East African Pilau Rice
East African Pilau Rice is a quick, easy, and aromatic one-pan dish packed with warm flavors from cumin, smoked paprika, curry, and cardamom. This highly-flavored vegetarian rice dish will satisfy any meat lover. Guaranteed to please even the most discerning palate!
This incredibly delicious dish dates back to India but has been imported and adapted to East African kitchens. Pilau rice is an intensely flavored, celebratory dish enjoyed throughout East African countries and the Swahili-speaking regions.
While it varies in preparation, it’s super spicy! Not spicy hot but a spice haven loaded with cinnamon, cumin, star anise, bay leaf, curry powder, cardamom, black pepper, garlic, ginger, onions, bell pepper, jalapenos, and red pepper flakes. Aaand to make it even more flavorful, it’s cooked with coconut milk. I’m not kidding when I say the flavor is intense!
East African Pilau Rice Flavor Explosion
Fear not! Even with a long list of ingredients, the preparation is easy peasy. After toasting the spices for the aromas to bloom, proceed with the recipe. Cooking time is only 25 minutes.
The term pilaf often refers to the technique of cooking rice in seasoned broth. The technique originated in the Middle East and quickly gained popularity in the neighboring countries. It has spread worldwide, most notably in India and the Caribbean.
A sad fact is that since it was such a beloved African dish, it arrived in America with the African slave trade. While it’s commonly known in the States as rice pilaf, it’s also called pilav, pilau, and pilaw. Just some background info you should know.
Ingredient List
- Oil carries the spices’ flavor when toasting. Butter works, but ghee is even better and tastier.
- Cashews – An optional ingredient that adds a beautiful nutty flavor and extra protein.
- Spices – Cumin, cardamom, smoked paprika, curry powder, star anise, bay leaf, a cinnamon stick, garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper, onion, tomatoes, and a red bell pepper add intense flavor for the East African twist. And a little S&P doesn’t hurt.
- Basmati Rice is the classic choice, but feel free to use any long-grain rice you have.
- Liquid – Almost any broth works. I used a cup of coconut milk and 3 cups of broth.
How to Make East African Pilau Rice
- Heat a saucepan with oil or ghee. Toast the cashews for 2-3 minutes. (Photo 1)
- Toast Spices – Add all the spices: cumin, cardamom, smoked paprika, curry, star anise, pepper flakes, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Stir for about a minute. (Photo 2)
- Add Aromatics – Toss in the garlic, ginger, jalapeños pepper, and onions, and continue cooking for another minute. Then add the tomatoes and bell pepper and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. (Photos 3-4)
- Rice – Stir in the rice to evenly coat and cook for 2 minutes. Then add 4 cups of broth or coconut milk (or a mixture of both), salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. (Photos 5-7)
- Simmer – Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is completely cooked—18-20 minutes. You may need to add more stock as the rice cooks to keep it from drying out. (Photo 8)
- Serve – Once cooked, fluff the rice, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Add some vegetables and top it with shrimp for a one-pot meal.
- Let the rice rest a few minutes before fluffing so it fully absorbs the moisture.
What Goes With African Pilau Rice
This rice pairs perfectly with Caribbean curried shrimp or African beef stew. For a vegan meal, pair it with kachumbari. Yum!
More Soul-Satisfying Rice Recipes
East African Pilau Rice
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) oil, butter, or ghee
- ⅓-½ cup (50-75g) cashews (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) cumin
- ½ teaspoon (1g) cardamom
- ½ teaspoon (1g) smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon (.5g) curry powder
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) star anise
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced ginger
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups (400g) basmati rice
- 4 cups (945ml) liquid (broth, water, and coconut milk are all good)
- 1½ teaspoon (7g) salt or more (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) white or black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan with oil or ghee. Sauté the cashews for 2-3 minutes.
- Add all the spices: cumin, cardamom, smoked paprika, curry, star anise, pepper flakes, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Stir for about a minute.
