Pilau rice
Pilau rice is the perfect accompaniment to a curry feast. The Hairy Bikers add whole cardamom, cloves, bay and cinnamon for a heady fragrance, along with a nice bit of butter and chicken stock for a rich taste. Serve with any of your favourite curries.
Ingredients
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 8 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken or vegetable stock, fresh or made from 1 stock cube
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Using a pestle and mortar, pound the coriander seeds into a coarse powder. Add the cardamom pods and grind until the husks split and the seeds are lightly crushed. Add the cumin, cloves, cinnamon and bay and pound very lightly for a few seconds, to mix.
Melt half the butter in a sauté pan or wide-based saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Sprinkle in the turmeric and mustard seeds, plus all the ingredients from the pestle and mortar. Fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring.
Mix in the rice to coat it in the buttery spices. Add the stock and a good pinch of black pepper. Add a pinch of salt if needed (stock from a cube will already contain salt).
Stir well and bring to the boil. Give a final stir then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes.
When the rice is cooked, cut the rest of the butter into small pieces. Remove the pan lid and dot the butter over the hot rice. Leave to melt for a few seconds, then quickly fluff up the rice using a fork, taking care not to break up the grains.
Replace the lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving. (Warn your guests not to eat the cardamom, cinnamon or any whole cloves.)
Recipe Tips
Giving the whole spices a bit of a bash is a great way to bring out their flavour, so get out the pestle and mortar or just use a rolling pin (but be careful not to ping them round the room!). Don't be tempted to open the lid while the rice is cooking. The water needs to be fully absorbed and steams the rice evenly if kept securely in the pan. The final flourish of melted butter helps to colour and flavour the rice.
