Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (2024)

Published: by Abi Olayiwola · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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If you’re looking for a different way to eat rice or looking to wow your guests next time you’re hosting, then you must try this easy Kenyan beef pilau rice recipe.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (1)

What Is Kenyan Pilau Rice?

Kenyan pilau rice is a simple dish of rice flavoured with meat stock and spices and sometimes cooked with vegetables. This aromatic rice dish is commonly served at parties and occasions, usually with kachumbari (tomato & cucumber salad). Similar to jollof rice in West Africa, it is always present on Eid, Christmas and other special occasions. Kenyan pilau rice is also known as Swahili pilau rice and East African pilau rice.

Pilau dish is common in India and the Middle Eastern countries, each with its way of preparing it. The East African pilau rice is common in countries around the Swahili coast like Kenya and Tanzania; hence, it is also called Swahili pilau. Although there are a lot of Indian influences in the local cuisine of the countries around the Swahili coast, The Kenyan or Swahili pilau is more similar in appearance to the Middle Eastern version with a light brown colour than the Indian pilau with bright yellow colour from the addition of turmeric.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (2)

How To Cook Kenyan Beef Pilau

Here are the ingredients you need for the beef pilau recipe...

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (3)

Beef

Onion

Garlic

Ginger

Bay leaves

Salt

Sunflower oil

Ground Cloves

Ground Cumin

Ground cinnamon

Ground cardamom

Pepper flakes

Rice

A few notes about the ingredients...

  • Rice: I used and recommend golden basmati to get the best pilau rice. Its appeal apart from its distinct flavour, is its ability to hold its texture during cooking; which makes it less likely to become sticky. It is also fluffy and works well in most rice dishes. If you don’t have golden basmati; then other types of basmati or long grain non-stick rice are recommended for this simple pilau recipe with meat.
  • Beef: This is a beef pilau recipe. You can also have chicken pilau, goat meat pilau etc. Basically, the beef in the pilau can be substituted with other meats or replaced with vegetables like mushrooms to make it suitable for vegetarians
  • Spices: Traditionally, whole spices for pilau are roasted and ground, but I have used already ground spices from my cupboard for convenience. You can use whole spices if preferred. Before grinding with mortar and pestle, you’ll need to toast the whole spices in a pan. If you don’t keep many different spices in your cupboard, pilau spice (pilau masala) is available already mixed. You can find it in Asia and Mediterranean stores. You will need two tablespoons of pilau masala for 2 cups of rice.
  • Pepper: I used pepper flakes because I didn’t have black pepper at home when I wanted to make this recipe. You can substitute with black pepper powder.

How To Make It...

Peel the onions and garlic cloves.

Wash the beef and add into a pan. Slice in one onion and 2 garlic cloves with the ginger. Add bay leaves, with a cup of water and some salt to taste.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (4)

Cook until the beef is tender, then remove from heat. Keep the meet chunks and stock to one side.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (5)

Chop the remaining onion and garlic.

Wash the rice and repeat until the water runs clear.

In another pan, heat the oil under low heat. Add the onions into the pot and cook until the onions start to caramelize and become brown. You should stir the onions with a wooden spoon continuously to prevent burning.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (6)

Pour in the garlic and the ground spices. The brownish colour comes from the brown spices. Stir for 30 secs.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (7)

Add the rice into the pot. Pour in the stock and meat chunks. Add more water so there is enough to cook the rice (read the rice pack instructions). Taste for salt and add more if needed.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (8)

Cover the allow the rice to cook until all the moisture is absorbed.

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (9)

Other East Afircan recipes to try are;

Ugandan Rolex

Kachumbari

Kuku Paka

Irio

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (10)

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (11)

Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice

Abi Olayiwola

Kenyan beef pilau is a simple dish of rice flavoured with meat stock and spices. This aromatic rice dish is commonly served at parties and occasions.

4.43 from 21 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine East African, Kenyan

Servings 4

Calories 675 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Peel the onions and garlic cloves.

  • Wash the beef and add into a pan. Slice in one onion and 2 garlic cloves with the ginger. Add bay leaves, with a cup of water and some salt to taste.

  • Cook until the beef is tender, then remove from heat. Keep the meet chunks and stock to one side.

  • Chop the remaining onion and garlic.

  • Wash the rice and repeat until the water runs clear.

  • In another pan, heat the oil under low heat. Add the onions into the pot and cook until the onions start to caramelize and become brown. You should stir the onions with a wooden spoon continuously to prevent burning.

  • Pour in the garlic and the ground spices. Stir for 30 secs.

  • Add the rice into the pot. Pour in the stock and meat chunks. Add more water so there is enough to cook the rice (read the rice pack instructions). Taste for salt and add more if needed.

  • Cover the allow the rice to cook until all the moisture is absorbed.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 19gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 52mgPotassium: 397mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Kenyan pilau, Swahili pilau

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Comments

  1. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (12)Andy Stuart

    Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (13)
    I made this the other day, but substituted chicken and bacon for the beef, was a little overpowered by cloves, so next time I’ll only use 1/2tsp instead, but it was well received even my fussy eater son enjoyed it and had seconds! Easy to follow recipe and took just over an hour to prepare and cook.

    Reply

    • Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (14)Abi Olayiwola

      I'm glad you enjoyed the Kenyan pilau. Thanks for the comment.

      Reply

  2. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (15)shellah

    last week nilijaribu kupika pilau with your recipe pilau ilikuwa tamu mama

    Reply

  3. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (16)Jack

    Kia ora from Aotearoa New Zealand 😀

    I made my family this pilau and they loved it, even grandad went in for seconds. Thank you for uploading.

    Reply

  4. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (17)Jack

    Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (18)
    Oops forgot to rate! Five stars

    Reply

    • Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (19)Abi Olayiwola

      Thanks Jack.

