East African Pilau is a traditional, beautiful fragrant rice dish made with many aromatic spices that adds an amazing depth of flavor to the rice. It can be made with either beef or chicken.
Pilau has a wonderful balance of flavors. It is a festive dish, which is never missing during special occasions or events. It’s made with rice cooked in a well-seasoned broth of Meat or chicken. Unlike the Indian pilau, the East African version does not use curry and it’s less spicy.
Pilau is delicious on its own and can be served as a stand-alone meal, however, if you want a full Kenyan experience simply pair with Kachumbari – a cool and refreshing salad made with tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and a spicy pepper like serrano chili pepper.
East African Pilau is a traditional, beautiful fragrant rice dish made with many aromatic spices that adds an amazing depth of flavor to the rice. It can be made with either beef or chicken.
Place the cumin, coriander, black peppers, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a dry pan.
Roast over low heat until warmed through and fragrant and blend (I used a coffee grinder) until smooth.
You need just 1 to 11/2 tablespoons for this recipe (depending on how fragrant you want the rice to be). Feel free to store the leftover spice powder in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or refrigerate for up to 6 months.
Rice Pilau
Heat a stockpot on medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the sliced onions and fry for 10-15 minutes or till the onions starts to turn golden brown (be careful not to burn it).
Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the cubed beef, pilau masala, beef stock cubes, bay leaves, cilantro, and salt to taste. Cook until the meat browns and caramelizes stirring occasionally about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their liquid.
Stir in the potatoes and the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the rice, and cover tightly with a foil paper (to keep the steam in) if necessary. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
Once the rice is dry, remove the foil paper and fluff with a fork to ensure the seasonings are well distributed all around the rice.
Serve hot with fresh Kachumbari – salsa. Enjoy!
Recipe Note
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