HENRIETTA IS HUNGRY

Pilaf – a rice dish that involves cooking rice with spices in a broth, or with vegetables and meat. There are so many different ways to prepare rice pilaf, making it your own. This dish is most commonly found in East Africa (where I come from), Middle East, the Caribbean and Latin America.

My mum cooked rice pilaf on weekends, and my four sisters and I would lick our plates clean. The aroma of the spices filled the kitchen and made its way to the living room while she cooked. We would sometimes sneak and watch her cooking and steal tastes in preparation for the real deal at the dinner table. She often added meat or chicken to it, which is the common way pilaf or ‘pilau’ is prepared in Africa.

This recipe has two distinct spices; curry and cumin which aid in digestion and make any dish pop with character. The amount of curry used is minimal but sufficient, rendering the dish unique and delicious.

Curry Rice and Vegetable Pilaf : (serves 4)

• 2 cups of brown rice
• 3 carrots, diced
• Thawed frozen peas, 1 pkg
• 2 cups of mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 2 diced onions
• 1 large red pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoon marjoram and parsley
• 1 large yellow squash, diced

Heat oil in a pot over medium high. Add the garlic, carrots and onions, stir for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add red pepper, squash, brown rice , curry, cumin and salt turning with a wooden spoon frequently for 3 minutes. Add broth, marjoram, parsley and as soon as it starts to boil, lower heat, cover  and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve while hot!

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy and be well

Curry Rice and Vegetable Pilaf