Pilau rice is an attractive yellow coloured rice prepared using warm and fragrant spices. Not only is it a popular accompaniment to many Indian dishes, it is perfect for stuffed vegetables and to serve alongside salads.
Remove the husks from the cardamon pods and crush the seeds.
Crush the cloves.
Measure the remaining spices into a bowl.
Gently cook the onion and garlic in a little hot oil until they start to soften.
Rinse the rice and add to the pan with the onion and garlic.
Add all the spices and the bay leaves to the rice.
Add any extras such as raisins, cashew nuts and peas (optional).
Add the boiling water, stir, cover, bring back to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Notes
The spices can be prepared ahead of cooking the rice. They can also be prepared in a larger quantity so that you have a quantity of seasoning ready to use.
The quantities in the recipe above can easily be increased to cook a larger quantity of pilau rice if required.
Pilau rice is not only for Indian meals, it makes a tasty accompaniment to salads and can also be used as a filling for stuffed vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peppers, etc.
Cooked pilau rice can be served either hot or cold. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days or can be frozen.