Green Pea Pilau

Pilau (or Pilaf) is rice which is flavored in spices and cooked in stock. I found the recipe for a Green Pea Pilau from my Curry Cookbook, “Curry Cuisine” which I’ve used a number of times and have enjoyed the recipes there.

Green peas is one item I often have in my freezer and it surely came in handy in this recipe. I tweaked some of the ingredients in this recipe based on what I did not have and I have in the pantry. The cooking method remains the same.

Here’s the recipe for the green pea pilau which you could eat just by itself or pair it with curry. May I suggest pairing it with some Chicken Tikka Masala?

 

GREEN PEA PILAU RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 Cup Rice (Long Grain)
• 2 Medium Red Onions, Thinly Sliced
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp Cloves
• 4 Green Cardamom Pods
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 Cup Green Peas
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 3 Cups Water
• 1-2 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro

Method:

Wash rice in cold running water, then soak in enough cold water to cover for about 15-20 minutes.

Heat butter in a heavy based Dutch oven (or pot) over medium heat and add spices (ground cumin, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds). When they crackle and are fragrant, add sliced onions and sauté until they are golden brown. Add peas and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Pour in water, add salt and bring mixture to boil.

Drain soaked rice and add to the pot. Cover and and let rice cook for 8-10 minutes over medium high heat. From time to time, remove lid and gently stir rice, keeping in mind that too much handling can break rice grains.

When water is nearly all absorbed and you can see small holes on the surface of the rice, sprinkle cilantro over it. Cover pot, reduce hit to low and cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Serve as is or with curry. This should serve 3-4 people.