Best Indian Pilaf Recipes

INDIAN CURRIED BARLEY PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet placed over medium-high heat. Add the onion and barley; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the allspice, turmeric, curry powder, salt, and black pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a simmer.
• Cover skillet with lid, and reduce heat to low; simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Fluff the pilaf with a fork, and gently stir in the slivered almonds and raisins.

INDIAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Bring water and chicken broth to a boil.
• Combine rice, curry powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, paprika, and cloves in a bowl; stir to mix. Add spiced rice and onion to the boiling broth. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH INDIAN SPICES AND RAITA

Steps:

• Wash rice by rinsing in cold water. Then soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain.
• In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is tender. Add garlic, and saute for about a minute. Add cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Saute for another minute and add the rice. Saute until rice is translucent and begins to brown. Add water, bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 10 minutes. Most of the water will evaporate and steam holes will show through rice.
• Add peas, but do not stir. Cover tightly and let simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, covered.
• Prepare the raita: In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, mint, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper.
• Uncover the pilaf, season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon stick. Turn pilaf out onto a serving platter and pour half of the raita over rice. Pass remaining raita.

RICE AND LENTIL PILAF - INDIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaf, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chiles, and cloves and then cook for about a minute while stirring, until the spices become fragrant. Take the spices out of the pot and reserve. Turn the heat down to med-low and add the onion to the pan. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring once and a while, and then take the pot off the heat and set aside.
• Rinse the rice in a colander. Once the rice is rinsed and drained, add it to the onion in the saucepan and put in the reserved spices and add the turmeric and cook over med-heat, stirring, for about 1 minute.
• Add in 1 1/2 C water and 1/2 t salt to the mixture and bring it all to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with a paper towel and then the lid. Let this simmer this way, over low heat, for approx.20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been soaked up. Take the pan off of the heat and set aside, leaving it covered, for approximately 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the lentils, 2 C water and 1/2 t salt in a different saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then put a lif on it and simmer, over low heat. for approximately 25 minutes (until the lentils get tender).
• Now, heat the remaining 2 T vegetable oil, over medium heat, in a large nonstick skillet. Add in the potatoes and cook for approx 10 or 12 minutes, until the potatoes get a bit browned (stirring occasionally). Take the heat down to low and cook for about 5 minutes more. Then you can add the carrots to the potatoes and cook for 3 more minutes, or just until both are tender.
• Next, you can fluff the rice with a fork and take out the bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves and chiles. Then drain your lentils and stir them into the rice along with the potato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

EAST INDIAN SPLIT PEA PILAF

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine peas and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm., In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bay leaf in oil until golden, about 3 minutes. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in the seasonings; saute for 30 seconds. Add the rice; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in broth and remaining water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Add peas; heat through. Discard bay leaf.

5 MINUTE SPICY INDIAN RICE PILAF FROM LEFTOVER WHITE RICE

Steps:

• 1. In a frying pan, add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, margarine or butter and make it hot. 2. Add in 1 Tbsp cumin seed to rice and fry it for 1 minute. 3. Add in 3 Tbsp of pickled mango, stir, and fry for 1 minute. Mash the pickled mango with a fork. 4. Add in leftover white rice, stir the mixture thoroughly and fry for 3-5 minutes. 5. Add salt to desired taste, and serve. Optional: Add 1 Tbsp turmeric powder along with the cumin seed, prior to adding the rice. Optional: To add in missing amino acids (protein) and to make it a complete meal, add in fresh or frozen green peas at the same time you add in the rice.

30 MINUTE INDIAN CAULIFLOWER-CARROT-POTATO-PEA VEGETARIAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Part I - 5 minutes 1. In a deep pot, heat 3 Tbsp of butter, margarine or olive oil on high heat. 2. Add in chopped onions, 1 Tbsp turmeric, and 2 Tbsp pickled mango and fry until onions are light brown -- mash the pickled mango while frying. Part II 3. As the above mixture is frying, wash 2 cups of rice 5-times in cold water. 4. Add uncooked but washed rice into the the spicy mixture and stir. 5. Add 6 cups water, and keep on high heat. 6. Add in cauliflower, cubed cooked potato, tomato, carrots and frozen peas. If the final mixture is not completely covered in water, add more water. 7. Add 3 Tbsp salt, cover and bring to a boil. 8. As the mixture begins to boil, remove cover slightly to help steam escape, and reduce heat to low. 9. Let simmer for 15minutes or longer if needed (periodically taste to see if rice is cooked). Part III. 10. Once the mixture is cooked, stir in 2 Tbsp garam masala powder + 2 Tbsp fresh ginger and stir thoroughly. 11. Add salt to taste, and serve.

INDIAN LENTIL PILAF

Steps:

• Bring lentils and 4 cups water to a boil in large pot or Dutch oven.
• Reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until lentils are firm-tender.
• Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water, and transfer lentils to a bowl.
• Wipe out the pot and heat the oil over medium high. Sauté the onion in the oil 4 minutes, or until just golden.
• Add carrots and rice and cook 3 minutes, or until rice is toasted and fragrant, stirring constantly.
• Add garlic, ginger and garam masala and cook 1 minute more.
• Stir in tomatoes, broth, reserved lentil water and lentils and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
• Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover, let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork, then spoon pilaf into shallow bowls, and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY PILAF

Steps:

• Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat; add in chicken then brown until cooked through; remove to plate.
• Add in the onions and 1 teaspoon sugar; saute stirring with wooden spoon for about 15-20 minutes until browned (the onions must be browned!) adding in garlic the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.
• Add in curry powder and turmeric; stir for 1-2 minutes to release flavours.
• Add in basmati rice and stir with wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes.
• Slowly add in the chicken broth and water (for firmer rice use a little less water or broth) stirring with a wooden spoon to combine.
• Return the chicken back to the pot along with the raisins, frozen peas and almonds; stir and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• At this point adjust the curry powder to taste.
• Cover with tight-fitting lid and simmer on top of stove over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all broth is absorbed.
• Season with salt and lots black pepper.

INDIAN PILAF

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350. 2. Melt butter in skillet. 3. Add onion and rice; cook and stir until rice is yellow and onion is tender. 4. Stir in next 5 seasonings. 5. Pour into ungreased 2 qt casserole. 6. Heat chicken broth to boiling. 7. Stir into rice mixture. Cover tightly. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. 8. Stir in almonds.

INDIAN PILAF

Steps:

• In a medium pot, combine rice, stock, bay leaf, curry powder and cumin. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and cook for 17 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
• In nonstick pan, heat the olive oil until it is very hot, reduce heat to medium-high and saute the onions until they begin to soften. Add the peppers, and saute until the onions are golden and the peppers are soft. Stir in the currants, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix with rice.
• Combine the rice mixture with the turkey, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the almonds, and serve. (Pilaf may be refrigerated before adding the almonds. To serve, stir in almonds and reheat in microwave.)