Coconut pilau is a dish made of coconut rice and has an intense flavour that is simple and satisfying. This rice dish is a delicious accompaniment to Swahili chicken, which can be served with it. As with prawns pilau, coconut pilau is superbly delicious with any seafood, as coconut and fish are a wonderful combination.
Ingredients for coconut pilau
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups water (or as needed)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon margarine or butter
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom/iliki
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1-2 chillies, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- salt to taste
- chopped coriander for garnishing
Instructions for preparing coconut Pilau
The basmati rice should be washed, rinsed out, and then soaked for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
Into a pan, add the butter or oil, and once heated, add the whole black pepper, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. As soon as they begin to sputter, add the chopped onions to the pan and fry until golden. The next step is to add the garlic paste, stir it in, and then add the chopped chilies, potato cubes, and spices powdered to make the curry. Mix everything until it is well combined and well coated with the sauce. As soon as you have added the coconut milk and water, the process will be completed.
Give it a taste after you sprinkle salt over it and stir it up. The salt in the liquid needs to be able to be tasted in order for you to know if it is salty. It is important to keep in mind that once the rice has been added, it will need salt as well. As such, it may be a good idea to add a little bit more than what seems to be just right so that as soon as you add the rice, the flavor will balance out.
Once the liquid has come to a boil, drain the soaked rice and add it to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients. All that needs to be done is to give everything a good stir and let it simmer for a while. Then you should lower the heat to medium and give everything a good stir every once in a while.
Enjoy! 🙂