# Pilau Rice

An easy one-pan pilau rice that is aromatic and simple, perfect as an accompaniment to any dinner.

- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 15 min
- Cuisine: Indian
- Category: Side
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 2 dessert spoons ghee
- 1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 1 cup white basmati washed rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- cinnamon sticks
- cloves
- salt
- raisins
- nuts
- cashew nuts

## Instructions

1. Add two dessert spoons of ghee to a wide-based pan with a tightly fitting lid and heat it until nice and hot.
2. Add one and a half teaspoons of cumin seeds to the hot ghee and cook until they are spluttering and dark brown.
3. Add three black cardamom pods and then switch off the heat.
4. Add one cup of white basmati washed rice to the pan and stir it through the flavored oil, but do not fry it too much.
5. Add two cups of water to the rice.
6. Add one teaspoon of turmeric to make the rice look interesting.
7. Optionally, add whole spices like a couple of bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, or cloves to make it look more festive.
8. Add a little bit of salt.
9. Optionally, add raisins or nuts.
10. Let the rice simmer away until it reaches the 'panic point' where the water is gone and small holes appear on the surface.
11. At the 'panic point', put the lid on, switch off the heat, and place the pan somewhere in the kitchen for about 15 minutes to allow the rice to cook itself.
12. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and optionally toss a few fried cashew nuts on top before serving.

## Equipment

- wide-based pan
- tightly fitting lid pan

## Tips

- Always choose a pan that has a tightly fitting lid for cooking rice.
- Ensure cumin seeds splutter and turn dark brown in hot oil before adding other ingredients.
- Do not stir the rice once it starts to simmer.
- After simmering to the 'panic point' (water gone, pits appearing), put the lid on, switch off the heat, and let it sit for about 15 minutes off the heat.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BcAwPYYui/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/3438de70-1020-4cfc-b9e3-1473fbacfdc1
- Extracted: 2026-02-25

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt