Pumpkin Pilau
Ingredients 2 pax:
- 2cups fresh pumpkin (1/2 inch cubes)
- 1 1⁄2cups sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed. about 1 medium)
- Cooking oil
- 1 Large Red onion – diced
- 2 Celery Sticks – diced
- 6 small Kenyan garlic cloves
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1cup pishori rice
- 1⁄2teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 stick of Cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 3 crushed cardamon cloves
- 1⁄4teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
- Coat pumpkin and sweet potato in oil and arrange in an even layer on a roasting pan.
- Bake for half and hour until veggies tender and beginning to brown. Flip vegetables half way through
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add spices, stir, add rice, stir and then add broth stirring well for 20 seconds.
- Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes
- Add half of the pumpkin and potato mixture and stir in
- Cook for a further 5 minutes or until rice is done. Remove from heat and cover with tea towel leaving to steam for another five minutes.
- Remove cover, label out food and arrange remaining pumpkin mixture to individual plates.
Onion and Lentil Pilau
Ingredients 2 Pax:
- 3 tbsp ghee/ vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion – sliced
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 cup pishori rice
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 dried curry leaves, optional
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Parsley for garnish
Procedure
- In a large heavy-based saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion slices, and sauté until softened and deep golden brown. Remove half the onions and set aside.
- Reduce heat and add turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add salt, and season with black pepper to taste.
- Combine lentils and rice in a fine-meshed sieve, and rinse well with cold water. Drain, then add to pan. Add 4 cups stock, raise heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Water should be completely absorbed; if not, remove pan from heat, remove lid and cover pan with a kitchen towel, then replace lid and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
- To serve, fluff with a fork. Garnish with reserved onions and chopped parsley
Cauliflower Mushroom Pilau
Ingredients:
- 400g basmati rice
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or half oil half ghee)
- 2 medium red onions – chopped
- 50g white mushrooms – roughly chopped
- 75g green beans
- 150g cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 100g peas, thawed if frozen
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods – crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Sea salt
- 850ml water
- 30g raisins
- 30g pistachio nuts – toasted and chopped
Procedure:
- Rinse the rice in water and leave it to soak in a bowl for a minimum of 15 minutes
- Heat half oil in a wide, heavy-based pan and add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and star anise.
- Fry for a minute until spices smell fragrant.
- Add the onions and fry for another 6-8 mins, stirring frequently until soft and golden brown. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and fry the ground spices for another minute.
- Add remaining oil or ghee, a pinch of salt and all the vegetables to the pan.
- Saute’ for 3-4 mins then tip in the drained rice and stir well.
- Warm a medium pan and then add the drained rice, stirring well until it begins to dry out
- Pour in the water and the raising
- Bring to a boil and then cook for 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed
- Turn off the heat, quickly remove the lid and cover with a tea cloth, return the lid and leave to steam for 5 minutes
- Uncover, add the vegetables and fluff. Sprinkle with the toasted pistachios and serve.
