This Beef Pilau is a seasoned rice pilaf with beef, potatoes, and familiar spices, that can serve as a one dish meal.
Pilau, or Pulao, however you prefer to spell it, is a comforting Rice dish, with meat, potatoes, and lots of spices! It is a popular one-dish meal throughout India and Pakistan!
Beef Pilau – A One Dish Meal
Unlike so many South Asian dishes, like curries, where you must serve it with rice or roti on the side, Pilau is a one-dish meal. It has meat, potatoes, and rice, making it a filling dish that can feed a crowd.
Our Pilau Story
For our family, pulao was the perfect weeknight dish, when we had a little more time to dedicate to cooking. It is not as laborious or as fancy as a Biryani, but still qualifies as a comfort meal!
We would often serve it for casual family gatherings, when getting together for no occasion at all.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more Pakistani and Indian Rice dishes, here are some of our favorites:
How to make this Beef Pilau?
Although this dish requires some time to create, there is not much active cooking time! This Beef pilau recipe is easy to make with only a few ingredients required on hand!
#1: Prepare the beef
The most time-consuming part of this Beef Pilau recipe is preparing the beef. You could easily make this with chicken, or even leave it vegetarian, if you’re pressed for time.
We typically use stewing beef or a cheaper cut of meat.
The beef, once cubed, can either be cooked on the stove, or a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot.
Once the beef has been cooked, the rest of the steps come together quite quickly.
#2: Add the Aromatics
There are onions, potatoes, green chilis, whole spices, and then finally the beef and yogurt.
Watch out for the order in which you put these ingredients in the pot. Powdered and delicate spices should be added later, so they don’t burn and lose their flavor.
Mom’s Pro Tip: You can control the spice level in this dish with green chilis, which is typically used in this dish. Alternatively, you can substitute the green chilis with Thai chilis, to add more heat, or use Serano chilis for a milder flavor!
#3: Add the rice and let it simmer
Once you’ve added all the flavors, add the rice with just enough water, or broth to absorb the rice.
Mom’s rule of thumb is that there should just be one inch of water above the rice
What to serve with Pilau?
Pilau is a perfect meal on its own, with some plain yogurt to mellow the spices.
If you want to add a few trimmings, a refreshing cucumber salad along with raita (a creamy, minty yogurt-based dip) make the perfect accompaniments to this meal!
If you’re looking for easy side dishes to go with Beef Pulao, here are some of our favorites:
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Beef Pilau (Pulao)
This Beef Pilau is a seasoned rice pilaf with beef, potatoes, and familiar spices, that can serve as a one dish comfort meal, also great for entertaining!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef, cubed
- 2 cups Rice
- 3 tbsp Yoghurt
- 2 Potatoes, large, peeled and cut in 8 pieces each
- 1 Onion, large
- 3 tbsp Ginger & garlic paste, separated
- 4-8 Green chilis (see notes)
- 2 cups water
- ½ bunch Cilantro
- 3 /4 – 1 cup oil
- 7 – 10 Whole black pepper
- 1 tsp Black or white cumin
- 2 Cardamom, whole
- 2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 5 Cloves
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tbsp Crushed coriander heat in micro for 30 secs and put in blender it should not be powder just crushed
- 1 tbsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
Instructions
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Boil the cubed beef with 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, a pinch salt, 1-2 hours on the stovetop, or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot.
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Wash and drain the rice, then soak it for at least 30 minutes.
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Once the beef is cooked, in a separate pot, add oil, and the whole spices, cardamom, cloves, bayleaf, black pepper, black/white cumin. Cook on low flame till the spices are fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
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Increase heat to medium, add potatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes.
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Add sliced onions, and cook till the onions are soft
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Add the remaining 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
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Add crushed coriander, salt, garam masala
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Add chopped cilantro and green chilis. Be sure to adjust for your level of spice, and the spice of the chili.
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Drain the boiled beef. Save the beef broth.
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Add the yogurt and boiled beef. Cook for 5-7 minutes
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Add soaked rice and beef broth. The water should be 3/4-inch above rice. You may need to to adjust the amount of liquid (use water if you need more).
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Once water comes to a boil, turn the flame to low, and let simmer, covered for 25-40 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender.
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Turn off the flame, and use fork to fluff the rice
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Serve warm, with Raita (yogurt dip).
Notes
- Typically green chilis are used in this dish. Thai chilis can be substuted for a spicier flavor, or use serano chilis for a milder flavor.
The post Beef Pilau (Pulao) – The Spice Mess first appeared on AfterCuriosity.
