Pilau Rice

Pilau is a fragrant rice dish cooked with spices.

A million miles away from plain old boring boiled rice, it tastes and smells like a dream. Looks-wise it catches the eye, with a wonderful vibrant yellow that makes it all the more appetising.

Typical spices used in pilau rice vary, although cumin seeds, turmeric, cardamom pods, cinnamon and bay leaves are standards.

It’s the turmeric that gives pilau rice its glorious colour. Acting as a natural colouring agent, this sublime spice infuses the rice with its golden yellow colour. 

The dish is sometimes called a pilaf, pilaw, pullao, or pilav, depending on the country in which it’s being cooked. The word (or maybe we should say ‘words’) refers to the cooking technique, rather than the dish itself.

The technique is to let the grains of rice absorb ghee, butter or oil while sautéed in a pan, while other ingredients such as onion or chicken are added, before it’s all cooked in a simmering spiced stock. 

The dish is typically served in Northern India, although the cooking technique comes from Persia, nowadays known as Iran.

The earliest known recipe for pilau rice comes from a 10th century Persian scholar. This old school foodie and all-round genius – known as Avicenna to us in the West – wrote about the medicinal benefits of the dishes of the day, including many pilau recipes.

While he might not have ‘invented’ pilau rice, he certainly documented it and was widely read. This has led to him being known as the father of modern pilau or pilaf.

There are plenty of theories that it goes all the way back to ancient times, with ancient Indian and Iranian civilisations said to turn their noses up at plain boiled rice in favour of the flavour of a spicy pilaf.

Basmati is the type of rice used in the dish known as pilau rice. Basmati is a long, slender-grained aromatic rice. It’s traditionally grown in India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Basmati rice is the best type of rice to use in this recipe. If you want to make it really special, go for aged basmati. This is basically basmati that has been aged for up to two years, to give it an extra intense flavour and fragrance.

Of course, there are alternatives to basmati. Jasmine rice is a good alternative, as is long grain rice.

Avoid brown rice. It’s definitely healthier, but you won’t get the same texture or colour if you go for brown rice over white rice. Also, steer clear of easy-cook rice. You’ll end up with a spiced stodgy mess.

It definitely can be! Most pilau rice recipes are meat free, favouring vegetables cooked in with the rice, although some also use meat or a meat-based stock.

You can, but it’s much better to eat it straight after you’ve cooked it.

As with all rice dishes, there’s a chance that cooking this dish ahead of time and eating it later will cause food poisoning. This is because cooked rice can quickly gather harmful bacteria.

Again, it’s best to eat rice straight away. If you do find yourself with leftovers, cool the rice as soon as possible by spreading it evenly on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Once it’s cooled down, transfer the rice into an airtight container and place in the fridge.

Use the leftovers within a day.

Never keep rice for longer than a day before reheating it.

Despite the myth, it is safe to reheat rice. The problem doesn’t come from reheating the rice, but keeping it for too long.

You can reheat rice in the microwave or on the hob. Add a tablespoon or two of water and heat on medium until piping hot.

If you’re unsure whether the rice is safe to eat, use a cooking thermometer. The temperature should be 74ºC/165ºF.

If you want to keep this dish for longer, you can freeze it for up to 4 months. Cool the rice by spreading it evenly on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Then transfer the rice into a freezer-safe airtight container and place in the freezer.