Arabic Pilau

Eventhough I call this an Arabic pilau doesn't mean it's even remotely traditional, it's my own interpretation based on the rice dishes I've eaten while I was living in Saudi Arabia. Rice is a big part of Saudi food and I think a lot of the people eat it on a daily basis. It took me some time to appreciate the combination of bold flavoured spices used in Arabic cuisine, but now I actually cook with them myself from time to time.

This rice dish is just mildly spiced, just enough to make it enoyable without a sauce like plain rice would need but not so rich it's a meal on its own like some pilaus can be. I like to serve this with roasted chicken, a dollop of thick yogurt and some flatbreads.

                             

I added raisins because I like the occasional sweetness but they are definitley optional. Other things you can do is gently fry a chopped onion until bronwned and sweet, than proceed with the spices etc. A handful of (toasted) slivered almonds after cooking adds another layer of texture.

Arabic (inspired) Pilau

serves 2

200gr (1 cup) basmati

15 gr (1 tbsp) ghee or butter (oil can be substituted)
1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp whole corander seeds

1 bay leave

1 small cinnamon stick (or half)

40 gr (1/4 cup ) raisins soaked in hot water and rinsed, optional (see note)

370 ml (1 1/2 cup) recenly boiled water

In a pan melt ghee or butter over medium heat, add all the spices and cook for a minute. Add the rice and stir so that all the rice is coated with the fat. Add the water and reduce heat to low, let simmer for about 10-15 minutes with a lid until all the water is absorbed. Take of the heat and let stand for about 10 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve.