Pilau Recipe
Recipe information
Make Pilau in just 1h 30m. Meals commence with Papads, Chaat and Bitings, before Kebabs, Matka and Karahi, followed by Biryani and Pilau.
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Ingredients
Rice
Meat & Broth
Pilau masala & aromatics
Finish & garnish
Rice
1. Rinse and soak
Rinse the 3 cups basmati rice under cold running water until the water runs clear (removes surface starch). Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cool water and soak for 30 minutes while you prepare the other components. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Pilau masala & aromatics
2. Toast whole spices
In a dry skillet over medium heat, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Toast, shaking the pan, until the spices become fragrant and slightly darker (1–2 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Grind spices
Transfer the cooled toasted spices to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Set the ground pilau masala aside.
4. Prep onions, garlic and ginger
Peel the onions. Slice 2 onions into thin wedges for cooking; reserve 1 onion and slice it paper-thin for frying as garnish. Peel the garlic cloves and crush or finely chop them; grate the ginger. These will form the aromatics used to brown the meat and layer flavor into the rice.
Meat & Broth
5. Brown onions for cooking
Heat 4 tbs vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (wide enough to hold rice in a single layer) over medium-high heat. Add the 2 sliced cooking onions and sauté until deep golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Remove half the softened onions with a slotted spoon and set aside — these will be mixed into the final rice for texture. Keep the rest in the pot.
6. Brown the beef
Increase heat to high. Add the beef cubes to the pot with the remaining browned onions in a single layer (do in batches if necessary) and sear until nicely browned on all sides (4–6 minutes). This step builds flavor; don't stir constantly — let meat brown.
7. Add aromatics and ground masala
Reduce heat to medium. Push the beef to the side and add the remaining 2 tbs oil (and 1 tbs ghee if using), then add the crushed garlic, grated ginger and bay leaves and star anise. Sauté 1 minute until aromatic. Stir the ground pilau masala into the meat and aromatics and cook 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices.
8. Add water and simmer until tender
Pour in the 1200 ml cold water, add 1 tsp salt (half of the listed salt) and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook until the beef is tender (45–60 minutes depending on cut and size). Check occasionally and skim any foam. If using a pressure cooker, cook 20–25 minutes under pressure.
9. Strain and measure broth
When meat is tender, remove the pot from heat. Using a slotted spoon remove beef pieces into a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring jug. You need a total of 4.5 cups (approximately 1065 ml) of hot broth to cook the rice evenly. If you have less, add boiling water to reach 4.5 cups. Taste and adjust salt now (add remaining 1 tsp salt if needed). Keep meat and broth warm.
Assemble & Cook Pilau
10. Layer rice and meat
Return the empty (cleaned) pot to medium heat and add 1 tbs oil/ghee. Add the drained rice and lightly toast for 1 minute, stirring gently to coat each grain. Spread the browned beef pieces evenly over the rice. Scatter the reserved half of the browned onions over the meat and rice. Tuck the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks into the layers for aroma.
11. Add hot broth and cook
Carefully pour the 4.5 cups hot strained broth over the rice and meat. Do not stir. Bring the liquid to a brisk boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting, cover tightly with a well-fitting lid (seal edge with a clean kitchen towel under the lid if you have one to capture steam) and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and grains are tender.
Finish & garnish
13. Fry reserved garnish onion
While the rice rests (or earlier), heat 1 tbs oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the paper-thin reserved onion slices and fry until crisp and deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (If you prefer, use store-bought fried onions instead.)
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