Cook’s notes
What is pilaf? It’s rice cooked in broth. It’s found in cuisines in many parts of the world including South Asia, Central Asia, the Caribbean, Western and Eastern Europe. Pilaf (pilau and pelau are some of the spelling variations) can be cooked with or without meat.
How does pilaf differ from the Italian risotto? Pilaf isn’t stirred during cooking which results in a fluffier rice dish. Pilaf is also more often cooked with long-grain rice rather than with stickier short-grain rice.
Now, about this pilaf. Aside from being such a tasty dish, there is the added attraction that this pilaf is so easy to make too. While I often cook pilaf on the stovetop, this one went into the rice cooker. The flavor base was cooked on the stovetop, the rice was stirred in and then everything went into the rice cooker where broth was poured in directly. Oh, the convevience!
About the rice… I always use Basmati when I cook pilaf. Aged Basmati is especially good. It absorbs plenty of liquid without going soggy. And because long-grain rice is not as starchy as short-grain and medium-grain rice, even after soaking up a lot of liquid, the grains don’t stick together.
Is Basmati a must? No. Any long-grain rice will do. The starchiness of rice is inversely proportional to the length of the grain. Because pilaf is a fluffy rice dish, you need to use long-grain rice which is much less starchy than medium-grain and short-grain varieties. Read more about rice varieties.
Does pilaf have to be cooked in broth? Won’t plain water do? Well, pilaf, by definition, is rice cooked in stock or broth. If you cook your rice in water, you’ll have a rice dish but it won’t be pilaf.
Is pilaf with dried fruit and nut a main dish? It can be if you’re a vegetarian. In which case, you should swap vegetable broth for the bone broth in the ingredients list. I served the pilaf as a side dish.
Cranberry and pistachio pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots peeled and finely chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup pistachio nuts toasted
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 4 cups bone broth
- salt to taste
- 2 generous pinches turmeric powder
- 2 pinches pepper
- cilantro to garnish
- 2 lemons
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.
- Saute the chopped shallots until softened and translucent.
- Toss in the dried cranberries, toasted pistachio and golden raisins and cook until everything is coated with oil.
- Add the rice. Cook, stirring, until every grain is glistening with oil.
- Transfer to the contents of the pan to the rice cooker.
- Pour in the bone broth, stir and taste. Add as much salt as needed for a well-rounded flavor.
- Stir in the pepper and turmeric.
- Cook the pilaf in the rice cooker until all the broth has been soaked up by the rice.
- Leave the cooked pilaf for five minutes then fluff with a fork.
- Ladle the cranberry and pistachio pilaf into bowls.
- Squeeze a little lemon juice over the rice.
- Arrange lemon wedges on the side and sprinkle with torn cilantro.
- Serve at once.
Crispy fried whole fish with lemon sauce
