch…but you can taste it later to test it.
- While waiting for the onions to cook a bit, take the tinned tomatoes and blend them in a food processor/blender.
- Once the onions have turned light golden brown, you can now add the blended tomatoes. *This is a bit tricky*. Just add enough but not too much. The tomatoes should just about be covering the top of the onions…but do not 'drown' it into the tomatoes.
- Stir the mixture and let it simmer for a bit on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. You will know its done when the tomatoes have soaked up and is less watery.
- Now, you can add the vegetable broth. First, strain the broth taking out the cinnamon stick, cardamons and cloves. Take 2 cups of the broth and pour this into the pan.
- Now, strain the rice, and put this into the pan with the broth. Stir this around a bit.
- After stirring the contents of the pot a few times, test the taste…see if if needs more salt or chillies. Add them if needed.
- If everything tastes fine, place the lid on the pot and let the rice cook on medium/low heat, for 30-60 minutes.
- Keep checking on the rice and once the rice has soaked up the broth and looks fluffy, it is now done. (Have a quick taste to make sure it is done. If it doesn't taste completely cooked, you can add some more broth into the rice and cook it some more. However, it should be done.)
- For a garnish, you can sprinkle some coriander on top.
Notes
- Always taste check the salt and chillies
- Dice the onion, ginger and garlic beforehand to make it easy and quick for you
- The rice should come out fluffy when they are done
- Do not cook on high heat EVER, always cook on low/medium heat
- Soaking the rice for longer will help to make the rice fluffy
- Check the how hot your green chillies are, if they are too hot don’t add it all straight away. Add a bit in step 6, then while taste testing in step 13, see if you need to add more
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