Traditional Pilau Rice
Serves 4 Time 1 hour Difficulty 3/5 Ingredients 13 Steps 12
Known as pilau, pullao, pulao and pilaf, this rice dish will take between up to an hour to prepare if made the traditional way. The cooking time can be reduced with various ingredient compromises, like using ready-fried onions instead of caramelizing the onion yourself, and using quorn mince rather than taking the time to brown lamb mince. Many Indians are vegetarian, and meat is not necessary for this dish;…
Ingredients
- 425 ml basmati rice
- 1 medium onion or ½ large onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1–2 cloves of garlic
- Garam masala spice mixture
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- 250 g minced meat (lamb or mutton are most common, but you could use beef or imitation meat).
- 400 g tinned chickpeas (240 g drained weight)
- 1 large tomato, diced, or 1 dozen cherry tomatoes, cut into eighths
- Frozen petits pois (optional)
- Salt
- Oil (use sunflower oil or a similar vegetable oil without a strong taste) or ghee
- 575 ml water
Steps
- Wash rice in several changes of water. Soak while preparing other ingredients, changing water when possible.
- Chop onion. Heat oil or ghee in saucepan. Fry onion over very low heat, stirring frequently, until caramelized and browned, not translucent; at least 15 minutes. Alternatively, use ready-fried onions and add them with the water.
- Meanwhile, bash garlic with some salt in mortar and pestle. Chop tomatoes. Drain chickpeas.
- When onions begin to brown, add garlic and any powdered or seed spices. Do not add earlier or they burn.
- When onions and garlic are done, add tomatoes. Stir 1 minute to deglaze pan.
- Turn up heat. Add mince. Cook meat mince until completely browned, 5–10 minutes. Cook quorn mince a couple of minutes until heated through.
- Meanwhile, drain washed rice in sieve. Boil kettle of water.
- When mince is cooked, add drained rice and a little extra oil or ghee if necessary. Stir gently until coated in oil, without breaking grains.
- Add 575 ml hot water, drained chickpeas, any larger spices (bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves) and salt. Bring to boil.
- Cover with tight-fitting lid. Turn heat to very low. Cook 25 minutes. Do not remove lid.
- Remove lid. Add peas. Cover with clean teatowel (optional). Replace lid. Turn off heat. Rest 5 minutes.
- Turn out onto serving platter, separating large lumps with back of spoon, or plate up. Add garnishes. Serve with yoghurt.
Notes from the original
- Basmati rice will produce the best flavour, but other long-grain rice can be used.
- A cast iron pan with a thick bottom will reduce the likelihood of the rice burning at the bottom. The saucepan you use should have a minimum of 20–22 cm diameter.
- Whether to serve this dish as a meal in itself or a side dish depends on the ingredients used. If you have used ingredients containing protein, like mince or chickpeas, it can be served as a meal in itself with perhaps just a side salad. If you omit most of the ingredients, it can serve as a plainer foil to a spicy dish curry
- Chopped chillies may be added and the frying stage, but if you are going to be eating the rice with curry you may prefer it plain.
- Dried chickpeas are cheaper than tinned chickpeas but much less convenient—they must be soaked overnight and then cooked for a long time separately to the rice.
- Other ingredients, such as cubed potatoes (1–2 cm to a side), diced carrots or courgettes (zucchini) cut into matchsticks can be added when the water is added. Ingredients like diced mushrooms or cubes of aubergine (eggplant) (1–2 cm to a side) can be added at the frying stage.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Traditional Pilau Rice” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-07-21, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.