A fragrant Rice Pilaf that’s right at home on your holiday feasting table OR a Middle Eastern meal! Lightly spiced with cinnamon, cumin and cardamom, fluffy seasoned rice is tossed with pistachios, almonds, dried apricots, and sultanas or raisins.
This Rice Pilaf recipe is a terrific side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas with the festive spicing, dried fruit and nuts. Or try it on the side of Lamb or Chicken Shawarma, Moroccan Lamb Meatballs or Turkish Koftas!
Fruit and nut studded fluffy Rice Pilaf
I have a huge soft spot for flavoured rice. Tomato Basil Rice, Garlic Butter Rice, Mexican Red Rice, Green Coriander/Cilantro Rice. Not to mention Mushroom Rice, the epic golden crispy Persian Saffron Rice I shared just a few weeks ago and all manner of fried rice recipes I’ve shared over the years.
Give me a flavoured rice that’s tasty enough to eat plain, and I’m one happy gal. Add it to the side of a simple piece of cooked protein, like sausages, Crispy Pan Fried Fish or Marinated Pork Chops, and you’ve suddenly made the dinner plate a whole lot more interesting.
Let’s face it – plain rice is no comparison to a great Rice Pilaf!
What goes in rice pilaf
The ingredients you need to make this rice pilaf are:
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Best rice for rice pilaf – basmati rice is the best for both flavour and fluffiness. Basmati is a type of long grain rice – the longer the grain, the fluffier the rice. It also has a lovely subtle fragrance that really compliments the flavours in this rice pilaf;
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Fat – I choose butter for flavour, but any oil of choice is fine here;
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Flavour Base – sautéed garlic and onion, to add savouriness;
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Rice Pilaf Spices – I’ve used a combination of cinnamon, cardamom and cumin in this Rice Pilaf. It’s reminiscent of Middle Eastern flavours but also a festive combination. Feel free to customise this to your own taste;
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Broth OR water – For extra flavour, I almost always make my Rice Pilaf with vegetable or chicken broth. However, water will work just fine as well, though I’d add an extra pinch of each of the spices;
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Nuts – I’ve used pistachios and almonds in my Rice Pilaf recipe. I adore both the flavour and colour that pistachios bring to this seasoned rice. Almonds and pistachios are also on theme for a Middle. Eastern style rice pilaf. For more of a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas theme, try pecans plus / or almonds. Walnuts are also great!
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Dried Fruit – Use anything you like here. I like using apricots for a touch of colour, and raisins or sultanas because the flavour melds in nicely with the rice. Cranberries / craisins also work well but be aware that they provide a sharper pop of flavour because they are tart. Goji berries would also be great.
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Non nut options (allergies) – try using sunflower seeds and/or pepitas/pumpkin seeds. Terrific texture and flavour!
There are some Rice Pilafs that are packed with gorgeous fresh herb flavours, but this isn’t one of those. This is a Rice Pilaf that celebrates the earthy, festive spice flavourings, the nuts and the sweet pops from the dried fruit. So I just add a tiny sprinkle of parsley as a garnish, just to add a little colour when serving.
How to make Rice Pilaf
Rice pilaf is straight forward to make. Toast the nuts to bring out the flavour. Sauté onion and garlic in butter, then add the rice, broth, spices and fruit.
But here are my tips for how to make the best rice pilaf every time!
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Right liquid to rice ratio – 1 3/4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of rice will yield perfectly cooked fluffy rice;
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Do not peek while rice is cooking! Escaped heat compromises the cooking of the rice;
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Rest undisturbed – this is the most important step for cooking rice. This is when the rice finishes cooking and becomes fluffy!
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Add nuts at the end – While most Rice Pilaf recipes add the nuts into the broth, I prefer not to do this because it softens the nuts and they bloat. I like preserving the texture of the nuts so I toss them in at the end.
TO WASH OR NOT TO WASH THE RICE??
There’s a lot of literature out there about this topic – whether or not to rinse rice before cooking. There’s a theory that rinsing rice removes surface starch so it makes the rice fluffier and also to remove debris. If you buy rice in packets from the supermarket, debris shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve never experienced it.
I do not rinse white rice and my rice is always fluffy – see the recipe videos in my Rice Side Dishes for proof!
I’ve noticed that many recipes call for too much liquid when cooking rice which makes the rice soft and therefore sticky. So perhaps for those recipe authors, washing rice is mandatory to remove the surface starch to ensure the rice comes out fluffy (starch is what makes rice sticky).
My rule of thumb is 1 1/2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice for stovetop cooking which yields fluffy rice every time. I adjust this when I need to factor in a variable – such as in this Rice Pilaf. The dried fruit absorbs some of the liquid so I increase the liquid amount.
And on that note – I present to you a fabulous Rice Pilaf, made with fluffy, unwashed rice.
It’s aromatic. It’s well seasoned. It’s littered with plump dried fruit and toasty nuts. And you’re going to adore it! – Nagi x
PS Try the one pan Baked Chicken with Cranberry Walnut Rice Pilaf for a meal!
THIS RICE PILAF WILL GO GREAT WITH….
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Any Middle Eastern main (personal faves: Chicken Shawarma, Lamb Shawarma, Falafel, Chicken Doner Kebab plate, Persian Lamb Shanks, Moroccan Meatballs)
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Thanksgiving meal – great festive flavours!
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Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms (great veg meal option)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make this Rice Pilaf recipe!
