Saturday, October 16, 2010

Golden Pilaf


Lately Amir has been really into rice. So when I saw this Martha Stewart recipe, which includes lots of raisins (another favorite), I had to make it.

Golden Pilaf
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small chopped onion
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 dried bay leaf
pinch of cinnamon
2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup raisins
1. In a saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
2. Stir in rice, salt, tumeric, bay leaf, cinnamon and chicken stock. Bring to a boil; cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in raisins with a fork, and simmer until stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Set aside, covered, 5 minutes.
The Verdict: Flavorful, colorful and easy!

The tumeric gives the dish not just its beautiful golden color, but some of the warm and spicy taste. Add to that the cinnamon and bay leaf, this recipe has a bit of an Indian cuisine taste to it. This is another dish that you might have everything ready to go right in your cupboard. I chose basmati rice, but plain white rice will work just as well, though is not as fragrant or buttery.

Another addition to the dish is homemade chicken stock. A couple of weeks back I'd roasted a chicken and used the carcass to make stock. It was time consuming, but incredibly easy. While shopping in Whole Foods the other day, I noticed a large package of chicken bones and backs in the freezer section for around $3. I think I'll be getting some during my next shopping trip to cook up more. One part about homemade chicken stock is that you can make a lot, then freeze into portions.


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