Stove Top Pilau Rice (Indian Restaurant Style)

Fluffy, fragrant Indian takeaway style pilau rice in a serving bowl.

This Indian restaurant style stove top pilau rice recipe delivers perfect results every time!


Pilau rice is a colourful Indian restaurant side dish, made with aromatic spices. Fragrant and delicious, with onion and spices cooked into the rice and then transferred to a pot to finish cooking. Perfect served with your favourite Indian takeaway style curries.

Ingredients For Stove Top Pilau Rice

  • Basmati Rice: Excess starch rinsed off. I like Biona Himalayan Basmati Rice.
  • Spices: Cumin, Turmeric, Cloves, Cardamom, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick
  • Other Ingredients: Vegetable Oil, Onion, Water

How To Make Stove Top Pilau Rice

One of the most important steps in cooking perfect pilau rice is making sure the rice is rinsed of any excess starch. With the rice properly rinsed it’s sure to come out fluffy and delicious, so it’s worth taking the time to do this.

Step 1: Rinse Rice

Wash 150 grams basmati rice rice two or three times in fresh water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

Step 2: Fry

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 small onion, finely chopped until soft (around 3 minutes). Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder1 teaspoon turmeric1/8 teaspoon sea salt2 whole cloves1 green cardamom pod, crushed1 tej patta bay leaf and 1/4 cinnamon stick and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the washed and drained rice and stir well until the rice is evenly coated with the oil and spices.

Step 3: Cook Pilau Rice

Cover with 225 millilitres fresh water. Bring to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to the lowest possible available. Cook stove top pilau rice for 12 minutes. Remove from the stove top but keep the lid on and let the rice rest for another 10 minutes. Mix well to fluff up the rice and serve alongside your favourite curry dishes.

I hope you’ll try this Indian restaurant style stove top pilau rice recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!


Fluffy, fragrant Indian takeaway style pilau rice in a serving bowl.

Stove Top Pilau Rice

Perfectly fluffy and fragrant Indian restaurant style pilau rice!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish, Accompaniment
Cuisine: Indian, Indian Restaurant, British Indian, Scottish Indian, Indian Takeaway
Keyword: stove top
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 1 portion

Equipment

  • 1 pot with a tight fitting lid

Ingredients

  • 150 grams basmati rice
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (a pinch)
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 green cardamom pod, crushed
  • 1 tej patta bay leaf
  • 1/4 cinnamon stick
  • 225 millilitres water

Instructions

  • Rinse 150 grams basmati rice two or three times in fresh water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
  • Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 small onion, finely chopped until soft (around 3 minutes). Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, 2 whole cloves, 1 green cardamom pod, crushed, 1 tej patta bay leaf and 1/4 cinnamon stick and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the washed and drained rice and stir well until the rice is evenly coated with the oil and spices.
  • Cover with 225 millilitres water. Bring to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to the lowest possible available. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the stove top but keep the lid on and let the rice rest for another 10 minutes. Mix well once more to fluff up the rice and serve alongside your favourite curry dishes.

Do you like this stove top pilau rice recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Indian Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make chicken pakora, paratha, madras curry and more! You can buy The Indian Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.

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