Pilaf Rice

On finally reading The Physician i was left with the desire to cook the pilah mentioned on numerous occasions in the book; I love that Ibn Sina is based on the real-life Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Sīnā, also known as the father of pilaf/ pilau rice.

serves 2 (side dish)

230ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

100g pine nuts

1/4 tsp yellow asafetida powder

100g Tilda basmati rice

3 cloves

one 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger sliced into 5

2 bay leaves

1 sprig of fresh thyme, stalk only

3 strips of orange zest

freshly ground black pepper

100g Moscatel raisins

1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. bring the stock to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

2. Heat half the oil in a saucepan and toast the pine nuts; drain them on a paper towel and reserve them.

3. Warm the remaining oil and add the asafetida powder; stirring briefly before adding the rice. Stir for a couple of minutes until the rice becomes translucent.

4. Pour the hot stock over the rice. Add the cloves, ginger, bay leaves, thyme stalks, orange zest and pepper (1 twist is enough).

5. Bring the rice up to the boil and immediately reduce to the lowest heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid..

6. Leave, without stirring, for 10 minutes; then turn off the heat and leave the rice to absorb the the liquid.

7. When the liquid has been absorbed you will have have tender and fluffy rice. Remove the cloves, ginger, bay leaves, thyme stalks, orange zest; which should all be sitting on top.

8. Stir in the pine nuts, raisins and parsley and serve.