Best Rice Pilaf African Recipes

MOROCCAN RICE (PILAF)

Steps:

• Saute: Place the onion and the olive oil in a large pot and sauté under medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add cumin, allspice, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, pepper and rice and stir until rice gets a white color, about 2-3 minutes.
• Simmer: Add the stock (or water), salt and saffron, cover the pot and wait until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered until almost all of the water is absorbed, about 5 - 10 minutes.
• Rest: Turn off the heat, add the dried fruits and almonds and stir/fluff up gently with a fork. Cover the pot and let the pilaf rest for 15-20 minutes.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion over medium heat until golden. Stir in rice and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and stir in parsley.

RICE PILAF (AFRICAN)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onions until soft.
• Stir in the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.
• Add the raisins, chili, lime zest, cinnamon sticks, cardamon, salt and 4 cups of water and stir well.
• Cover the pan and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
• Meanwhile, lightly toast the slivered almonds in a dry frying pan.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and fluff up the rice with a fork.
• Stir in the almonds, parsley and season to taste before serving.

WILD RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan, add the onion, and cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add 5 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the wild rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer, covered, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the rice is tender. Drain well.
• Place the drained rice in a bowl, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the scallions, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucier over medium heat.
• Stir in the onion, bell pepper and 2 pinches of salt.
• Decrease the heat to low and sweat until the onion is translucent and aromatic but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until you smell nuts, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the saffron and its water, the broth, orange zest, bay leaves and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
• OK, now the weird part: Thoroughly wet a clean towel, kill the heat, scatter the peas on top of the rice, then place the towel across the top of the saucier. Top with the lid, then fold the towel corners up over the lid.
• Transfer the saucier (towel and all) to the oven and bake 15 minutes.
• Remove and rest at room temperature for 15 more minutes without opening the lid.
• Fish out the orange zest and bay leaves. Turn the pilaf out onto a platter, fluff with a large fork and garnish with the raisins and pistachios. Serve family-style, right in the middle of the table.

CLASSIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine rice and onion mixture in a 9x13-inch casserole dish placed on a baking sheet. Stir thoroughly to coat the rice.
• Combine chicken stock, salt, saffron, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock mixture over rice in the casserole dish and stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove foil and fluff with a fork to separate the grains of rice.

EASY RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown rice in oil, stirring constantly. Blend in soup mix and pepper. Stir in water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in peas. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.