East African Beef Pilau

beef

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork

Chicken is leaner and pork is often less expensive.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: sunflower oil

Olive oil offers healthier fats, while sunflower is budget-friendly.

cardamom

🥗Healthier: cinnamon

💰Cheaper: nutmeg

Cinnamon provides a warm flavor, while nutmeg is often less costly.

tomatoes

🥗Healthier: tomato paste

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Tomato paste is concentrated and can enhance flavor with lower cost.

Toast 1 teaspoon of cloves, 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds, 1/2 tablespoon of black peppercorns, 12 cardamom pods, and 1 cinnamon stick until fragrant.

Blend the toasted spices into a smooth consistency and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a pan until hot, then add sliced onions and cook until browned and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.

Dice 1 serrano pepper, 5 medium-sized potatoes, and some tomatoes, and set aside.

Add the serrano pepper, grated ginger, and minced garlic to the browned onions and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add beef, the blended spice mixture, salt, bay leaves, and cilantro to the pan, mixing well.

Brown the beef for about 8-10 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes release their liquid.

Add the diced potatoes and water, bringing it to a rolling boil and cooking the potatoes for about 10 minutes.

Add washed and drained basmati rice to the pot, cover with foil to trap steam, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is done.

Prepare a salad with diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, onions, cilantro, green chili, salt, black pepper, and juice of 1 lemon to serve with the pilau.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: