Love pilau rice, but always thought it would be too complicated to make at home? Think again! My Easy Peasy Pilau Rice is super quick and simple to make, even more delicious than the shop bought stuff…and best of all, the kids LOVE mummy’s ‘yellow rice’ 😀
I love Pilau rice. I always order it when we get an Indian takeaway or supermarket ready-made curry (yes I do like a break from cooking, occasionally!) But for years I always thought it must be very complicated to make at home, so never bothered. I would either do plain basmati rice with my curries or I would buy the ready made stuff from the supermarket (my children absolutely love ‘yellow rice’ as they call it).
Well, when I was working on my Lamb Rogan Josh recipe, I decided I would have a bash at making my own pilau rice and do you know what I discovered? It’s really easy peasy to make at home, even more delicious than the shop bought stuff…and, even better, my kids love Mummy’s homemade pilau rice too (phew!).
To develop my perfect pilau rice recipe I scoured the internet for inspiration…and do you know what? There are about a million interpretations of pilau rice! So I set about picking and choosing the elements I really like and focusing on spices that I actually have in the cupboard and I’m really pleased with the result…it definitely tastes like pilau rice…delicate and aromatic, and it tastes so great with all my curries. It’s the perfect partner to my Lamb Rogan Josh, which I shared with you on Tuesday, but it would also go fantastically with my Easy Chicken Balti, my Easy Chicken Jalfrezi or my Easy Chicken Korma.
Easy Peasy Pilau Rice
Ingredients
- 25 g butter (you can use ghee or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, if you prefer)
- 1 large white onion sliced
- 3 cm stick of cinnamon
- 4 cardamom pods bashed
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 300 g basmati rice
- 600 ml boiling water
Instructions
- Melt the butter very gently in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the sliced onion, cinnamon, bashed cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, salt and bay leaves. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the onions are very soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the basmati rice and stir to coat the rice in the onions and spices.
- Pour in 600ml boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cover with a lid and turn the heat right down. Continue cooking for 8 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
- Turn the heat off completely (take the saucepan off the burner if you are using electric), but leave the lid on. Allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes.
- Serve with your favourite curry or why not try this with my Lamb Rogan Josh?
Notes
Pin Easy Peasy Pilau Rice for later
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Mandy says
That’s always the risk with trying to make a homemade version of a dish that the kids love! You never quite know which way it’ll go. Homemade fish fingers are very unpopular here! This looks perfect so I’m not surprised they love it. #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
I know! I haven’t dared make homemade fish fingers!!! Fortunately the pilau rice was a hit – phew! Thank you for your kind commetns 🙂 Eb x
Cheryl @ ReimerandRuby says
I love rice… I have not made pilau rice yet but this looks so good and easy to make too. Thanks for sharing the recipe! #brillblogposts
Eb Gargano says
Thank you Cheryl. It really is very easy to make and really tasty! 🙂 Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Wow! Is it really that easy to make? Bookmarked!
Eb Gargano says
Totally! It’s so easy!! I can’t believe I haven’t been making it for years 🙂 Eb x
Only Crumbs Remain / Angela says
I too have only ever tried pilau rice when I’ve eaten out, it’s never crossed my mind to make our own. Now I realise it’s straight forward to do, it certainly packs more flavour then plain old boiled rice.
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Angela – It really is very straightforward – and so much tastier than plain boiled rice! Eb x
Monika Dabrowski says
Your rice looks perfectly fluffy and I love the vibrant colour! Thank you for bringing it to #CookBlogShare:)
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Monika – you know how much I like colourful food 😀 Eb x
Claire says
I made this dish yesterday to go with your Chicken Rogan Josh. Both were absolutely delicious, especially together. My family can’t wait for lunch when we can finish the leftovers!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this lovely comment Claire – I’m so pleased to hear you are enjoying my recipes! Eb 🙂
Suzi says
I have made this three times now, and it’s just DELICIOUS! So simple, but soooo tasty. Thank you so much for sharing this xx
Eb Gargano says
Yay – thank you so much for this lovely comment. I am delighted to hear you like my pilau rice so much! It’s a big favourite in my house too. Eb 🙂
Wendy says
Can I prepare the Pilau rice in advance (say the day before) and reheat for a dinner party?.
