Make the best Swahili-style Kenyan pilau! Fragrant, easy to make, and delicious, this recipe is a must-try!
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what is Pilau?
Pilau is a popular East African rice dish, particularly in Kenya and Tanzania. It is prepared by cooking rice with meat, such as beef or chicken, or vegetables in a flavorful broth infused with spices.
The dish is known by various names, including pilaf in the United States. The earliest documented recipe for pilau dates back to the works of the 20th-century scholar Abu Ali Sina.
Kenyan pilau draws influences from both Indian and Arab culinary traditions, leaning more towards the Arab style. It distinguishes itself from its Indian counterpart by its brown color, achieved through browning the meat and frying onions.
Indian pilaf, on the other hand, is characterized by its yellow color, typically derived from saffron, turmeric, or a combination of both.
During my childhood in Kenya, pilau was considered a special delicacy reserved for festive occasions like weddings. While it has become more commonplace nowadays, it remains an essential dish for celebrations of all kinds.
ingredients
This summary outlines the ingredients; the detailed ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions have been provided in the recipe card below.
- Rice: long-grain basmati is ideal for this recipe due to its fluffy texture and fragrance. It absorbs flavors well, though other rice types can be used.
- Pilau masala spice: a homemade pilau masala spice is recommended for better taste, but a ready-made masala spice is also an option.
- Stewing beef.
- Minced garlic and ginger:
- Bay leaves and stock cube: optional.
- Whole spices: use cumin seeds, green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon sticks, along with ground pilau masala.
- Cooking oil:
- Broth and water.
- Potatoes (optional).
- Onion: gives the pilau rice a wonderful brown color. Red or yellow onions are fine to use, I do not recommend using spring onions (scallions).
- Tomato paste: adds color but use sparingly to avoid sourness.
- Salt: to taste.
how to make
- Toast whole spices: Roast cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, and cloves, then grind them into powder.
- Clean and soak rice: Rinse rice until water is clear, then soak in cold water.
- Soak whole spices: Soak these separately in a small container.
- Boil meat: Cook with water, salt, and a stock cube until tender. Reserve the broth.
- Fry and add ingredients: Brown meat and onions, then add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, soaked spices, pilau masala, and potatoes.
- Add liquids and rice: Pour in hot water and any broth, followed by the rice.
- Cook and serve: Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has evaporated. Serve.
Serve with some Kachumbari, Sukuma Wiki, Kenyan Beef Stew, Coleslaw, or Nyama Choma.
useful tips
- This recipe uses beef, but chicken, lamb, goat, or no meat for vegetarian options work too.
- Generally, use two cups of liquid per cup of rice, adjusting based on rice variety.
- Start with 1 ½ tablespoons of ground spice; increase to 2-3 tablespoons for a more fragrant dish.
- Begin cooking on high heat, then reduce to for an even cook, and fluffier rice.
- Cover rice with foil or a lid towards the end to cook in its own steam, to prevent it from turning soggy.
- Adjust the time based on rice variety, with a starting liquid ratio of 1:2. Add more liquid if necessary.
- If rice dries out before fully cooked, gradually add salted boiling water (a quarter cup at a time), poking holes for absorption. Avoid adding too much water at once to prevent sogginess.
more tasty African dishes
- Kenyan Samosas
- Benefits of Mouloukhie leaves
- Health benefits of omena fish
- Nigerian Jollof Rice.
- Kuku Paka
- Githeri
- Don't forget to check out our ultimate guide to top Kenyan food recipes!!
Updated on November 23, 2023: Certain parts of this recipe have been simplified to enhance clarity and readability.
📖 Recipe
Swahili Kenyan Pilau
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice
- 1½ tablespoon ready-made pilau masala spice
- 1 lb stewing beef diced
- 2 tablespoon garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoon ginger crushed or minced
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 stock cube (optional)
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- 5 cups beef broth and water (a combination of both)
- 4 potatoes peeled and cubed (optional)
- 2 medium-sized red, yellow or white onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Whole Spices (*See Recipe Notes Below)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds *
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom pods *
- 2 cinnamon sticks *
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns *
- ½ teaspoon cloves *
Instructions
- To clean the rice, fill a bowl about three-quarters full of water and stir the rice with your hand. Drain the water and repeat this process two more times until the water is clear. Finally, soak the rice in water.
- While the rice is soaking, soak the whole spices in a cup of water.
- Cook the beef, salt, stock cube (optional), crushed garlic and ginger, bay leaves, and water in a medium-sized pot until the meat is tender. Strain the meat and set the broth aside for later use.
