Swahili Pilau with Chapati
Course: Main CoursesCuisine: SwahiliDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes35
minutes1
hour5
minutesThis quintessential Swahili meal is Pilau. Hearty, savoury and incredibly aromatic, this rice dish is a staple and locals prefer a strong pungent garlic presence. If garlic is not something you enjoy, you can reduce the recipe to one clove.
Ingredients
160g Basmati Rice
1 Tablespoon Pilau Spice Mix
1 Red Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
2 Tomatoes
200g Beef Fillet
70ml Tomato Paste
375ml Water
Vegetable Oil
Salt
- Kachumbari
4 Tomatoes
2 Red Onions
Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound peeled garlic cloves with a pinch of salt until it becomes a paste.
- Add the Pilau Spice Mix, which usually contains cloves, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon and black pepper. Continue pounding for 2 minutes to release al the aromas and oils. It will look like a thick paste.
- Finely chop onion and sauté in large pot with vegetable oil over high heat.
- Once the onions become golden brown, add peeled and diced tomatoes. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Slice beef fillet into cubes and add to the pot.
- Add spice paste into the pot and sauté until the beef is cooked.
- Add tomato paste and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add rice and water. Allow to simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. If necessary, add more water.
- Remove from heat and cover the pot with aluminium foil and bake at 150°C for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot accompanied with kachumbari and chapati.
- For the kachumbari, thinly slice the onions and tomatoes and dress with olive oil. Season with salt to taste.
Notes
- This recipe is part of our renown “The Charming Lonno Lodge Cookbook” that you can download for free or purchase as a printed copy on Amazon.