Pilaf

A pilaf is a rice dish.  Strictly one that is cooked in a seasoned broth with vegetables or meat.  I cook a pilaf using red rice from the Camargue region of France, it is recent hybrid developed during the 1980s.  It takes a long time to cook and has a slightly nutty flavour.

I was going to make a salad with the rice this week, but I decided it was too cold so I decided to make this instead:

Red Rice Pilaf

1 large onion thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chilli powder (depending on how spicy you like your food)
340g Red Rice
55g Raisins
340g Broccoli
225g Feta
Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until clear.

Add garlic and chilli powder and fry for a further two minutes.

Add rice and stir in to cover with oil and onion mixture.

Add one pint of water and stir in with the raisins, season with pepper.

Cook covered on a low heat until rice is tender, this will be approx one hour, checking for water every now and again.

Chop the broccoli into small florets and peel and chop the stalk, steam until tender.

Chop the feta into small chunks.

When the rice is cook stir in the cooked brocolli and feta and serve.

This is also tasty eaten cold, if there is any left, the next day.