Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Mixed Meat Pilaf

Friday, January 7, 2011

[MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Mixed Meat Pilaf - MidEastern

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mixed Meat Pilaf

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Meat

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion -- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 cups basmati rice -- scant, or a mixture of brown basmati, red Camargue and wild rice
2 cups chicken broth -- preferably organic (can, carton or cube)
2 cups cold shredded meat -- approximately
salt and freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts -- to 3 tablespoons, or sliced almonds, or a mixture
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley -- optional
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro -- optional
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds -- optional

Warm the oil in a heavy-based saucepan which comes with a lid, then add th chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes over a lowish heat, stirring frequently, before adding the cumin and coriander seeds and thyme, and cooking, as before, until the onion is soft; this should be about another 5 minutes, giving 10 minutes cooking time in total.

Add the rice and push it about in the oily, spiced onion with a wooden spoon or rigid spatula until it is slicked and glossy. Heat the broth until almost boiling, then pour the hot broth into the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan firmly with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 15 minutes for regular basmati rice, or up to 40 minutes for the 3-way rice mix.

Add the shredded meat and fork it all through, then replace the lid and leave it all to cook for another 5 minutes to let the meat heat through and the rice finish cooking.

Check that the meat is piping hot and the rice is tender, season to taste, then take off the heat and fork through most of the nuts, herbs, and pomegranate seeds (if using, or tip into a dish before doing this), and decorate each bowl of pilaf with the remaining bits.

Serves 2-3

AuthorNote: This is enormously gratifying, especially when you know it is made from the leavings from other meals and a quick trawl through the kitchen. True, the fresh cilantro, parsley, and pomegranate seeds that I mark optional for serving elevate the pilaf from a dish you savor while eating to a dish you savor before eating too, but it is a recipe that allows for any amount of additions and omission. Just ransack your refrigerator and pantry and proceed accordingly.

Cuisine:
"MidEastern"
Source:
"Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson, 2010"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Jan 2011"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 608 Calories; 24g Fat (35.8% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 77mg Cholesterol; 618mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8000 0 0 0 0 904539