How to cook pilau

By Mary Otieno

The mention of the word pilau( /pi-la-u/ ) to me means spices. If you are someone that loves spicy food then this is a recipe to try, you won't be dissapointed. It can be cooked with any kind of meat (white or red) and also vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1kg rice
• 1kg meat
• 1cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 5 large cloves garlic (crushed)
• Tsp salt
• 1.5kg potatoes
• 3 carrots
• Pilau mix
• Tomato paste
• 2 large tomatoes
• Coriander
• Black pepper
• Brinjons
• Pepper to taste (optional)
• 2ltr coconut milk OR 2ltr. water
• Food colour

metric conversions
Method

1. Cut the meat into 1cm. cubes, wash, then cook in very little water.
2. While the meat is cooking, peel the potatoes and carrots. Wash, then cut into small cubes.
3. Dice the tomatoes and the onions.
4. When the water in the meat has dried, remove pan from the fire.
5. Put a larger pan (2.5ltr.) on the fire. Put the oil, when it is hot add the onions, garlic and brinjons. Leave to cook until golden brown.
6. Add the tomato paste and stir, and then add the diced tomatoes.
7. When tender add the pilau mix, food colour and the corriader then stir for some times. (From this point it’s important to occasionally stir to avoid sticking on the pan).A very nice aroma is also coming from the mixture by now.
8. Put the meat and stir, then the potatoes and carrots. Stir for some times then leave to cook.
9. When the potatoes start getting tender. Wash the rice then add it in the mixture. Stir and add the salt, then pour in the coconut milk. Cover and let cook until the water has all dried out. Ensure that during this time you stir to avoid sticking.
10. When there is no more water then remove from fire.

Serve while hot.
This amount serves 4 people It is best eaten with kachumbari (onion salad)

How to prepare kachumbari

Ingredients: 3 very finely sliced onions 4 sliced tomatoes 1 cup vinegar 2 chopped green chillis (optional) Salt to taste

Method

Wash onions in a little salt and water. Drain off the water. Add the rest of the ingredients. Serve with the rice.

How to prepare coconut milk

Break open a fresh coconut and remove the shell. Coarsely grate off the white flesh and cover with one cup of boiling water. Leave to stand for 15 minutes. drain off the coconut thoroughly and you are left with the first extract of milk (FEM).Repeat the process for the second extract of milk (SEM). SEM is always used first in cooking; then when the dish is nearly dry, the thick and creamy FEM.

Pilau is a rice dish commonly found at the East African Coast and a wide part of Asia. Pilau spice is a mixture of :

• cinnamon
• cardamon
• cloves
• saffronstrands (see riceingred)

The rice that is cooked using this mixture has then been named pilau.These spices were originaly planted in Asia but have now become popular in East Africa, thanks to the 15th Century Arab traders.

The people of the Kenyan coast

The kenyan coast is a very popular tourist resort because of its sandy beaches in the beautiful equatorial sun.The coastarian are also known for their hospitality and generousity especially towards visitors. Cooking of pilau is one way of expressing this generosity. It suggests therefore that one cooks pilau for people he treasures most . Pilau is also cooked during special occassions like in weddings , birth-day parties anniversaries or any other occassion that calls for celebration. learn more about different dishes of pilau in these sites. Kenyan Recipe Page and Kenyan cuisine

About coconuts:

Coconut trees are a common sight along the coast lines all over the world. At the East African coast, the natives have discovered that besides using coconuts as food, the entire tree ( from the roots to the fruit) is very beneficial and no part should ever be thrown away. The inside of the fruit is food, while the shell can be used to make food bowls, serving spoons or onarments like earings, bungles and hair clips.The leaves of the tree are used for thartching roofs of houses, commonly known as makuti houses along the E. African coast.This kind of roofing is important since it makes the insides of the house cool in the coastal humid heat.To know more about this beneficial plant, you can go to other uses of the coconut

More links on kenyan recipes

KenPilau

African cook book

Dinner in Kenya