Wednesday 8 March 2017

Jamaican Beef Pilaf


When I saw this recipe, I simply had to try it. Beef, rice, butter, spices, ah! What? Beef again? heh..heh..heh...



A savory one pot rice meal is always irresistible. It's quick, it's easy, it's versatile and best of all it is so tasty. I like to cook extra and then stash a few servings in the freezer.

That way, I don't have to cook every weekend. When I am feeling peckish, all I need to do is take a container out from the freezer and straight to the steamer.


I'm really glad I made this Jamaican Beef Pilaf on a jam packed Sunday. Sundays are my food prep, gardening and laundry days and there are times when I slave in the kitchen from late morning until 6:00pm. 

Yes, I do feel frustrated sometimes but when it's time to eat, I am thankful for the slavery hah...hah...

Jamaican Beef Pilaf
Recipe source :  Adapted from Simply Sedap by Chef Wan

Ingredients :
- 2 cups basmati rice (I soaked for 30 minutes and drained)
- 1 big onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves

- 1 packet curry powder (25g)

- 300g beef, sliced into thin strips
- 2 tbsp black raisins (to put 4 tbsp next time. It's nice)

- 2 green chilies (I used Jalapenos because I ran out of regular green chilies)
- 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, each quartered (I ran out of regular tomatoes)

- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- a handful of chopped coriander leaves (and more for garnishing later)

- olive oil and some butter
- Salt to taste

Method :
1. Heat oil and butter in pan.
2. Saute onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon and cloves until aromatic.
3. Add curry powder and saute briefly.
4. Add beef and raisins and stir the mixture to coat beef with curry mixture.
5. Add chilies and tomatoes, stir. Season with salt.
6. Add rice and stir to evenly mix the rice and other ingredients.
7. Transfer everything into a rice cooker and chopped coriander leaves, chicken stock and coconut milk. Give a stir, cover and cook the rice.
8. Once cooked, fluff up the rice and serve.

31 comments:

  1. I wouldn't be looking forward to a Sunday of house chores either ... but I certainly wouldn't mind being a house guest who gets to eat such a great-looking pilaf (it looks like it came straight out of a cookbook!) ;)

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    1. Thank you for the compliments! It's always wonderful when someone else does the cooking and cleaning. I need a wife LOL!

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  2. wah it looks so tasty! beef and spices, i like! let me try to persuade my spouse to follow your recipe and cook this. thanks!

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    Replies
    1. You clever girl, make your hubby cook for you hee..hee...

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  3. It looks delicious like the Indian Bryani Rice. I had never tasted any Jamaican food except their coffee.

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    1. Neither have I so I don't know if this is betul2 Jamaican or not :D

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  4. PH .....u cerita pasal pilaf ni i teringat my jiran yg lama dah mengeram tu Mummydearie. Ini menu faveret mak mertua dia ni tau.

    Tak per PH, walau berlama lamaan didapur tapi berbaloi, freezer penuh dengan container

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    1. Hainom, si MD tu dah lama menghilang diri, kan? Oh, mami dia suka pilaf ye? hee..hee... Nasib baik PH tak allergic kat dapur LOL!

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  5. Indeed it looks like the Indian Briyani Rice, it must be tasty and delicious from the look of it, but instead of beef, I would have mutton

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    Replies
    1. I am very very hungry now

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    2. Yes, that what I thought after the rice was cooked hee..hee... Would be great with mutton too I think.

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  6. That looks like to die for, so good. Bet it must be bursting with flavours and the best part, it's gluten free, my girl can eat this. Sunday is my long-drive-out-of-town day, sending my girl to her jungle school. Sighhhhhh!!!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, this rice is full of flavors and I bet you and your girls would love it :)

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  7. I like savoury rice too. I always substitute for brown or whole grain rice so my recipes never quite come at the same. ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Ah, you are the healthy one. I tried brown rice before but sadly I still prefer white.

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  8. pilaf ni maksudnya nasi campur ke PH?

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    1. Raihanah, pilaf ialah nasi yang berperisa - ada rempah ratus dan pelbagai bahan2 yang dimasak dalam satu periuk. Sedap. Cubalah :)

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  9. Your pilaf rice looks tasty and nice. Good that you ran out of regular tomatoes coz I think cherry tomatoes taste way nicer....hehe! :D P/S: Thought you should know...I think there's a little typo with regards to the green chillies. I see your recipe uses chicken stock....do you cook your chicken stock ahead of time and freeze them in batches for use later?

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    1. Oh! Let me check my recipe, thanks. I have not made chicken stock before so I cheated and used stock cubes. Now I feel guilty hah..hah...

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  10. I like that bowl of rice, thumb up to it... hehe...

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  11. Hmm... perfect timing. I haven't cooked rice for quite a while now and was thinking of doing it again less my rice cooker collects too much dust and become rosak...

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    1. I wonder if you still have that Moroccan seasoning. You can make paella again or some other savory rice macam the briyani you had :)

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  12. What a good idea, masak byk2, then freez it, nk mkn go into steamer. I penah terpikir nk buat camni, tapi blm buat lagi.

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    1. PH suka macam tu sebab senang sket. Ada stok dalam freezer, boleh relax tak payah masak.

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  13. Beef... it has been a long while since I last ate beef... but now you gave me an idea.. tomatoes in fried rice looks good too!

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    Replies
    1. Boleh, boleh, will make your fried ice colorful and nice to eat.

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  14. I really like your pictures, they look so beautiful and professional!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Aunty Young! You made my day :)

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  15. I am captivated by the bowl of delicious looking Jamaican Beef Pilaf.

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    Replies
    1. That's why I had to cook it after seeing it in the cookbook LOL!

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