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.
Love this! Omg everyone should try this! My son loved it as well. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, too, for taking the time to leave a comment, Crystal! Have a good one!
Hi Imma – it looks like you add cooked rice to the onion & spice mix am I correct? Love your website!
Thanks Michelle. I added un-cooked rice.
My daughter is participating in a Geography Fair and would like to make this recipe to share as part of her presentation on Kenya and Tanzania — may she please copy the recipe to display on her table with link/credit given to your website? Thank you!
I recently returned from a mission trip in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). Your pilau rice is very similar to the dishes I enjoyed there. The only items they typically left out was the red bell pepper and occasionally the cashews. Other than that it looks spot on. It’s a great side and it went with so many different main dishes. It’s also often served with cooked beans like pinto etc.
Hi Jt! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
This was delicious. We paired it with a Zanzibar Chicken recipe from another site and had a great meal. Thanks for the recipe! Its a keeper.
Fantastic! Thanks for the feedback!
That’s a Rice packed with some awesome flavors there! Surely not the kind of rice your neighbor next door typically ever cooks. The great thing is I have all those spices on hand so it isn’t hard to make. Rice does well in absorbing flavors so it just does well to flavor it up for goodness. Will have to try this one sometimes. I tend to go thru allot of your older blog posts fairly frequently, so i tend to know where stuff is when i’m looking for something or something on the fly.
I am enjoying your website immensely. Beautiful pictures and recipes. What curry powder do you use or do you make your own?
Thanks Dori! I do make my own . Check it out here
This is great. Can you make it with brown rice instead? Really want to try this but with brown rice. Has anyone tried it with brown rice?
Hi Ruth! You sure can . You just have to cook it a more minutes.
I am loving this thanks Immy
Thanks!
This rice dish was fabulous !! I made two batches of peri-peri chicken the other day and I was looking for a side dish to have with the second batch.
The spices melded so nicely together! Thank you for the recipe.
Good to know ! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Simple and delicious
I believe this will be delicious. Pls is dre another substitute for d cashew nut. Did u parboil d rice. Thanks
No, I did not parboil rice. You can leave it out, completely. I make it with or without the cashew nuts depending on availability.
Hey, I love you creations. Can I use store bought cinnamon powder instead of stick and at what measure
Thanks Dee! Yes you can, about 1/2 a teaspoon or more . Do let me know how it works out for you.
Hi! This looks WONDERFUL and I am definitely going to give it a try. Can’t wait. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful spice filled recipes. 🙂
Hi Wendi! Glad you are a spice lover. Do let me know if you make it .Thanks for stopping by!
I adore your rice dishes!! It gives me so many new ideas for ways to make rice 🙂 Thanks for another one going on my rotation list Imma!
Nagi,I can’t wait to see your creations , always an inspiration too! And the pictures are always stunning!