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Easy pilau rice

A serving of easy pilau rice

Easy pilau rice

Name: Easy pilau rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 300g basmati rice; 30g butter or 2 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 large onion chopped; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 6 cardamom pods bashed; 4 cloves; 2 bay leaves; ½ tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 500ml vegetable stock or water

Barney Desmazery

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Serves 4 - 6

Easy

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

plus optional soaking

A star rating of 4.6 out of 5.94 ratingsRate

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Make spicy pilau rice to serve with your favourite dishes – the secret to fluffy pilau is to leave it to steam in its own heat without removing the lid

Egg-free

Low fat

Low sugar

Nut-free

Vegetarian

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

300g basmati rice
30g butter or 2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion

chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods

bashed
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
500ml vegetable stock

or water

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal226
fat5g

low
saturates3g
carbs39g
sugars2g

low
fibre2g
protein5g
salt0.11g

low

Method

step 1

If you have time, tip the rice into a large bowl and soak in cold water for 30 mins. Rinse in cold running water, then drain well, rinse and drain again. Repeat until the water is only slightly cloudy, then leave the rice in a sieve set over the sink to drain completely.
step 2

Heat the butter or oil in a lidded pan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion with a large pinch of salt, stirring occasionally for 10 mins until soft and golden. Stir in the whole spices and the bay and cook for 2 mins more. Add the ground coriander and turmeric, and cook for 1 min more. Gently stir in the drained rice to coat it in the onion mixture, then pour over the stock or water and stir well.
step 3

Cover the pan with the lid and turn up the heat. Once hot, remove the lid, stir the rice, cover again and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 mins, then turn the heat off completely and leave to stand for 10 mins without removing the lid. Uncover, stir well, then cover again and leave to stand for a final 5 mins. Fluff up with a fork before serving.

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A star rating of 4.6 out of 5.94 ratings

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