- Using the same pot, heat the cooking oil and add the beef and onions. Fry the beef and onions in the same pot for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are brown and the meat is browned.
- Add the tomato paste, the soaked spices along with the soaking liquid, ground pilau masala, and potatoes. Stir and cook for two minutes.
- Mix the reserved broth and hot water to make five cups in total. Drain the rice and set it aside.
- Pour the measured hot water and broth into the pot. Add the rice and increase the heat to high. Cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed. Check and add more salt if needed.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with aluminum foil or a lid and cook for a further 5 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, before serving. Serve hot, with kachumbari, steamed cabbage, or your favourite dishes.
Notes
-
- This recipe uses beef, but chicken, lamb, goat, or no meat for vegetarian options work too.
-
- Generally, use two cups of liquid per cup of rice, adjusting based on rice variety.
-
- Start with 1 ½ tablespoons of ground spice; increase to 2-3 tablespoons for a more fragrant dish.
-
- Begin cooking on high heat, then reduce to for an even cook, and fluffier rice.
-
- Cover rice with foil or a lid towards the end to cook in its own steam, to prevent it from turning soggy.
-
- Adjust the time based on rice variety, with a starting liquid ratio of 1:2. Add more liquid if necessary.
-
- If rice dries out before fully cooked, gradually add salted boiling water (a quarter cup at a time), poking holes for absorption. Avoid adding too much water at once to prevent sogginess.
Nutrition
frequently asked questions
To cook plain pilau, add some cooking oil to a pan then fry onions at medium heat, until brown and fragrant. Next stir in two tablespoons of pilau masala and a teaspoon of salt (this amount is for two cups of rice). Add five cups of water or a combination of broth and water to the pot and allow this to boil. Next, stir in cleaned rice and allow to cook until all of the water has been absorbed.
Pilau gets its brown color from frying meat (chicken, beef, lamb), pilau spice, and onions at low heat. The spices, caramelizing onions, and the fried meat brown up, giving it its brown color. Some people also like to enhance the color by using 1-2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. To brown pilau without meat, simply use a lot of onions ( about 2-3 diced large onions) and slowly fry this with spices at medium to low heat, until brown.
Cooked pilau rice can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days when stored in suitable airtight containers or resealable plastic bags.
Naz
Loved this recipe!
Reminded of my mum's swahili pilau. Found the tips really helpful and easy to follow 🙂
Kate Hahnel
Aaawh thank you very much! I am so glad you enjoyed your pilau!
Angi
oh my, this rice looks delicious! I can't wait to try it.
Kate Hahnel
Thank you very much!!
Moop Brown
This rice recipe looks very tasty, filling and flavorful and definitely seems like a dish everyone will enjoy.
Kate Hahnel
Thank you!!
Loreto and Nicoletta
I could just smell the spices and aromas of this dish being prepared! I love dishes like this that eminate culture and celebration. I am definitely going to give this a go. I love how food brings us all together!❤️🙏👍👌🥰
Kate Hahnel
You are so right! Food transcends borders and brings us together.
Nicole Washington
Thank you for sharing your culture with us. I am down to try most ethnic dishes and this looks pretty easy to create! Thanks!
Kate Hahnel
It really is easy to create, extremely flavorful too!
Cathleen
Okay, I definitely need to try this!! I haven't bookmarked a recipe so fast in a while. Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Kate Hahnel
Thank you very much. Let me know what you think once you have tried.
Naïby
I'm always looking for different ways to cook rice and I'm glad I found your recipe. The spices make the rice so fragrant and fill of flavour!
Kate Hahnel
Thanks! Yes, it is a wonderful way of giving plain rice a new life.
Amanda Dixon
I will definitely make this again! The seasoning was out-of-this-world flavorful. I especially loved the warmth the ginger added. So, so good!
Kate Hahnel
It sure is flavorful, so glad you enjoyed it.
Liz
I like that you can make it ahead of time - much needed at our house!
Heather
I can already smell the amazing savoriness of this rice! Cannot wait to add to my next meal plan. I am sure leftovers are delish!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you! Tastes even better the next day!
LaKita
This pilau looks so comforting, flavorful, and delicious! Love how you break down the recipe steps and make it look so easy.
Kate Hahnel
Glad you were able to follow and that you enjoyed the dish. I must admit, this is one of the longest recipes I have ever shared but it is all worth it in the end.
Kathryn
This was my first time trying this rice recipe and it was delicious. It made a perfect side dish with chicken and I love the potatoes in it- it was so hearty 🙂 thanks!!