Eb Gargano says
Yes, you absolutely can – but you need to be really careful when reheating rice. These are the NHS guidelines:
1. Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within 1 hour).
2. Keep rice in the fridge for no more than 1 day until reheating.
3. When you reheat any rice, always check the dish is steaming hot all the way through.
4. Do not reheat rice more than once.
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/
Alternatively you can do what I do when making this rice for a dinner party – I prep the rice up to the point of actually tipping the rice into the pan (i.e. the onions, spices etc.) before my guests arrive. And just leave the pan sitting on the side. Then 15-20 mins before the rice is needed, all I have to do is tip in the rice and water, bring to a boil, turn down, cover and leave it for 8 minutes, then just turn it off until it’s needed.
Either way, I hope your dinner party goes really well! Let me know how you get on. Eb 🙂
Emma says
I have been buying microwave pilau rice for our family curries; my 9 year old has never been keen. I tried your pilau rice recipe last night and we all loved it, including my fussy 2 year old. Thank you! I’ll be making this in future ?
Eb Gargano says
Yay! Oh that makes me so happy to hear – especially that your whole family liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Eb 🙂
Prits says
Hiya,
Will it be okay if I don’t add bay leaves? Just saw this recipe and thought I’d give it a try but I don’t have any bay leaves 🙁
Eb Gargano says
Absolutely fine! Bay leaves give a nice extra dimension to the flavour, but the rice will still taste good without them. Eb 🙂
Dillon says
Thanks for the recipe. I was making chicken korma curry and thought midway cooking to also make pilau rice to go with it. I was nervous because I was cooking for four (my family). I missed out on two ingredients since I didn’t have them at the time (cinnamon and cloves) but the rice came through well and we all loved it, so thanks a lot :).
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review… and especially for the 5* rating! Eb 🙂
Kathleen says
I have only ever had plain rice with curry and I was so excited to come across this! This question may seem silly but what is bashed cardamom? I’ve googled a few times but I can only find, ground or completely smashed. Is it just a small wack? Do I leave them in there?
Eb Gargano says
Ah, sorry for not being clear! When I say bashed, I mean pop the whole pods in a pestle and mortar and give each one a tap, just so the pod splits, then chuck the whole thing into the pan. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar a small bowl and end of rolling pin / bottom of tin can will work just as well for this. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂 (P.S. sorry for my slow reply… I’ve been on holiday and I’ve only just got back!)
Sally says
Smelt wonderful as it was cooking and tasted just as good. Thanks for sharing the recipe everyone in my house appreciated it and it’s definitely something I’ll be making again.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So happy to hear that 😀
Michelle says
I am going to use this recipe for the first time. Do you was the starch off the basmati rice before coating in the spices/oil/onions? I have cooked basmati rice before and the instructions say to rinse the rice until all the starch has gone. So just checking for this recipe.
Eb Gargano says
Whether or not you rinse off the starch is really a matter of personal preference… I never bother, as I find by cooking the rice using the absorption method (as this one does) the rice naturally separates as it steams – yes, it is a tiny bit sticky, but not terribly so – and much less than if you overcook rice (as many people do) I am very happy with the overall texture of un-rinsed rice in this recipe and so it seems like an extra, unnecessary step – and, as you know, I am all about eliminating unnecessary steps and keeping things easy peasy! However, if you want to rinse your rice, feel free to do so – it won’t have an adverse effect on this recipe.
Nikki says
Loved it and easy
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so happy to hear that. Thank you for this lovely feedback and 5 star rating! Eb ?
mark fairhurst says
have you got away of scaling this up to a 2 kilo rice batch please
Eb Gargano says
I’ve never tried it with such a large quantity, but it should work fine by multiplying all the ingredients by 6 (which would be 1.8kg rice, but it’ll work fine with 2kg). The only thing I am slightly unsure about is the amount of water, you’ll probably find you need less than 6 x the water, but exactly how much I’m not 100% sure. My best guess would be to use 5 x the water (so 3 litres) – and then just keep an eye on it until the end of cooking and add more water if necessary. Let me know how you get on! Eb 🙂
Kath says
Absolutely the best pilau rice I have ever cooked and so easy. Tried it twice now and both times the rice was stunning perfect fluffy rice and so tasty. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so happy to hear you like this recipe so much. Thanks for such a lovely review!
