Lamb Pilau

Pilau is yet another aromatic and delicious meal of its own kind. Pilau is cooked together with any kind of meat be it lamb, mutton or beef and it can also be prepared with fish ,shrimps or vegetables etc.

Growing up , Sunday was not complete if we did not have Pilau, it is also served on special occasions, holidays, birthdays , and also for wedding lunch, this is usually on the night after the wedding reception and I must mention that I had the best Pilau ever in Zanzibar for my sister's lunch (wedding) this was done by a professional local caterer I believe her name is Tausi and the meaning of her name is "Peacock" well she does know what she's doing  and ever since I have been trying to make that Pilau...Its been over 20 yrs and am still craving for it..;(

Pilau gets it flavour from the broth, as well as the spices however many people prepare it with stock or water. I prefer to make mine with broth and I make sure that the broth is well seasoned. Another way to make the broth is to use whole spices, I use whole spice but I wrapped it in a " Boquet Garni" , some like their Pilau  lighter and some dark, it depends on how concentrated your broth is as well as the spices.

On reserching the roots and how Pilau reached Zanzibar, I would like to believe that it was brought by the Indians due to the vast and prominent  Indian influence especially from Gujrat.

Pilau is also prepared and consumed in many countries and due to the vast spread of the dish, there are alot of variations of the name in many languages such as polou, palov,polu,polaao,pulao/pulav etc. The English spelling Pilaf is influenced by the Modern Greek Pilafi.

I also managed to find that   the  ancient Indian text Mahabharata mentions rice and meat cooked together, and the word "pulao" or "pallao" is used to refer to the dish in ancient Sanskrit and Kannada works.

And it is also believed that the proper preparation of pilaf was first documented by a tenth-century by a Persian scholar named Abu Ali Ibn Sina who in his book on medical science dedicated a whole section to preparing various meals including several types of Pilaf. 

Persian neighboring languages: polow (rice cooked in broth while the grains remain separate, straining the half cooked rice before adding the broth and then "brewing"),

Serves 4-6 

For the broth

2 pounds beef/lamb or mutton

1 Tbls Cumin seeds

2 Cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1 tspn whole cardamons

1-2 bay leaf

1/2 tspn peppercorns

Fresh garlic and ginger root

Use a cheese cloth and wrap and tie all the dry whole spices and make a "Bouquet Garni" and immerse it into the a large pot of water with your choice of meat. Mash the garlic and ginger and add. Cover and slow cook for an hour or so ( or until the meat is tender) you can use pressure cooker if you wish.

For the rice:

3 Tbls vegetable oil

2/3 large potatoes (optional) peeled and cut into half or quarters

1/2 onion diced

1 Tbls cumin seeds

1 Tbl pilau seasoning ( Masala) * check out the video on how to prepare this.

1 Tbls fresh ginger/garlic paste.

2 cups long grain

3 cups broth

Cooked meat

Salt to taste

* Wash and soak the rice for atleast 20 mins before cooking

Method:

In a large sauce pan , heat the oil and add the the potatoes and brown them

Remove the potatoes from the heat

Add onions and sautee  till translucent, add cumin seeds stir for few minutes

Add Pilau seasoning and sautee, add the meat , stir and mix to combine

Add the ginger/garlic paste combine well and sautee for few minutes (do not burn)

Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil

Add the rice, bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 2 mins

Reduce the heat , cover and simmer for about 15-20 mins or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Reduce to lowest heat and cover tight for 15-20 mins ( or place in the oven at 350F for 20 mins)

Serve with kachumbari, raita , salsa etc.