Pilau Rice

 

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 tsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 small onion - - peeled and finely diced
• ▢ ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ▢ 6 cardamom pods - (*see tip)
• ▢ 6 cloves
• ▢ 2 tsp turmeric
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 300 g (1 ⅓ cups) dried basmati rice
• ▢ 600 ml (2 ½ cups) boiling water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil and butter in a pan until the butter melts.
2. Add the onion and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add in the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric and bay leaves. Heat through, whilst stirring for a further minute.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat in the spices.
5. Add the boiling water, stir once and bring back to the boil, then place a lid on the pan and turn the heat down to very low (I use the lowest heat if cooking on gas, or setting 5 (of 10) for induction). Cook for 20 minutes.
6. Once cooked, turn the heat off. Leave the lid for a few minutes, then remove the lid, fluff the rice using a fork and serve. You can discard the cardamom and bay leaves

✎ NOTES

Cardamom pod tip

Sew the cardamom pods together using a small length of un-dyed thread. This makes it SO much easier to find them and fish them out at the end (I always have a needles threaded with a little cotton stored in my cardamom jar).

Can I make it ahead?

Yes! Cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish or tray (so it will cool quickly) cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Don't leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it's important to:

Refrigerate it as quickly as possible

Don't store for more than 24 hours in the fridge, and

Thoroughly reheat it.

You can reheat the rice in the microwave until piping hot.

Source: Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary