Pilau is a whole-meal dish — the meat, spice, and rice all cook together, so the goat needs to bring real flavour to the pot. This version uses whole pilau spices rather than pre-ground mix, which makes a noticeable difference.
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in goat meat, cut into chunks
- 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 thumb ginger, grated
- 4-5 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4-5 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cups beef or goat stock (or water)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt, to taste
Method
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1
Brown the onions
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Fry the sliced onions until deeply golden — this is the base of the pilau's colour and flavour, so don't rush it.
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2
Toast the whole spices
Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin seeds and fry for about a minute until fragrant.
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3
Brown the goat
Add the goat pieces and brown on all sides, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
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4
Add tomatoes and simmer
Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, then pour in the stock. Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes until the goat is tender.
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5
Add the rice
Stir in the rinsed rice, adding more hot water if needed so the liquid sits just above the rice. Season with salt.
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6
Cook covered
Cover tightly and cook on low heat for 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, until the rice is fully cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
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7
Rest, then fluff
Turn off the heat and let the pot sit covered for 10 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork and serving.
