Moroccan Rice Pilaf

MOROCCAN RICE (PILAF)

Are you someone who has never heard about the word ‘pilaf’ and are currently wondering what this word could possibly mean? Worry not my friend, in this blog we not only learn how to cook but also learn about the meaning behind some dishes and the major difference which makes it stand out in the crowd.

So, many people might question that don’t rice and pilaf mean the same thing? The straight answer to this would be ‘NO’. Why? Let’s understand that now. Rice as we all know is simply cooked in water whereas Pilaf on the other hand involves cooking rice soaked in stock or broth. It absorbs all the flavors and nutrients of the broth. While cooking pilaf, dry fruits, nuts, vegetables and different types of spices are added. It is believed to be on Persian origin.

The Moroccan rice Pilaf is generally made using Basmati or Jasmine rice as they are known for their fragrance. While cooking the rice, raisins, other dried fruits, almonds and spices typical of the Moroccan cuisine are added which makes this dish taste fantastic.

This is a perfect vegan and gluten-free side dish that can be accompanied perfectly with any vegetable soup or grilled meat or fish dishes of your choice.

Many a times this dish is made with meat like chicken or lamb but in this blog, we have shared the vegan version of it without any meat.

Making Pilaf is not hard at all. Simply all you need to do is cook your favorite fragrant rice in any kind of broth/stock instead of plain water.

Additional Information:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Calories: 336kcal
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• Oil of choice (preferably olive oil)
• 1 medium-sized finely chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (not cumin powder)
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 2-3 cloves
• 5-6 cardamom pods
• 1-2 cinnamon stick(s)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 2 and 1/2 cups stock/broth
• ¼ teaspoon saffron
• 3 finely chopped dates
• ¼ cup chopped raisins
• ¼ cup sliced roasted almonds

Procedure:

1. Place a large pot on medium-high heat and sauté onions for about 2-3 minutes until they turn golden-brown in color. Add in the spices – cumin, allspice, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and pepper and rice grains and stir everything very well.
2. Add the stock/broth to the pan, add salt and saffron strands and cover the pot. Let the rice cook until all the water is absorbed which should take around 10-15 minutes.
3. Now give everything a good mix, turn off the flame and add the dry fruits. Cove rthe pot again and let the rice pilaf rest for some time.
4. Serve it in a plate and you can use some fresh coriander leaves for garnishing. One quick tip would be to discard any bay leaf or whole spices from the rice pilaf.