Pilau is a fragrant, spiced, and incredibly flavorful rice dish that has become a beloved staple in many East African homes-especially in Kenya. Similar to jollof rice in West Africa, it is always present on Eid, Christmas and other special occasions. Whether at weddings, family gatherings, or holiday celebrations, pilau is almost always on the menu.
Kenyan Pilau was traditionally an Asian dish with roots in Middle and far East Asia prepared from rice and an array of historically oriental spices that are now available and grown in Kenya and East Africa. The pilau recipe most likely spread from Kenya into the landlocked regions of East Africa through Arab and Swahili trade caravans that established contact with elites from the interior from as early as the Fifteenth Century. Since then Pilau has joined the ranks not only as one of Kenya’s national food staples… but as a favorite staple in many homes as well, including mine!
Many of the ingredients used in Kenyan and East African pilau like mdalasini (cinnamon), iliki (garlic), karafu (cloves), pilipili kali (hot pepper), pilipili hoho (mild pepper) and dania (coriander) were imports from Far Eastern countries, which due to coastal trade and commerce, introduced Arab and Persian influences into Kenyan and East African culture almost a thousand years ago. Pilau is suspected to have arrived in Kenya through the Swahili coast as early as or even before 1492 due to the heavy presence of Arab and Persian traders.
A google search will reveal that the Kenyan pilau has become the more celebrated version of the East African Pilau. Kenyan Pilau is usually served during special occasions like public holidays, weddings and religious celebrations like Eid or Christmas. While I customized this East African Pilau with chicken, pilau can generally be adapted towards vegan or vegetarian diets and meat eaters alike.
While I might call this a Kenyan Chicken Pilau, pilau is honestly a staple dish eaten all over East Africa. Pilau rice is as beloved and synonymous with East Africans as Jollof rice is with West Africans; however, with regards to popularity, global associations of jollof rice with the Nigerian version mirror the same associations of pilau rice with the Kenyan version.
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Pilau dish is common in India and the Middle Eastern countries, each with its way of preparing it. The East African pilau rice is common in countries around the Swahili coast like Kenya and Tanzania; hence, it is also called Swahili pilau.
Key Ingredients for Kenyan Pilau
Preparing the Spice Mix is what makes a Kenyan Pilau special are the spices used in making it. Each cook tends to have a slight variation in the quantity of the different spices in their Pilau spice mix, so even though I do not have an exact ratio, I use these basic rules to guide me in mixing the spices :
- Don’t use more than one stick of cinnamon for 3 cups of rice or less to avoid a cinnamon heavy rice.
- Don’t use more than 1 tablespoon of cumin for 3 cups of rice or less to avoid down playing the other spices.
- For 3 cup of rice or less do not use more than 6-8 cloves. Cloves tend to numb your mouth if you add too much to this dish.
- Other popular spices used in East African pilau but not included in this recipe are ginger and turmeric powder.
Here's a list of common ingredients for Kenyan Pilau:
- Rice: Golden basmati rice is recommended to get the best pilau rice. If you don’t have golden basmati; then other types of basmati or long grain non-stick rice are recommended for this simple pilau recipe with meat.
- Beef: This is a beef pilau recipe. You can also have chicken pilau, goat meat pilau etc. Basically, the beef in the pilau can be substituted with other meats or replaced with vegetables like mushrooms to make it suitable for vegetarians
- Spices: Traditionally, whole spices for pilau are roasted and ground, but I have used already ground spices from my cupboard for convenience. If you don’t keep many different spices in your cupboard, pilau spice (pilau masala) is available already mixed.
Here are the spices you'll need for pilau masala:
- Cumin seeds
- Cardamom pods
- Cinnamon sticks
- Black peppercorns
- Whole cloves
- Star anise
Additional Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Red onions
- Potatoes
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Serrano chili
- Beef bouillon
- Bay leaf
- Cilantro
For a vegetarian pilau, you'll need:
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- Pishori or long-grained rice
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Tomato paste
- Pilau masala spice
- Salt
- Cooking oil
- Hot water
- Green bell pepper (optional)
- Dhania/coriander
How to Make Kenyan Pilau with Chicken
Featuring a delicious East African pilau made with chicken, this Kenyan Chicken Pilau recipe is an elevated chicken and Kenyan Pilau dish that is very easy to make!
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Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of chopped bone-in chicken
- 3 cups of long grain basmati rice
- 2 cups of coconut milk + 2 cups of water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 10 green cardamon pods
- 8 cloves
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black pepper corns
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bouillon cube
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Start by toasting the spices on a pan over a medium flame. Toast the cinnamon stick, cardamon pods, and cloves until fragrant (takes about 2-3 minutes), then toast the cumin seeds, black pepper corns, and coriander seeds on medium heat until fragrant (for 1-2 minutes).
