Persian Rice Pilaf
I'm always surprised at the whole notion of simplicity. I know it's big. I know it's continually a concern. A best-selling concept.
I also know that simplicity is rarely simple. I guess you don't get to be my advanced age--almost 50 (how the heck did I let THAT happen?)--without knowing that simple things rarely are. Good relationships, good food, the good life--simple, right? Um, hardly. It's not so much studied as constructed. Or nurtured. Which takes time. And effort. And so is not simple.
All of which leads me to this pilaf. It's a little complicated, needs a little nurturing, but is so darn good. Here's how it goes:
Start by mixing together the spice combo, like a curry but skewed to the Middle East: 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
Also before you get cooking, bring a kettle of water to a boil over high heat. And preheat the oven to 325F.
OK, prep's done. Now chop the onions. And I mean a lot of onions. Two pounds. Crazy. But these onions will become the basic sweetener in the dish.
And you know the secret to not crying, right? Um, there is none. It's sort of inevitable. But a really sharp knife helps. It rips fewer of the cell sacks open and so less of the bad gas gets air-borne to be mixed with your tears--which creates sulfuric acid in your eyes. No wonder we cry. Ah, simplicity.
Heat a heavy, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup canola oil. Then dump in all the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. You really want them to start to brown and frizzle at the edges. Don't despair. The slight bitter undertones from those too-browned onions will pair gorgeously with the "warm spices" in the mix and also with the onions' natural sweetness. Simplicity, after all, is really a matter of balance.
Drop the heat to low and stir in the spice mixture.
Pour in 2 2/3 cups basmati rice. Stir about a minute over the heat, then pour 3 cups boiling water into the pot. (Keep the water boiling on the stove.)
Turn the heat way up to high and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until most of the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes, stirring fairly often. The rice might stick a bit in places. Scrape it up and keep going.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, then cover the pot and shove it in the oven. For 30 minutes--or until the rice is tender. And that's it. The pilaf will be gorgeous. Note that first picture in this post. The onions have almost melted into the pilaf. It's that simple. Best of all? You can now drop the oven heat to 175F or so and keep it in there, covered, for up to 1 hour. Perfect. Ready when you are.
And what's the simplest thing of all in this dish? Ah, that almost-forgotten canola oil. More about that tomorrow.
Persian, curry, pilaf, rarely simple, rice, side dish, simplicity
Reader Comments (4)
it's all true. i'm often reminded of it when i fuss. three times out of five i'll feel the effort didn't really produce the effect i was hoping for, while simple food will never dissapoint. not once. the basics rule. i do love a ton of onion melted in my rice, and the flavor combo definetely is off our regular dinner circuit. all in favor say aye!
I'm going to have to try this. It's different from other pilaff's I've tried. What kind of onions did you use? Vidalia (sweet white), Yellows, Spanish (mild yellow), shallots?
Dana: Give it a try. It was so good. (especially with the smoked ham we had!)
Rebecca: Yellow onions. Reds would be too dry; Vidalias, a little too sweet (although I wouldn't turn them down). But these were just the regular, old, common-place yellows.
Thanks for the information you provide