Rice Pilaf
Variations
- Almond Raisin Rice PilafAn ingredient branch from the authored reference, with its selected additions included in the quantities and method.View recipe →
- Cinnamon Raisin Rice PilafAn ingredient branch from the authored reference, with its selected additions included in the quantities and method.View recipe →
- Toasted Almond Rice PilafAn ingredient branch from the authored reference, with its selected additions included in the quantities and method.View recipe →
288kcal5.6g protein9.2g fat45.4g carbs~$0.59/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
Contains gluten, dairy · only in an optional ingredient: tree nut
Restrictions
Containsgluten · dairyIt is in an ingredient you cannot leave out.
Only if you add ittree nut (almonds)Leave that ingredient out and the dish does not have it.
Diets
No porkNo alcohol
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 1 cup |  rice (long grain, white) |
| ⅓ cup |  noodles (fideo or vermicelli, broken into short pieces) |
| 1 ¾ cup |  chicken stock (hot) |
| 3 tbsp |  butter |
| 1 unit |  onion (finely diced) |
| 1 unit |  bay leaf |
| ½ tsp | salt |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| 3 tbsp |  almonds (slivered, toasted) |
| 3 tbsp |  raisins |
| 2 tbsp |  parsley (chopped) |
| 1 unit |  cinnamon (stick) |
| ¼ tsp |  black pepper (ground) |
Steps
- Sweat6 minbutter, medium-low, no colourbutter + onion until soft and translucent. Butter rather than oil is worth keeping here — the milk solids in it brown alongside the pasta in the next step and contribute most of the nutty flavour
- Toast5 minmedium, broken vermicelli first, then rice, stirred constantly+ broken vermicelli, stirred until it turns deep gold, then + rice, stirred until the grains smell faintly of popcorn and their edges go glassy. This is the pilaf method: the fat coats each grain and the dry heat browns its surface starches, which both keeps the grains separate and adds a toasted flavour boiling can never produce. The vermicelli goes first because it browns faster and you can see it happening
- Boil2 minhot stock added all at once, stirred once, brought to a boil+ hot stock + bay leaf + salt (+ cinnamon, + raisins), stirred exactly once to level and then left. Hot stock matters: cold liquid dropped on toasted rice halts the pan and the grains sit in tepid water absorbing unevenly
- Simmer15 minlowest heat, tightly covered, not openeduntil the liquid is absorbed and small craters appear on the surface. From here it is the plain-rice mechanism — starch gelatinising between roughly 70 and 80°C under trapped steam. Every lift of the lid loses steam that was cooking the top layer
- Rest5 minoff the heat, still coveredundisturbed, then discard the bay leaf. Moisture is still moving from the wet base to the drier top; skipping this gives you two textures in one pot
- Fold2 minfork, lifting from the edgesthe grains apart (+ toasted almonds, + parsley, + pepper). A fork separates and a spoon crushes — and after five minutes of careful toasting, crushing the grains undoes exactly what you did it for