This week, we are taking you on an adventure outside your comfort zone with the East African pilau.
If you have had all sorts of rice, this is one for the special season. It adds so much depth and flavour to your rice, and you can enjoy it with chicken or beef.
Prep Time: 15 mins.
Cook Time: 35 mins.
Total Time: 50 mins.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients for the pilau masala
• ½ tablespoon black peppercorn seeds
• One stick of cinnamon
• Two tablespoons of cumin seeds
• One teaspoon of cloves
• Twelve pods of Cardamon
For the rice pilau
• Salt to taste
• Five peeled and cut medium potatoes (small quarters)
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• Two thinly sliced medium red onions
• Four cloves of minced garlic
• Two tablespoons of minced ginger
• One serrano chili, finely chopped
• One lb. beef sirloin cubed
• Three Roma tomatoes, diced
• Four cups of water
• Two bay leaves
• Two beef stock cubes
• One tablespoon pilau masala
• Two cups basmati rice
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Method
Preparing the pilau masala
1. In a dry skillet, combine the spices: cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.
2. Heat in a slow oven until fragrant and warm, then puree in a blender.
3. For this dish, you’ll only need 1 tablespoon. The spice powder can be stored for up to three months at room temperature or six months in the fridge.
Preparing the rice pilau
1. Preheat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add the oil, and let it warm up.
2. After the oil has heated, add the finely chopped onion and cook for 15 minutes, or until they begin to turn a golden-brown color.
3. Toss in the serrano pepper, garlic, and ginger, and wait 2 minutes before you perceive the spices.
4. Mix in the beef stock cubes, bay leaves, meat cubes, pilau masala, cilantro, and salt to taste. Brown the beef for about 10 minutes and caramelise while being stirred occasionally.
5. Cook the diced tomatoes for 5 minutes, or until their liquid has evaporated.
6. Mix the water and potatoes together. Put in a pot and bring to a boil; simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the rice and, if necessary, carefully wrap in foil paper. Cook on low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
8. After the rice has dried, take it out of the foil and fluff it with a fork so that the seasonings are evenly distributed.
9. Enjoy while it’s hot!
Kachumbari
East African kachumbari is a fresh, tangy, and slightly spicy salad that can be produced in a matter of minutes with only a few ingredients.
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Cook Time: 0 mins.
Total Time: 10 mins.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
• One medium-sized red onion
• Three large tomatoes
• One large cucumber
• One lemon
• One jalapeno pepper with seeds removed
• fresh cilantro leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Chop all the vegetables into small pieces.
2. Put the vegetables in a bowl and toss in the cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste.
3. Serve over rice or with your preferred side dish.
