Today's recipe comes all the way from Kenya, and my lovely friend Wangeci from Foodie in the desert. You can also find her on Facebook. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Please welcome Wangeci:
Pilau is a typical Kenyan dish that you will not miss in any Kenyan gathering or celebration. It is one of the dishes that the people on the Kenyan coast adapted from the traders who traveled there in the 1700 for trade in spices. So in as much as the dish is Kenyan it is actually a dish that came from the coastal tribes of the country. You should make a point to visit the Kenyan Coast the white sandy beaches and the blue water are such a breath of fresh air and for the foodies the array of spices available for sale and also the food is just out of this world. I hope this dish will bring a piece of the Kenyan coast into your homes. HAPPY COOKING!!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 chicken cut up into pieces
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 500 grams of rice
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin/coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground roasted cumin powder
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 5 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (extra)
- a bunch of dhania (coriander), chopped
Spices
- 1 level tablespoon whole cumin
- ½ teaspoon whole pepper
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom
METHOD
- Soak the rice in 4 cups of water for at least 30 minutes
- Put the chicken with 1 tablespoon of garlic,1 teaspoon ginger, black pepper and salt. Add the water. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes ONLY. The chicken will cook later
- Put a big pot on heat. Once it is hot add the oil and butter. Once butter is melted add the spices in the spices column. Stir and once they begin to splutter add onions and cook till they are translucent then add in the potatoes, turmeric and cumin/coriander powder. Stir and fry for a few minutes then add in the remaining garlic and the chopped coriander.
- Add in the boiled chicken stir well then add the stock ( the ratio of stock:rice is 1.25:1, 1 and ¼ cups of stock for every cup of rice) and some salt. Let it simmer then taste for salt. It should be “too” salty for your liking so that it’s just right when the rice is cooked.
- Drain rice and add to the pot, stir well then sprinkle with some coriander on top. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Once the water has reduced reduce the heat to very low. Let this cook for about ten minutes then switch off the heat.
- Fluff rice with a fork and leave the lid on for about 3 minutes.
Leave a Reply