Pilau kavu - Plain pilaf

 

Pilau literally means rice gruel.Pilau is also known as pilaf it is eaten widely in India and Arabia.Most of the Pilau recipes usually incorporate meat or fish with nuts and saffron.Pilau Kavu is also commonly known as the poor man’s Pilau.As long the Swahili wife has an onion, a tomato, spices and rice in her pantry her family doesn’t sleep hungry. And if she has a papaya or mango tree in her shamba (field) or backyard they will have that with Pilau.

Makes 6 -8 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups of basmati rice
2 medium size onions
5 Tbs. of vege oil
2 finely chopped tomatoes or 2 teaspoons of tomato paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. ginger paste
Salt
4 ½ cups of HOT water.
Optional:
½ bell pepper
½ cup raisins

Pilau spices in powder form
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. coriander
¼ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin

Directions
1.Wash and soak the rice. Keep it aside.
2.Put the oil in a large pot, add the onions fry till lightly brown. Then add the garlic ginger mixture, spices and green pepper. Once the onions take a deeper shade of brown add the tomatoes, stir frequently till the tomatoes tender. You may need to add few tablespoons of water to help the tomatoes to soften completely should look like paste.
3.Preheat the oven to 350F.
4.Add the hot water, salt and then rice to the pot. Bring to boil and then turn down heat to simmer, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Add raisins, cover the pot and put in oven for 10 minutes after the 5th minute gently stir the pilau and put it back in the oven.

Serve warm with spinach, fried fish or meat and Kachumbari(Salad).