Pilau is a quick one pot dish that is easy to make. It is a rice dish basically cooked with spices, caramelized meat and onions. The meat used can be either beef or chicken though mutton or pork can also be used. Pilau that is cooked using beef is called beef pilau. Each grain has to be separate and not mushy and for this to happen, pilau has to be cooked with just enough stock or water to let it cook without getting mushy.
Kenyan pilau is more or less a celebratory dish; cooked and eaten during special occasions such as weddings. It was introduced into Kenya by the Indians and Arabs, perfected by the Kenyan Swahili people of coastal region and now enjoyed by the rest of Kenyans as one of the Kenyan cuisines.
How to make Beef Pilau
The main ingredients in beef pilau are of course beef, rice and seasoning. Usually, Basmati is the most preferred rice to make pilau. This is because it is easy to make and absorb all the juices and spices in the mixture as it cooks. Most variations of pilau dish throughout the world use more or less same herbs and spices. Most of these spices can be bought in stores in form of combined seasonings or pilau masala. These common spices include:
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- pepper
- Turmeric
- bay leaves
- Garlic
- Ginger
Ingredients
For your Beef pilau to be perfectly cooked, you will require the following ingredients:
- Boneless beef, cut into small pieces
- Basmati rice, washed
- Tomatoes and paste; you can make your own tomato paste at home using a blender or food processor. Blend together 2 tomatoes, 1 red paprika, 1 medium-sized onion and 3 cloves of garlic (optional) to make a tomato blend that will make your beef pilau tastier and healthier. See other methods of making tomato sauce at home here
- Pilau masala seasoning
- Parsley (dhania)
- Garlic and ginger. for pilau, it is advisable to use fresh minced garlic and ginger rather than powdered store-bought ones.
- Ginger
- Turmeric (optional)
- Black paper, ground
- Cooking oil and salt
- boiled hot water
Making Kenyan beef pilau
There are various ways of doing this, it depends on the individual cooking. But this is how I make my Kenyan beef pilau.
Boil the beef to soften it and to make beef stock that will be used to cook the pilau. As the beef is boiling, prepare the other ingredients; wash the rice, chop the onion, tomatoes and parsley, mince the garlic and ginger and prepare your tomato paste. Once the beef is done boiling and softened, remove the stock and add cooking oil to fry the beef. Fry until it browns before adding the chopped onions. Fry further while stirring until the onions caramelize. Add the minced garlic and ginger then the chopped tomatoes and salt then cook until the tomatoes are well cooked. Add the tomato paste and the rest of the spices and cook further for about 5 minutes. Pour in the washed rice and stir, let the rice absorb all the juices formed and the spices before adding the stock and/or hot water. Measure and add stock and/or hot water into the rice then cover. The stock or water must be precise for the rice grains to separate. Let it cook until the liquid dry up and the rice is softened. Remove from heat and add the chopped parsley and cover to let it rest of about 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite salad on the side. I serve my pilau with kachumbari and avocado salad.
Other rice recipes
Kenyan Beef Pilau (Pilaf)
Ingredients
- ½ kg Boneless beef Cut into small pieces
- 2 cups Basmati rice washed
- 4 pieces tomatoes
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp pilau masala
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 piece ginger, small size minced
- 1 tsp turmeric powder or minced
- 1 tsp black paper powder
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil
- 1 bunch dhania (parsley)
- 4 cups hot water
Instructions
Step 1:
- Boil the beef to soften it and make the stock for the pilau. This step is completely optional because you can just stir-fry the beef in cooking oil
- Once the beef is done, remove the stock formed, add cooking oil to fry the beef on medium low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until the beef and onions are caramelized. Add the spices then cook while stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes are well cooked before adding the tomato paste.. Cook for further 2 minutes.
Step 2:
- Add the washed rice into the beef mixture and cook as you stir for about 5 minutes. This allows the rice to soak up all the juices and the spices in the mixture. before adding the beef stock and hot water.
Step 3:
- Measure and add the stock and/or hot water. The ratio of water to rice should be 2:1 i.e for every cup of rice, you should add 2 cups of water or beef stock. The water and/or stock must be precise for better results.
- Let the rice cook on medium low heat until the liquid dries up and the rice is soft.
- Remove from heat and add chopped parsley/dhania to finish. Let the pilau rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with your favorite salad on the side