      Reply

  5. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (20)Damaris

    Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (21)
    Tried today,.. loved it!!!

    Reply

  6. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (22)Caleb Datror

    The recipe was super easy to follow. Thanks so much

    Reply

  7. Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (23)Catherine Mutheu

    Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (24)
    The recipe was very easy to prepare and my daughter who is a picky eater enjoyed it alot and even asked for more.

    Reply

    • Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (25)Abi Olayiwola

      That's good to know Catherine. Thank you very much for the feedback.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Easy Kenyan Beef Pilau Rice Recipe · eat well abi (2024)

FAQs

What is Kenyan pilau made of? ›

Kenyan beef pilau is a simple dish of rice flavoured with meat stock and spices. This aromatic rice dish is commonly served at parties and occasions.

How to cook pilau with meat? ›

Pilau mostly involves cooking beef or chicken in stock or broth and adding spices to rice. Step 1: Begin by boiling your meat until tender then soak your rice in warm water for 10 minutes. Step 3: Heat cooking oil in a sufuria and add in your onions. Heat until golden brown.

Why is my pilau not brown? ›

In a large pot, add some Pure Mountain Herb Infused Canola oil and chopped onions. You'll need to fry the onions until brown. Be careful not to burn the onions. This is the secret to making brown pilau and you want to take time while doing this.

How to make pilau swahili? ›

Cooking Instructions
  1. Heat the oil on medium heat. ...
  2. Put the chopped tomatoes, coriander, chilli and keep mixing. ...
  3. Keep adding water to avoid stickiness and to form a paste. ...
  4. Add the rice and mix for few seconds before pouring water.
Aug 25, 2022

What is the English name for pilau? ›

Pilaf (US: /ˈpiːlɑːf/), pilav or pilau ( UK: /ˈpiːlaʊ, piːˈlaʊ/) is a rice dish, usually sautéed, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do ...

What is the difference between rice and pilau rice? ›

As you may have guessed, the main difference here is the fact that pilau is permeated with a variation of seasonings, herbs and spices. Pilau can also be cooked in a broth, whereas plain rice is just cooked in water. In some countries, Pilau is even baked after it's been boiled!

Why is it called pilau? ›

Pilau (pronounced “pih-LAU”) means “rice” and refers first and foremost to the way people in the Middle East prefer to prepare rice: fluffy and with a loose grain. In addition, pilau is also the name of an ancient rice dish that exists in infinite variations, made with those loose cooked rice grains.

How to use pilau seasoning? ›

Pilau Rice Spices
  1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium sized saucepan and add the contents of the spice sachet.
  2. Saute the spices for 2 minutes over a medium heat for 2 minutes or until they become fragrant.
  3. Remove from the heat and fold in 300g of uncooked basmati rice and a pinch of salt.

How do you cook rice and meat at the same time? ›

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir rice into beef; cook and stir until rice is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add water and seasoning packet from rice; cover skillet.

How much water should I put in Pulao? ›

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
  1. 1½ cups basmati rice (aged rice)
  2. 2 tablespoons oil or ghee.
  3. salt as needed.
  4. 2 ½ cups water for pressure cooker ( 2¾ cups for pot, 1¾ cups for Instant pot)
  5. 1½ teaspoons ginger garlic paste.
Sep 13, 2023

Why is my pilau mushy? ›

Too much water

Different types of rice have different rice-to-water ratios. If you don't use the appropriate amount, then your rice will turn out mushy.

What darkens Pilau? ›

You can add a dash of dark soy sauce to help darken the beef once it thoroughly cooks. After the beef is ready, add the tomatoes and let them cook. Cover the sufuria and let the tomatoes cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Some people use tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes.

Is Jollof rice same as pilau? ›

Jollof and Pilau

Pilau is a fragrant and spicy East African rice dish cooked with various spices, meat stock and rice. It is richly flavored and loved here in the East. Similarly, Jollof is a West African rice dish with tomatoes as the main ingredient.

Why is my pilau rice hard? ›

If the heat is too high, the water evaporates before the rice has a chance to fully cook. If you don't add enough water, the rice ends up dry and crunchy. And if you don't cook the rice long enough, it gets soft on the outside but doesn't cook through.

Where did the Kenyan pilau come from? ›

Pilau Masala is a favorite Kenyan meal and a common delicacy whose roots are deeply embedded in the culture of the Swahili communities. Pilau likely originated in Ancient Persia, but Kenyans, and residents of many other lands – India, Pakistan and most Middle East countries, claim that Pilau originated with them.

What is Kenyan ugali made of? ›

Ugali is prepared from ground white corn similar to how tamales are made from yellow corn in Central America. In most homes the ugali makes up most of the meal, with vegetables or meat as accompaniments.

What is pilau seasoning made of? ›

Ingredients: Salt, Onion, Coriander, Cumin, Paprika, Tomato, Star Aniseed, Sugar, Chilli, Garlic, Turmeric, Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Ginger, Fennel, Corn Flour, MSG, White Pepper, Oregano, Mango, MUSTARD, Fenugreek, Sunflower Oil, CELERY, Bell Pepper, Citric Acid, Bay Leaves, Red bell pepper, Cardamom, Nutmeg, ...

Is pilau same as jollof rice? ›

Jollof and Pilau

Pilau is a fragrant and spicy East African rice dish cooked with various spices, meat stock and rice. It is richly flavored and loved here in the East. Similarly, Jollof is a West African rice dish with tomatoes as the main ingredient.

What is special about pilau rice? ›

Pilau Rice is a great accompaniment to any curry meal. Our version is made using the finest basmati rice incorporated with garden peas and infused with hints of cumin and a light spice. It can also be eaten on its own with plain yoghurt. Tastes divine!

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