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Rice Pilaf with Nuts and Dried Fruit
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pistachios , shelled
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter (or olive oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 small onion , finely chopped
- 1 cup (180g) uncooked basmati rice , (Note 1)
- 1 3/4 cups (435ml) vegetable or chicken broth / stock
- 1/2 cup dried sultanas or raisins
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- Finely chopped parsley , optional garnish
Spices:
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place dry, oil free large saucepan or small skillet over medium high heat.
- Add almonds and pistachios. Toast lightly, shaking the pan, until the nuts smell amazing. Remove immediately.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, saute until translucent.
- Add rice and stir for 30 seconds or until mostly translucent.
- Add Spices, stir. Add broth, sultanas and apricots, stir.
- Cover with lid, bring to simmer then immediately turn heat down to medium low (low for strong ovens).
- Cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed (tilt pot to check). Then remove pot from the stove (still covered) and leave, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid, use fork to fluff rice. Add most of the nuts, toss.
- Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with remaining nuts and a little sprinkle of parsley if using. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Another snap from last weekend away with my besties. Dozer – checking out the surf. Me – checking out the surf lifeguards. 😜
Both with jumpers on – it was a bit nippy on Sunday! 😂😂😂
Works really well in the Tefal Multicooker too, Followed the recipe using the Sauté setting before putting the pressure cooker lid on, locking, and pressing the default Rice setting. When done (12 minutes cook time) I left the cooker to de-pressurise naturally, then fluffed, topped with nuts and coriander and served with the chickpea curry from this site. Yummy!
I’ve been looking for a pilaf recipe I can use with brown basmati, so I was excited to find a Nagi recipe that specified brown rice instructions, and that looked versatile to my tastes. For anyone else using brown basmati, an extra half cup of liquid was almost too much- the stands are fluffy, but on the brink of being too soft- I like my pilaf rice a tiny bit firmer. I’d go an extra quarter to third of a cup, and watch it after the half hour mark. For my spices, I used ginger, pepper, cardoman, paprika, turmeric, cumin, and fennel. Chicken stock. Cranberries for the fruit, and slivered almonds and sunflower seeds toasted very brown, the way I like ’em, lols. I think pine nuts would be divine. I also have lots of herbs in season, and meyer lemons are going crazy here in Brissy at the mo, so I added parsley, society garlic, garlic chives, lemon thyme, and lemon zest, and it’s FABULOUS. Pumpkins are also prolific at the mo, so we ate it with cheesy herby pumpkin fritters, and homemade lemonade, of course! Leftovers actually went super well with leftover massaman curry. Definitely a keeper, as the kids and adults all loved it, so thank you for what seems the umpteenth time, Nagi, for another winner recipe!
I have been making a variation of this recipe for a number of years. I have not made it as a Pilaf, however, just regular rice. I also use pinenuts instead of the other nuts. Love it! It freezes well so I usually have some in the freezer. Will be trying it as a Pilaf. Thanks.
Love this! I have had the fam ask me to make it again!
my first time making pilaf rice and people were raving about it. Thanks a lot for this delicious pilaf rice recipe Nagi
Made this tonight to serve with a small amount of leftover Chicken and Date Tagine from the freezer. It was perfect. Thank you for the many helpful hints on cooking (no peeking, hehe) and substitutes. I can make many of your dishes very low fat and even GF for different family members. The alternatives make it all very flexible. I love the wonderful range of different tastes in your recipes.
Made this recipe tonight and it was amazing! Partner loved it too!
Also made it in a rice cooker as I always burn rice on stove top. My rice cooker had multi cook function so was able to sauté in the rice cooker then just put the rice cooker setting when ready to cook. It took a little longer but rice didn’t burn!
Has anyone had success making this ahead and reheating? Cooking for a crowd. Thanks
Wanted to try a different rice dish to serve with my gyro and chicken schwarma. Came across this recipe and was intrigued. Upon reading I realized that I did not need to soak my rice. This is something I have always done. I decided just to trust Nagi and the rice turned out deliciously perfect! Will definitely make it into my rotations.
I made this along with the chicken shawarma tonight. Both were excellent. My son, who really doesn’t care for nuts in his food, took seconds.
I also added five stars to the recipe and they didn’t all go through. So sorry. Definitely 5 stars
great receipt and easy to follow instruction, thank you for sharing xx
Amazing David! I am glad that you enjoyed it!! N x
I’ve cooked this many times now. We all love it. I don’t include the fruit. It goes so well with the lamb kofta and chicken shawarma. Love your recipes Nagi!
To-die-for! I did it for last Christmas, without covering, OMG tasted so so so delicious! I’ve used just apple juice and to me was perfection! Thank you so much for this recipe, Nagi
Could this dish be made the day before?
By far the yummiest pilaf ever!!! Any time I have friends over, this is the staple! Thanks Nagi!!
Recipe works perfectly! I finally managed to cook rice without burning it! I used almonds, pine nuts, pistachios and dried apricots. Yum! Thanks for the recipe.
I recently tried this recipe while stuck in lockdown and oh my gosh. So easy and delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you Nagi!
Another fantastic recipe from your site! Thank you. I should have just added a little bit more liquid during cooking as it dried out a bit (don’t think I did the best job with the foil! But it was so tasty and moist. Served with the pilaf you suggest which was out of this world!!!
Great recipe. I added diced carrot and used dates which was all I had in the pantry. A little too sweet so I will buy some raisins,
Love this recipes, its a family favourite. So delicious!!! Also love so many of your recipes you are very talented and your site is a go to for anything I’m looking up 🙂 thank you!