Swahili Rice Recipes: Pilau (Spiced Rice)

This tastefully spiced dish is characterized by whole potatoes and meat chunks as key ingredients.

Ingredients
– 3 1/3 cups (595 g) raw white rice
– ½ kg beef
– 10 seeds (1 g) of cardamom, whole
– 5 sticks (3 g) cinnamon, whole
– 5 seeds (1 g) black pepper, whole
– 5 seeds (1 g) cloves, whole
– 6 tsp. (30 g) salt iodized
– 2 tbsp. (11 g) cumin
– 4 potatoes, unpeeled, raw (840 g)
– 3 onions, red-skinned, unpeeled, raw (387 g)
– 5 cloves (17 g) garlic, whole
– 1 root (23 g) ginger
– ½ green capsicum (115 g)
– 62 g coriander, fresh
– 8 ¼ cups (1788 g) water
– 1 ½ cups (293 g) cooking oil

Preparation 20 minutes | Cooking 1 hour | Serves 4
• Cut meat into medium size chunks.
• Boil the meat in a large cooking pot with all the
water for 30 minutes, drain the water, and set
both meat and water aside.
• Prepare and chop onions and potatoes, grate
capsicum, pound coriander, and crush garlic, and
ginger.
• Place each prepared ingredient in small separate
bowls.
• Toast cumin seeds under medium heat on a dry
pan until they start to brown. Remove from the
heat and grind.
• Toast cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black
pepper together until they produce an aroma.
Grind them.
• Put oil into the pan used to boil the meat.
• Add onions into the hot oil and cook for 5 minutes until they brown (a golden-brown color).
• Add ginger and garlic. Stir.
• Add all browned spices; cumin, black pepper,
cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom after 3 minutes.
• Add capsicum, coriander, and potatoes after 1
minute and stir. Meanwhile, wash the rice.
• Add rice and salt after 3 minutes and stir in to
properly mix the ingredients.
• Add water drained from boiling the meat, stir the
rice and bring the mixture to a boil for 25 minutes.
• Add the cooked meat to the boiling mixture.
Cook for 30 minutes and serve.

Photo Credit: Tamima’s Tam Tam 

Content courtesy of Kenya Food Recipes, Mama Ntilie & NFH
A Recipe Book of Common Mixed Dishes With Nutrient Values, As Prepared By Communities