Fruity Pilau Rice

Love Pilau Rice? Love dried fruit? Then you are going to love my Fruity Pilau Rice! Better still, this easy peasy pilau rice recipe is ready in just 25 minutes and is virtually foolproof! The perfect accompaniment to a homemade curry. (Serves 4-6 depending on appetite and other accompaniments.)

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 296kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

25 g butter (you can use ghee or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, if you prefer)
1 onion sliced
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods gently bashed to open
2 cloves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
300 g basmati rice
50 g semi-dried apricots chopped finely (I use Tesco ready to eat apricots)
25 g dried cranberries
25 g sultanas
25 g pistachio kernels (pistachios without their shells)
600 ml boiling water

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Melt the butter very gently in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the sliced onion, stir and cover with a lid. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until the onions are soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
Add the cinnamon stick, bashed cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, salt and bay leaves. Fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add a small splash of water if it gets too dry!)
Add in the basmati rice, diced apricots, cranberries, sultanas and pistachio kernels and stir to coat the rice with the spices and to ensure the fried fruit and nuts are evenly distributed.
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. (See Note 1.)
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 Easy Peasy Lamb Curry?

Notes

Rice cooking times do vary, so be sure to check packet instructions. I have used these exact timings with both Tesco Basmati Rice and Tilda Basmati Rice, and it comes out perfectly every time. If you find your rice is not sufficiently cooked after following the instructions above, simply add a little more water (if necessary) and cook a little longer. However, take care not to overcook!
Suitable for freezing. (Take care to follow food safety guidelines when it comes to freezing, defrosting and reheating cooked rice.)
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition