What is Pilau?
Pilau is an East African traditional, rice dish with a beautiful fragrance made with many aromatic spices that adds an amazing depth of flavor to the rice. It can be made with either beef or chicken.
The Pilau meal is popular in India and the Middle Eastern nations, each of which has its own method of preparation. Swahili pilau is another name for the East African pilau rice, which is especially popular in nations near the Swahili coast like Kenya and Tanzania.
Pilau Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pilau Masala spice and Cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground Cloves
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
Cooking Directions
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
- Wash the chicken and add into a pan. Add ginger and a cup of water and some salt to taste.
Cook until the chicken is tender, then remove from heat. Keep the meet chunks and stock to one side. - In a large saucepan or cooking pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cumin seeds and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in ground ginger, ground Cloves and Pilau Masala spice. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken and keep stirring for a minute.
- Add the chicken broth and enough water according to the amount of rice you are using . Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Stir in the rice, then cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
N/B; You can adjust the recipe to your taste like adding more spices or using other meats.