Bren Park says
My friend brought this along to a curry party for my husbands birthday. Absolutely wonderful flavours. She gets asked to bring it whenever I do these evenings for my friends because there are a lot of us and I makeat least 3 massive curries to feed everyone I appreciate it when someone brings the rice. Then I asked her for the recipe. I will make it and pop it in the freezer alongside my freezable curries for that Friday night treat when Im tired. Thank you for this. It’s very good!
Eb Gargano says
That’s so good to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀
Emer O'Shea says
Absolutely gorgeous, I loved it!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so happy to hear that. Thanks so much for this lovely review 😀
Jenny white says
Having tried this recipe 3 times now and finding it absolutely delicious and so easy to do I want to attempt a mushroom version. Should I fry the mushrooms briefly in the spices 1st before adding the rice or just add raw to the water?
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so pleased to hear this 😀 I would definitely add the mushrooms in after the onions have softened and give them a good fry for a couple of minutes first before adding the rice and water. You’ll get a much better flavour and texture from the mushrooms that way. Do pop back here and let me know how you get on! Eb 🙂
Ellie says
Absolutely authentic, delicious and easy.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy you liked this recipe so much 😀
Ellie says
Turns out perfectly every time. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing Ed.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so happy you like my recipe so much. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review… and especially for the 5 star rating! Eb 🙂
Richard says
Really good and simple recipe. Family loved it. Thanks
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this lovely review… I am so pleased to hear you liked the recipe so much – and thanks especially for the 5 stars!
Lucy says
Great recipe, super easy and all enjoyed it!
Thank you
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this lovely review… I am so happy to hear you liked the recipe so much – and thanks especially for the 5 stars!
DiddyDalton says
I have aways wondered how to make pilau rice and this recipe (even though I tweaked it because of what was available in the cupboard) worked for me and was an all round success with my extended family. As I said before, I had to change the recipe a bit, due to my limited access to certain ingredients, I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon instead of the cinnamon sticks, no cloves but I did add 1/2 tsp of caraway seeds and also had 2 fresh but large bay leaves from my garden, so chopped them into 4 pieces and added but everything turned out great and I have served this multiple times always with a great success. Served this with Vietnamese Chicken Curry and Beef Steak Mince Keema Curry.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – that’s so great to hear 😀 Love the sound of your adaptations! Thank you for taking the time to leave this lovely review and thanks especially for the 5* rating!
Florence Marandola says
Fabulous recipe… tried loads of ways for rice not to stick a the bottom of the pan !! This recipe apart from being so easy and delicious …it doesn’t stick. I’ve recommended to all my friends. Thank you.🫠
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – that’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review 😀
Anna says
Do you typically rinse your rice first for this recipe?
Eb Gargano says
Personally, no. But you absolutely can do so if you want to. It’s really a personal preference thing. Eb 🙂
Tessa says
Yummy! Just made this rice and stayed pretty true to the recipe. The only thing I did differently was add some saffron because I had some in the cabinet that I never used. It also smelled and tasted amazing. I always thought making Indian food was a bit intimidating, but this recipe is very easy to make. Thank you for posting this!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀
Helen K says
I didn’t make this, but didn’t want to pull down the rating! It sure sounds good!
I plan to make this for our Easter dinner (for 10 of us) on Good Friday in 2024.
I have made a couple of other pilau’s that I can prep a couple of hours ahead of time, then spread out on a baking sheet to cool at room temp, and then can reheat just before dinner. (BTW – I plan to cook it in homemade chicken broth). Do you think that gentle cooling/reheating can be done with this recipe please? Thanks! helen – Canada.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Helen – great to hear you plan to make this for Easter! As for cooling/reheating – you do need to be extra careful with rice. You should always cool rice down quickly and get it into the fridge ASAP – certainly within 1 hour. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. When you reheat rice, make sure it is steaming hot all the way through. And never reheat rice more than once. (This is for all rice recipes BTW, not just my pilau rice!) You might like to read these health safety guidelines for more detail and an explanation of why you need to be extra careful with rice: https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/home-food-fact-checker#rice
Hope that helps – enjoy!
Kay says
I have just discovered your recipe. I have tried other recipes for pilau rice but this one is outstanding! Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I shall be checking out more of your recipes. Thank you!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