Best Beef Pilau Recipe – East African Pilau – Kenyan Pilau

Pilau is a one-pot rice and meat dish that is fragrant, flavorful, and simply delicious. It is a popular dish in East Africa and is usually served both as a regular daily meal and as a special occasion dish such as at weddings. Pilau is commonly made with long-grain rice and beef, chicken, lamb, or mutton, a few vegetables, and a combination of ground or whole spices. Try this simple and insanely tasty recipe for the best beef pilau ever and please let me know what you think. The ingredients are all easily accessible, so you have all the reasons to make it.

Beef pilau is a balanced meal, and it is usually ready to be enjoyed right out of the pot. In Kenya, it is mostly served with Kachumbari – a colorful vegetable salad that is closely similar to pico de gallo in the US. This salad balances out the flavors and makes the pilau more enjoyable.

Along with pilau are other dishes such as chapati, biryani, ugali, and meat stews which are highly popular in East Africa.

Ingredients for The Best Beef Pilau

Must-have ingredients

Basmati rice: this is a long-grain rice that cooks perfectly and does not clump together. It is important that you use good quality rice for this dish for it to come out perfectly. If you cannot find basmati rice, any other long-grain rice will do as long as it stays loose and keeps its shape when cooked.

Pilau masala (or Garam masala): Pilau masala and Garam masala contain the same ingredients – cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and coriander. Although the two have slight differences, these two masalas are barely distinguishable, and you can absolutely use Garam masala in place of Pilau masala.

A quick note on whole vs ground spices: Many East Africans prefer to use whole spices over ground spices in their pilau recipes. However, I personally prefer ground spices because I do not like to accidentally chew on a clove or cinnamon stick while enjoying my meal (happens to me a lot and I really don’t like it). Also, I do not have to spend time picking these spices off my plate while eating.

Ginger-garlic paste: This paste adds significant aroma and flavor to the dish. Fresh is best, and you can quickly make this paste from a fresh ginger root and a few garlic lobes. I have a small pestle and mortar in my kitchen that is fully dedicated to this job. You can crush the two together, no need to separate them.

Red onions: It is important that you use red onions for this recipe because their flavor, aroma, and texture contribute significantly to the overall appearance and taste of the pilau, just like with Biryani. I cannot say for sure that any other type of onion would do the same job.

Cooking oil: You will need this to fry the onions and the other ingredients.

Optional ingredients

Tomatoes: These add great flavor and color to the pilau. However, tomatoes are optional in pilau. Some people claim that tomatoes add sourness but that may be true only if you overuse them. Use fresh tomatoes for this. I would not recommend store-bought canned tomatoes because their stronger flavor could interfere with the desired results.

Tomato paste: Usually adds a deeper color and a more intense flavor to the pilau. I did not use it in this recipe because I find that the fresh tomatoes do a good enough job already, and I do not want that additional sourness that could result from tomato paste. If you’d like to use tomato paste, do two tablespoons and omit the tomatoes.

Beef masala and ground black pepper: These ingredients are optional, and are for seasoning the meat when boiling it. You will need just half of a teaspoon of each.

Steps for Making the Best Beef Pilau

#1. Prepare and set up all ingredients at the beginning – wash and cut the meat into small pieces, chop the onions, grate or puree the tomatoes, and prepare fresh ginger-garlic paste. This will allow you to attend to each step well later without the need to prep or grab some ingredients from a distance. Woe unto you if you cannot find that garlic and the onions are already browning! 😀 

#2. Rinse and soak rice for 20 minutes. Soaking cuts down on cooking time and the rice will cook evenly and perfectly. Soak it at the beginning or after you’ve started boiling the beef. If twenty minutes elapse before its time to add rice to the pot, just drain the water and set the rice aside.

#3. Place beef in a pot. Sprinkle beef masala and black pepper onto it (optional) and add half a cup of water. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the meat is tender. I do this for about 25 minutes. If there is any stock in the pot by the time the meat is done cooking, separate it from the meat for a later step. That stock does a really awesome job adding flavor to the pilau. I never let the meat dry up completely. If it accidentally does, I add a quarter cup of water just to get that stock.

#4. In a deep pot, heat a quarter cup of oil on medium-high. Fry the onions until they just begin to brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and continue frying for about half a minute, until the combination browns just a little more. Add the meat and fry for a few minutes until it begins to brown too. Note that the onions will continue browning with the meat, so you do not want them too brown before adding meat or they will burn and turn bitter.

#5. Add Pilau masala (or garam masala) and salt and fry for another half or a full minute to bloom the aroma of the masala.

#6. Add tomatoes and cook for about two minutes to allow the tomatoes to thicken. Then, add any stock from the boiled meat, and three cups of water to the pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.

#7. Add rice to the pot and stir gently. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until all the liquid dries up.

#8. Turn the heat off and leave the pot covered. Let it stand for a minimum of 5 minutes to allow any lingering moisture to be absorbed.

#9. Fluff gently to evenly distribute meat and rice.

#10. Serve with Kachumbari (onion-tomato-cilantro salad) and enjoy with a cold drink.

Storing Leftover Beef Pilau

Store it as you would rice in any other form. Place the leftover beef pilau in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. Try and use it within five days to ensure freshness.

To freeze, place in Ziplocs or Tupperware in sizeable batches. Squeeze the air out and flatten it out so it is easier to defrost later. Your pilau will be safe in the freezer for up to two months.

Reheating Leftover Beef Pilau

You can reheat leftover beef pilau in the microwave or on the stovetop. Allow it to defrost fully before reheating for even heating.

In the microwave: Place it in a bowl and reheat for one or two minutes. Consider covering it because meat can pop in the microwave and make a mess.

On the stovetop: Place it in a cooking pot. Add 2 tbsp of water per single serving, cover, and heat on low until fully hot. You might want to stir it gently halfway through. Fluff and serve.

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