Pilaf for a Curry Banquet

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

Show: Nigella FeastsEpisode: Spiced Up

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (4)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(4)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 servings

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Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 45 min

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds, optional
2 1/2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Special equipment: deep saucepan, 9 1/2-inch diameter, with lid

Directions

Cook the onion in the oil, in a deep saucepan with the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and nigella seeds, if using, until the onion is slightly browned and soft. Keep the heat medium to low and stir frequently; this should take about 10 minutes.

Add the rice and move it about in the oily spiced onion until it is slicked and glossy, then pour in the stock and bring the pan to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, take the lid off, cover with a tea towel and clamp the lid back on the saucepan. You can leave the rice to rest like this for at least 10 minutes, and up to about 1 hour. Fork the rice through when you are ready to serve it, scattering the toasted sliced almonds and cilantro on top.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Pilaf for a Curry Banquet
Kenneth Strasburg, PA 02-08-2009
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Terrific pilaf
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This pilaf is such a perfect compliment to the Mughlai Chicken, I can't imagine making one without the other. So easy, too!
recipe Pilaf for a Curry Banquet
Linda Wernersville, PA 09-13-2007
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Simply Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this with the Chicken recipe and it was a great compliment. My husband who doesn't normally eat rice, try it and... loved it. The recipe makes a ton of rice so you may want to cut it in half if you are making it with the chicken because the serving sizes don't quite equal for both meals.Read more
recipe Pilaf for a Curry Banquet
kathryn new hope, PA 07-28-2007
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perfect complement
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

this plaf was so delicious with my lamb curry. it was easy and so good.
recipe Pilaf for a Curry Banquet
Sheila Chicago, IL 12-15-2006
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very good, double up on spices though
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I like this recipe for rice pilaf a lot. I've made the other recipes from the show, the mughlai chicken and the muttar... paneer and was happy with all of them. The only thing I would change would be to add salt and double up on all the spices if you want to eat it alone without the curries, but it is really good and simple to make.Read more