- With a mortar and pestle, or in a spice grinder, coarsely grind all the spices except the cinnamon stick, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, then add in the sliced red onions. Allow to cook until lightly brown, then add the chicken, crushed garlic, ground spiced, and bouillon cube.
- Stir and allow the chicken to brown slightly. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Once the chicken is browned, stir in the rice for another two minutes, then add the coconut milk and water.
- At this stage, adjust the salt if necessary (I added an extra tsp or so of salt), and add the cinnamon stick.
- Cover the pot, and allow the Pilau to cook on low heat for 20 minutes. To make sure the pot is extra airtight, I used foil to seal the pot first before putting the lid on the pot.
- After 20 minutes, turn off the flame, and set the pot aside covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, uncover the pot, fluff the rice, and serve.
How to Make Beef and Potato Pilau
Indulge in the rich flavors of Kenyan cuisine with this mouthwatering Beef and Potato Pilau, as made by Kiano Moju. This one-pot wonder is packed with tender beef, fluffy potatoes, and aromatic spices, making it the perfect comfort food for any occasion.
Ingredients:
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- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (60 mL)
- 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon pilau masala
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (10 g), roughly chopped
- 1 lb beef sirloin (455 g), cubed
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 lb potato (455 g), waxy, peeled and cut into 1 inch (2 cm) chunks
- 4 cups water (960 mL)
- 2 cups basmati rice (400 g)
Instructions:
- Make the pilau masala: In a medium bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, cardamom, black pepper, and cloves. Set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and red onion and sauté for 10-15 minutes, until dark brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger, serrano chile, pilau masala, beef stock cubes, cinnamon stick, and cilantro. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the beef and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their liquid.
- Add the potatoes and the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the rice, stir, and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
- Enjoy!
How to Prepare Vegetarian Pilau
This no-meat pilau rice recipe offers all the rich, aromatic flavors of traditional Kenyan pilau-without the meat. Sometimes, you just want a dish that’s easy to digest, light on the budget, and still bursting with flavor. This vegetarian pilau recipe checks all those boxes.
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups rice (Preferably pishori or long-grained rice, heaped and washed and all the water drained out of the rice
- 2 large onions sliced into small pieces
- 2 medium size tomatoes grated or skinned and cut up into small pieces
- 2 tbsps finely grated fresh garlic
- 2 tbsps finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh turmeric or ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 & ½ tsps pilau masala spice
- 1 & ½ tsps salt
- 10 tbsps cooking oil to fry
- 6 cups hot water -work with the cup you used to measure the rice
- Optional: 1 small grated green bell pepper, 3 tbsps dhania/ coriander
Instructions:
- In a clean pan add the salad oil and place it on the fire. Let the oil get hot; not smoking hot.
- Add the onion and fry to a golden color. Stir frequently.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and fresh turmeric. If you’re using turmeric powder, wait and add it with the pilau masala spice later. Keep stirring until the entire mixture turns a dark golden brown.
- Add the tomato at this point. Stir a little, cover, and significantly lower the heat. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two.
- Stir in the tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of dhania, and the green pepper. Add the pilau masala and the salt and evenly stir the mixture. Cover again for a minute, still on low heat, to allow the ingredients to blend well together.
- Next, stir in the rice and continue stirring until all the ingredients are evenly blended together.
- Pour in the hot water and stir the mixture. Bring it to a boil.
- Cover the pan and significantly lower the heat. Let the rice cook on this very low heat for about 20 minutes or until most of the water in the rice is gone.
- Use a fork to gently turn the rice, allowing the ingredients to mix into the rice evenly, now that they tend to collect at the top.
- Cover again and let the rice cook for another 10 or so minutes.
- Gently turn your rice again with a fork then cover. Give it another 10 minutes or until the rice is ready. Garnish with the remaining dhania (coriander) and, or any other suitable garnish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a vegetable salad, kachumbari, guacamole, or with a suitable curry, sauce, or stew.
Nutritional Information (Chicken Pilau)
The estimated calorie count and nutritional information for one serving (meaning a plate) of chicken pilau is shown below. Please note that the nutritional information below, including ingredients and calculations is sourced from a third party site and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will depend on the brands used, measuring standards, portion sizes and other factors.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 549kcal |
Nutritional Information (Beef and Potato Pilau)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 471 |
| Fat | 15g |
| Carbs | 63g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Protein | 18g |
Estimated values based on one serving size.
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