Pilau

Ingredients

Rice

• 600 gbasmati rice

Meat

• 800 gbeef, cubed, or goat
• 1 tspsalt

Onions

• 4large onions, thinly sliced
• 6 tbspoil or ghee

Pilau masala

• 2 tbspcumin seed
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 1 tbspcardamom pods
• 1 tbspcloves
• 2cinnamon sticks

Also

• 6 clovesgarlic
• 3cm ginger
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 2potatoes, cubed, optional
• 1.2 litresbeef stock
• salt

To serve

• kachumbari
• chapati
• pickled chilli

Directions

1. Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then soak it 30 minutes and drain it well. Grind the pilau masala fresh: toast the cumin, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a dry pan, cool them, then grind.
2. Boil the meat with a little salt in the stock until nearly tender, about 45 minutes, and keep the stock. Now the onions, which take longer than anyone expects. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the sliced onions over a medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Take the onions well past golden, right through to a deep dark brown, almost the colour of coffee. Onions stopped at golden give a pale, bland pilau, and it is the single commonest failure.
4. Stir them often once they begin to colour, because they go from dark brown to burnt in a minute. If a few catch and blacken, take them out rather than leaving them in. Add the garlic and ginger and cook a minute. Add the ground pilau masala and fry it for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until they collapse and the oil separates.
5. Add the cooked meat and the potatoes, if using, and turn everything in the spiced onions. The whole dish turns on the ratio, and a splash too much gives you a sodden pot. Season the liquid, not the finished rice. Salt sprinkled over cooked grains sits on the surface. Bring it to a boil, add the drained rice, and stir once.
6. Boil uncovered until the liquid drops to the level of the rice and craters appear across the surface, about 5 minutes. Now cover the pot tightly, turn the heat to its lowest, and cook 25 minutes. Wrap the lid in a cloth if it does not seal well, which catches the condensation. Do not lift the lid during those 25 minutes.
7. Rest it 10 minutes off the heat, then fork it through gently from the edges. The rice should be separate, dry and evenly brown, with no white grains and no wet patches. Serve with kachumbari, the tomato and onion salad, which cuts the richness.

Technique

• Ready-made pilau masala is sold everywhere in East Africa and is what most households use.
• Some cooks add a spoonful of the browned onion at the end for colour.
• It reheats well and is often better the next day.

Substitutions

• Chicken or goat in place of beef.
• Shop-bought pilau masala, or garam masala with extra cumin.

Variations

• Vegetarian, with potato and chickpeas.
• With chicken, which is quicker.
• Pilau ya kuku, the chicken version.

History

Persian pilaf carried by Omani and Indian traders to the Swahili coast, where pilau masala of cumin, clove and cinnamon defines it.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pilau?

Pilau is a main from Kenya: rice cooked in whole spices with beef, Swahili coast favorite. Persian pilaf carried by Omani and Indian traders to the Swahili coast, where pilau masala of cumin, clove and cinnamon defines it.

How long does Pilau take to make?

Pilau takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Pilau?

Yes, within limits. Chicken or goat in place of beef. Shop-bought pilau masala, or garam masala with extra cumin.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pilau?

Stir them often once they begin to colour, because they go from dark brown to burnt in a minute. If a few catch and blacken, take them out rather than leaving them in. Add the garlic and ginger and cook a minute. Add the ground pilau masala and fry it for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until they collapse and the oil separates.