Fragrant Pilau Rice

[tarasis]

Name: Fragrant Pilau Rice
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fragrantpilaurice_67870

Ingredients:

450g/1lb basmati rice (for a more authentic flavour and texture it is best not to use easy-cook rice; however, it will still work and be very tasty if you do)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
large knob butter, plus extra to serve
4 cardamom pods
8 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
pinch saffron threads
2 bay leaves
600ml/1 pint hot chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric (added by me, Rob)

Steps:

To make sure you get lovely fluffy rice, wash it in several changes of cold water, then leave to soak for about 30 minutes in fresh cold water. If you don't have time for this, place in a sieve and wash under the cold tap for a minute or so.

Cook the onion in the butter for around 5 minutes until softened.

Add the spices, saffron and bay leaves and cook for a couple more minutes. The spices will give a wonderful fragrant flavour to the rice.

Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated in the butter before stirring in the stock or water and salt. Bring to the boil and then cover with a tight-fitting lid. If the lid isn't very tight, cover the pan with aluminium foil before putting the lid on.

Turn the heat down low and leave to cook for 10 minutes before turning off the heat. Don't remove the lid; just leave the rice to continue cooking in the pan for about 5 minutes until you're ready to serve.

The rice should have absorbed all the water and will just need fluffing up with a fork. Add a knob of butter before serving.

My Notes:

We've made this a number of times now, always with great success. I've always done the washing and leaving to stand for 30 minutes, I do feel it makes a difference to straight cooking the rice (I use the same rice for various dishes)

I think adding the 1/2 tsp of turmeric adds to the rice a little, particularly to give it the nice yellow colour one associates with pilau rice (at least in the UK)

I've made it a few times with a half portion of rice. The first time halving the number of cardamon pods, cloves and using only half an onion, the second time with all ingredients as full apart from rice halved and stock halved. Both worked fine and having full spices didn't overwhelm the rice as I thought it might.

I don't use the extra knob of butter before serving.

My kids don't like it, but the first time I made it my wife couldn't have enough of it. She ate way more rice than she would normally

My bay leaves are dried, and while I use saffron threads (once without, can't say I noticed them being missing) they are v expensive (basically €2 for a medium sized pinch) and makes the dish cost more than I feel it should.

While I don't like sultanas, I do wonder if they might make a nice addition to the rice.

The rice has worked well as the side to Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala. Would quite happily eat it on its own someday or use it as the basis for a biryani (like, oh I don't know, a chicken tikka biryani)

[Shazzy]

Sounds lovely Tarasis

[tarasis]

Yup, both my wife and I really like it.

[chrissa]

I make something similar but I might try yours tonight for a change.  Mine was from the BBC site

Nice 'n' spicy savoury rice

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Makes: Serves 4

200g basmati rice
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion , peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves , peeled and sliced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger , peeled and chopped
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods , cracked
1½ tsp medium curry powder
50g frozen peas
50g frozen sweetcorn
50g flaked almonds (optional)
375ml stock

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Rinse and soak the rice for 10 mins. Heat a large, ovenproof saucepan. Add the oil, then the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook on a low heat until the onion is soft. Add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom pods and cook for a further 2 mins on a low heat. Add the curry powder and cook for a further 2 mins, then stir.

2. Drain the rice and add it to the saucepan. Stir so that the rice is coated in the oil and spices. Add the peas, sweetcorn and half the flaked almonds, if using. Pour over the stock and stir.

3. Cover the pan with a lid or with a sheet of foil, then cook in the oven for 15-20 mins. Remove from the oven, scatter with the remaining almonds, if using, and serve.

[Amanda]

Lovely recipe thanks, Rob.
I'd be tempted to add currants or sultanas and some flaked or slivered almonds as well.