Swahili pilau
Swahili pilau, from above
Non vegKenyan and Tanzanian coast

Swahili pilau

Brown spiced rice with beef, cumin and cardamom. The Swahili coast's wedding rice in your kitchen.

80 minTime
34 gProtein each
mildSpice
0.3hPlan ahead. Soak for 0.3 hours first; the 80 minutes come after.
Pilau of the coast2 chapters · 1 min read

Make it your way

Grandma's wayRice, beef, browned onions and pilau spices.
The original
628kcalsame
34 gproteinsame
3 gfibresame
80minutessame

Classic Swahili pilau.

Per serving, worked out from the ingredient table.

Ingredients

5 servings
Basmati rice2 cups, soaked 20 minutes
Beef500 g, small cubes
Onion2 large, sliced
Garlic5 cloves, crushed
Ginger2.5 cm, crushed
Cumin seeds2 tsp
Whole spices1 cinnamon stick, 6 cardamom, 6 cloves, 1 tsp peppercorns
Potato2, quartered
Tomato1, chopped
Cooking oil (vegetable oil)¼ cup
Waterabout 4 1/2 cups
Saltto taste

Method

5 steps
  1. 1Boil the beef with half the garlic, ginger and salt in 2 cups water until tender. Keep the broth.
  2. 2Fry the onions in oil until deep brown.
  3. 3Add cumin and whole spices, then the rest of the garlic and ginger, then tomato.
  4. 4Add the beef and potatoes, then the drained rice, and stir gently. Add the broth topped up to 3 1/2 cups.
  5. 5Cover and cook on the lowest heat until absorbed.
Serve it like this

Mound on a big platter, beef and potatoes on top, kachumbari and a chilli sauce on the side.

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Make it a meal

What goes with Swahili pilau: a bread or rice, a side, something to drink and something sweet.

With a main Nyama choma100 min
With a main Maharagwe ya nazi50 min
On the side Kachumbari10 min
On the side Avial35 min
To drink Kokum sharbat25 min
Something sweet Rasgulla60 min
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