- Then, toss in the garlic, ginger, jalapeño, and onions, and continue cooking for another minute. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper—continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, then add 4 cups of broth or coconut milk, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is completely cooked—18-20 minutes. You may need to add more stock as the rice cooks to keep it from drying out.
- Once cooked, fluff the rice, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Add some vegetables and top it with shrimp for a one-pot meal.
- Let the rice rest a few minutes before fluffing so it fully absorbs the moisture.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
You said it all for me: it is spicy, delicious, a heart warmer and a must-try if you haven’t eaten it. It beats all others . . .in my opinion. Got that wow! factor
Very fragrant and tasty. I didn’t add the cashews only because I couldn’t find raw ones. I used a can of coconut milk and added water for the rest. I’ll try a coconut milk/broth combo next time. It was lovely though. Thanks for the recipe!
I must say you are a good chef to adjust recipe as per available ingredients:) Thank you so much for your valuable words!
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! He’s from east Africa and said it reminded him of home, that’s what I was shooting for<333 We did it without the cashews.
Glad to hear your story, there are a lot more African recipes I have on the blog. If you try I am sure your husband would be surprised with your cooking and taste:)
Made this last night – wow! The whole family enjoyed it. Made it to go along with the Berebere chicken and lentils by Feasting At Home. Used a whole can of coconut milk. Subbed 1 tsp lal mirch for the jalapeno as I hate dealing with burning hands from prepping jalapenos.
Wowza! What a meal! I’m glad you and your family enjoyed this, Kara. Thank you for stopping by.
I used canned diced tomatoes and for the liquid, I used a combination of the juice from the canned tomatoes, a can of coconut milk, and vegan “chicken” stock. Everyone loved it, including our 7 yo.
It’s always a huge hooray moment when even kids enjoy what we prepared, right? So happy everyone loved it, Carrie! Thank you 🙂
Made this for dinner yesterday and loved it! I saved some for leftovers and it tasted even better the next day. It’s definitely intensely flavourful but not overpowering. Thank you for the recipe!
Yay! Thank you, Debbie!
Is it a combination of white and black pepper or which ever you prefer?
Which ever you prefer.
This recipe is delicious! Brings me back home to Africa with those beautiful fragrant spicy flavours. Thank you for this great recipe!
You are welcome, Gina. I am so glad I was able to take you home with this recipe :)!
WOW! This was delicious!!! I made it for my neighborhood gourmet luncheon and everyone inhaled…even my picky teenager loved it:) I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of coconut milk and it was amazing.
I’m very glad Heather! That’s a great modification — broth and milk truly makes it creamy and flavorful. Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I’ve never seen pilau cooked with cashews or coconut milk and I’m kenyan this is different for sure
As a zanzibari Tanzanian, I have to agree. Pilau has no cashews anywhere I have seen. Nor is it vegan. It is never cooked in coconut milk either. Sometimes chicken in Tanzania but almost always goat is pressure cooked and then added to the rice as it cooks.
Thank you for your input. I understand everyone has their favorite recipe and regional differences create a delightful variety of recipes. Some people love to adjust the recipe to dietary choices, and I have seen vegan pilau with coconut milk. And cashews are a common protein source to replace the meat. Hope that makes sense.
Found your blog looking for a corn pudding/casserole and glad I did.
It turned out great!
Your caribbean & african recipes look divine.
This rice is a must-try.
Can’t wait to peruse much more of your blog! Thanks for sharing!
Glad it turned out well for you, Roseanna! And thank you for dropping by. Happy holidays!
Yh,
I’ve never seen pilau cooked like this or look like this in Kenya either. Its usually brown and the onions aren’t visible either, as they are shallow fried until golden brown.
I would definitely like to try this unique recipe, looks good.
Hi Imma,
Really nice recipe, thanks for sharing it.
One question: the recipe doesn’t mention to cover the rice as it cooks. Is that correct?
I thought it might get more fluffy if you cover it, as normally done for cooking rice.
Thanks,
Arne
Hi Arne,
That was an oversight you need to cover as it cooks. Will update recipe.