Zanzibar Pilau
Whole toasted spices fried into the oil before the meat and rice go in, cooked entirely in meat stock — Zanzibar's dry, spice-forward take on pilau, tracing to Persian-Omani trade routes, and notably free of the tomato and raisins found in Kenyan versions.
Meat
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1.5 lbs beef or goat, cubed
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cups beef stock
- 3 tbsp oil
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the onion until deep golden brown.
- Add the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom, and cumin seeds, and fry until fragrant.
- Add the garlic and ginger, then the beef, and brown well on all sides.
- Stir in the ground coriander and salt, then add enough water to cover the meat and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.
- Rinse the rice and add it to the pot along with the beef stock, adjusting liquid so it sits just above the rice.
- Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Fluff gently and serve hot.