Easy recipe: Authentic Swahili beef pilau

 Authentic Swahili beef pilau (Photo: iStock)

Let's make some real Swahili beef pilau. Let’s not complicate pilau, it is a simple and delicious dish, true to its tradition and culture.

Ingredients:

3 cups basmati rice

1kg beef with bone (boiled in 1 litre of water)

1 tablespoon ghee

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, sliced

2 tablespoons whole pilau mix

1 tablespoon garlic ginger minced

1/2 kg potatoes halved

3 & 1/2 cup beef broth (from the boiled beef)

Salt to taste

What to do:

In a pot add put in the ghee and vegetable oil. Cook the onions until nice and soft then add your beef and whole pilau mix; this is a mixture of whole cinnamon whole cardamom, whole cumin seeds, whole cloves and whole black peppercorns.

Now add the garlic ginger mix, mix well then go in with the potatoes. 

Cook for about two to three minutes then add your washed and soaked rice. Mix well then go in with the beef broth. Add salt to taste and bring to a simmer until all the water is almost evaporated.

Cover with a tight lid and reduce heat to low. Steam for about 15 minutes or until the rice is nice and fluffy. You are now ready to serve your pilau with Kachumbari and pilipili masala.