AI-generated image
Zanzibar pillau
Whole-spiced vegetable pilau finished with coconut milk and baked
Zanzibar's spiced pilau: rice cooked with onions, garlic, whole cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, cumin and nutmeg and plenty of vegetables, then finished with coconut milk and baked until fluffy. It's fragrant rather than hot. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot with kachumbari or a curry.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 12 oz basmati rice2 cups
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 medium onionschopped
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 medium potatoespeeled and chopped
- 2 carrotspeeled and sliced
- 7 oz shelled peas
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 green pepperdiced
- 2 tsp saltor to taste
- 2 cups boiling water2 cups
- 1 cup coconut milk1 cup
For the whole spices
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5 cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeggrated
To garnish
- 3 tbsp fresh coconut (optional)grated
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 12 oz basmati rice in water for 20 minutes and drain.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp oil and sauté 2 medium onions until tender.
5 minStep 3: Add 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 cardamom pod, 5 cloves and ½ tsp nutmeg with 1 tsp garlic paste, 2 tsp garam masala, 2 medium potatoes, 2 carrots, 7 oz shelled peas, 2 green chillies, 1 green pepper and 2 tsp salt.
Step 4: Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
10 minStep 5: Add the drained rice and 2 cups boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered.
10 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir in 1 cup coconut milk and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed.
5 minStep 7: Cover and bake for 20 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and tender.
20 minStep 8: Garnish with 3 tbsp fresh coconut and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zanzibar pillau take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of medium onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Indian
Khao kluk kapiShrimp paste rice
Everything on this central Thai plate is arranged in little heaps around a mound of rice tossed with garlic and fermented shrimp paste: sticky caramelised pork (moo wan), threads of sour green mango, shallots, chillies, sliced long beans, crisp dried shrimp and ribbons of thin omelette. You mix a bit of each into every spoonful, so salty, sweet, sour and hot arrive together. It's a favourite at Bangkok's curry-and-rice shops and a clever way to use up yesterday's rice at home; lime wedges and cucumber cool it down. Chef's tip: use day-old jasmine rice straight from the fridge, because freshly cooked rice clumps and smears the shrimp paste instead of coating each grain.
Thai
Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
Hyderabad's biryani grew up in the kitchens of the Nizams, and the kacchi style is its proudest form: the chicken goes into the pot raw, in a thick yogurt, mint and fried-onion marinade, and cooks only in the steam trapped under part-cooked basmati. In the old city it is wedding and Eid food, ordered in huge copper deghs, and at home it's the Sunday showpiece, served with mirchi ka salan and a cooling raita. Because the meat cooks without being stirred, small bone-in thigh and drumstick pieces work best. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge — the yogurt tenderises the chicken and the flavours go right to the bone.