Pillau rice recipe
Recipe for pillau rice in the curry recipes category.
Recipe ingredients:
- 1/4 teaspoon yellow food colouring
- 1/4 teaspoon red food colouring
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable ghee
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
- 6 green cardamoms
- 1 by 2 inch (5 cm.) stick cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Recipe method:
- Mix each food colouring with about a tablespoon of water, keeping the two colours separate and set aside.
- Pick over the rice carefully for any stones and wash thoroughly in several changes of water.
- Leave to drain in a colander or large sieve.
- Meanwhile heat the ghee in a heavy pot and fry the onion until just translucent.
- Add the cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves and cook for one minute.
- Add the rice to the pot and mix well to coat all the grains with the ghee.
- Pour in the water, add the salt, stir and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling turn the heat to very low and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid.
- Switch on the oven to preheat to 350 F or 170 C or Gas 3.
- After five minutes stir rice gently with a fork or a wooden spoon.
- Cover again for a further three minutes.
- After this time stir the rice again, but very carefully to avoid breaking the grains which will by now have become softer.
- The best way to do this is to slide the spoon down the side of the pot and gently lift the rice at the bottom to the top.
- Cover again, and repeat this procedure after a further two minutes.
- This method ensures that all the rice cooks evenly and you do not get a soggy mass at the bottom for the pot whilst the top layer remains under-cooked.
- Now take one of the food colourings and make two lines of colour across the rice.
- Repeat with the other food colouring and make two lines down.
- Replace the lid and place the pot in the oven for 15-20 minutes to finish cooking the rice and set the colours.
- Remove the rice from the oven and transfer to a suitable container layer by layer to avoid breaking the rice.
- Fluff up gently with a fork to distribute the coloured grains equally.
- Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate for up to three days.
- When re-heating, the ideal way is to use the microwave oven.
- If using a conventional oven, remember to cover the rice to prevent it drying up.
Tags: pillau, rice, recipe, curry, recipes, cooking