Easy Pilau Rice

 An excellent side dish that is perfect for serving with a curry. With only a handful of ingredients, you can make this restaurant-style Indian Pilau at home!

Fragrant fluffy, aromatic basmati rice, packed with flavour and all cooked on the stove, this yellow rice is so much better than take-away and so easy to make at home.

Pilau which also know as pilaf, is rice that has been cooked in broth or stock with other delicious herbs and spices added. It is usually fluffy and packed with flavour. Many countries and regions have their own version of pilau.

The bright yellow rice that we all love gets its colour from turmeric. This earthy ground spice stains the rice that vibrant colour. It also adds depth to the flavour.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of basmati rice
• 7 cups boiling water
• ½ tbsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 inch cinnamon stick

For the onions:

• 2 small onions
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds

Method:

Rinse the rice in cols water a couple of times to remove any excess starch.

Place the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water, let it soak for 30 minutes to an hour.

Peel and slice the onions into thin half-moons. Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large frying pan. Cook the onions over low heat until they have softened and are starting to caramelize. Add in the mustard seeds and stir gently.

While the onions are cooking, pour the water into a large pan and bring back to the boil. Add the salt, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir to dissolve the salt.

Add the rice to the water and stir gently. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-12 minutes until the rice is soft. Note that there will be lots of water left in the pan.

Drain the rice, remove the whole spices, and set it to one side until the onions are cooked. Add the drained rice into the onions mixture and gently stir to combine. check the seasoning and add more salt if required.