12/12/2023
INGREDIENTS FOR PILAU RICE
Beef
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Bay leaves
Salt
Sunflower oil
Ground Cloves
Ground Cumin
Ground cinnamon
Ground cardamom
Pepper flakes
Rice
A FEW NOTES ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS...
Rice: I used and recommend golden basmati to get the best pilau rice. Its appeal apart from its distinct flavour, is its ability to hold its texture during cooking; which makes it less likely to become sticky. It is also fluffy and works well in most rice dishes. If you don’t have golden basmati; then other types of basmati or long grain non-stick rice are recommended for this simple pilau recipe with meat.
Beef: This is a beef pilau recipe. You can also have chicken pilau, goat meat pilau etc. Basically, the beef in the pilau can be substituted with other meats or replaced with vegetables like mushrooms to make it suitable for vegetarians
Spices: Traditionally, whole spices for pilau are roasted and ground, but I have used already ground spices from my cupboard for convenience. You can use whole spices if preferred. Before grinding with mortar and pestle, you’ll need to toast the whole spices in a pan. If you don’t keep many different spices in your cupboard, pilau spice (pilau masala) is available already mixed. You can find it in Asia and Mediterranean stores. You will need two tablespoons of pilau masala for 2 cups of rice.
Pepper: I used pepper flakes because I didn’t have black pepper at home when I wanted to make this recipe. You can substitute with black pepper powder.
QUANTITY OF INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION
250 g Beef
2 Onion
4 cloves Garlic
5 cm Ginger or thumb sized
2 small Bay leaves
Salt to taste
¼ cup Sunflower oil
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon Ground cardamom
½ teaspoon Ground Pepper
2 cups Rice
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel the onions and garlic cloves.
Wash the beef and add into a pan. Slice in one onion and 2 garlic cloves with the ginger. Add bay leaves, with a cup of water and some salt to taste.
Cook until the beef is tender, then remove from heat. Keep the meet chunks and stock to one side.
Chop the remaining onion and garlic.
Wash the rice and repeat until the water runs clear.
In another pan, heat the oil under low heat. Add the onions into the pot and cook until the onions start to caramelize and become brown. You should stir the onions with a wooden spoon continuously to prevent burning.
Pour in the garlic and the ground spices. Stir for 30 secs.
Add the rice into the pot. Pour in the stock and meat chunks. Add more water so there is enough to cook the rice (read the rice pack instructions). Taste for salt and add more if needed.
Cover the allow the rice to cook until all the moisture is absorbed.
NUTRITION
Calories: 675kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 19gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 52mgPotassium: 397mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg
