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Swahili pilau rice with meat

One of the national dishes cooked in the coastal way

02-06-2020 di redazione

The rice "pilau" is one of the most common unique dishes to be found in restaurants in Kenya, especially those on the coast. The recipe is of Middle Eastern origin, but its Swahili variant is widespread especially in Kenya and Tanzania and its fame has also reached South Africa and Ethiopia. Unlike the Indian one, it has no curry and is less spicy, but more spicy than the Arab one.
Here is the recipe.

Ingredients (for four people):

2 cups Basmati rice
5 medium potatoes (peeled)
2 medium onions 
3 Cardamom seeds 
1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
A handful of cloves...
1 teaspoon of whole cumin
400 grams of meat
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of crushed ginger

PREPARATION

Fry the ginger and garlic in a pan with a drop of oil, add the meat and a glass of water. Simmer the meat until it is nice and tender.
In another pot put about 4 tablespoons of oil and add the onions, fry them until they start to soften, then add all the spices and potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add water and salt.
When the potatoes are almost ready, add the meat with its stock and finish cooking.
Add the rice and cook until it is almost tender.
(If the rice is tender and you have excess water you can drain it, or if you have less water and the rice is not yet tender you can add more water and continue cooking.)
For a good yield, pour it all into an ovenproof dish and put it in the oven for 20 minutes at 300 degrees.
It can be served with chopped coriander garnish, or with kachumbari in the same dish (see here the kachiumbari recipe).

 

TAGS: riso pilauricette swahiliricette costa kenyacucina kenyacucina swahili

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