East African Pilau
East African Pilau is a traditional, beautiful fragrant rice dish made with many aromatic spices that adds an amazing depth of flavor to the rice. It can be made with either beef or chicken.
Servings 6 people
Calories 366.2kcal
Ingredients
PILAU MASALA - PILAU SPICES
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 2 tablespoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon black peppercorn seeds
- 12 pods Cardamon
- 1 stick cinnamon
RICE PILAU
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 5 potatoes medium size [peeled and cut into quarters]
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 Red onions medium size [thinly sliced]
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger minced
- 1 serrano chile finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon pilau masala
- 2 beef stock cubes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 lb beef sirloin cubed
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced
- 4 cups water
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
MAKE THE PILAU MASALA:
- Place the cumin, black peppers, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a dry pan.
- Roast over low heat until warmed through and fragrant and blend (I used a coffee grinder) until smooth.
- You need just 1 to 11/2 tablespoons for this recipe (depending on how fragrant you want the rice to be). Feel free to store the leftover spice powder in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or refrigerate for up to 6 months.
MAKE THE RICE PILAU
- Heat a stockpot on medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until hot but not smoking.
- Add the sliced onions and fry for 10-15 minutes or till the onions starts to turn golden brown (be careful not to burn it).
- Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the cubed beef, pilau masala, beef stock cubes, bay leaves, cilantro, and salt to taste. Cook until the meat browns and caramelizes stirring occasionally about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their liquid.
- Stir in the potatoes and the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, and cover tightly with a foil paper (to keep the steam in) if necessary. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
- Once the rice is dry, remove the foil paper and fluff with a fork to ensure the seasonings are well distributed all around the rice.
- Serve hot with fresh Kachumbari – salsa. Enjoy!
Notes
- I used beef in this recipe, but chicken or any other type of meat can also be used.
- I used basmati rice which takes about 20 minutes to cook however, your cooking time may vary depending on the type of rice you use.
- For even cooking, I seal my pot with aluminum foil during the cooking process so as to have well-separated rice grains after cooking.
- It’s also best to cook on low heat.
- I love to use freshly ground spices that’s why I choose to grind my spices myself it imparts so much flavor!
Nutrition
Calories: 366.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 59.1g | Protein: 22.5g | Fat: 3.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 41.6mg | Sodium: 771.4mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 2.8g | Vitamin A: 347.5IU | Vitamin C: 8.9mg | Calcium: 91.4mg | Iron: 3.9mg