Name: Turmeric Pilau Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 125g - 150g/1 onion, peeled and finely chopped; 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 200g basmati rice; 1 cinnamon stick; 6 cardamom pods, crushed; 4 cloves; 2 bay leaves; ¾ teaspoon turmeric; ½ teaspoon salt; 360ml water

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Turmeric Pilau Rice – basmati rice enhanced with onion, garlic, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay and turmeric – is a vibrant and aromatic accompaniment to curries and stews. It works particularly well with the Butter Chicken I posted yesterday.

Up your rice game! For just a few extra minutes prep time, you are rewarded with this light and fluffy yellow rice which adds a depth of flavour and vibrancy to your meal.

How to make Turmeric Pilau Rice

Collect all your ingredients together:

onion, peeled and finely chopped
cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
vegetable oil
basmati rice
cinnamon stick
cardamom pods, crushed
cloves
bay leaves
turmeric
fine salt

Start cooking!

Prepare the onion and garlic
Crush the cardamom pods.
Heat the oil in a cast iron casserole dish over a moderate heat and add the chopped onion.
Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and slightly caramelised.
Add the garlic continue to cook for a further minute.
Meanwhile wash the rice, either by running water through a sieve or put it in a jug, fill with water, stir the rice, drain and repeat until the water looks clear. This normally takes around 5 washes, although it will never be perfectly clear.
Add the spices and seasoning to the onion and garlic and cook for another minute or until aromatic.
Add the rice to the onion and stir well.
Now add the water and stir to mix.
Bring to a simmer over a moderate heat.
When it starts to simmer, put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes without removing the lid – no peeking! After 15 minutes take it off the heat and leave with the lid on (still no peeking) for a further 10 minutes. Your rice will now be perfectly cooked.
Fluff the rice with a fork.
Remove any whole spices.
Serve and enjoy.

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Turmeric Pilau Rice

Delicious, light and fluffy Turmeric Pilau Rice enhanced with onion, garlic, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon is a vibrant and aromatic accompaniment to curries and stews.

Course Any

Cuisine Indian

Keyword basmati rice, pilau, rice, turmeric

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author Susan

Ingredients

125g – 150g/1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
200g basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, crushed
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
¾ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
360ml water

Instructions

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Prepare the onion and garlic – I do this in a mini food processor or you could chop by hand
Crush the cardamom pods.
Heat the oil in a cast iron casserole dish over a moderate heat and add the chopped onion.
Cook, stirring from time to time, for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and slightly caramelised.
Add the garlic continue to cook for a further minute.
Meanwhile wash the rice, either by running water through a sieve or put it in a jug, fill with water, stir the rice, drain and repeat until the water looks clear. This normally takes around 5 washes, although it will never be perfectly clear.
Add the spices and seasoning to the onion and garlic and cook for another minute or until aromatic.
Add the rice to the onion and stir well.
Now add the water and stir to mix. Bring to a simmer over a moderate heat.
When it starts to simmer, put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes without removing the lid – no peeking!
After 15 minutes take it off the heat and leave with the lid on (still no peeking) for a further 10 minutes. Your rice will now be perfectly cooked.
Fluff the rice with a fork and remove any whole spices.
Serve and enjoy.