Swahili Coast · main

Pilau ya Nyama ya Mbuzi (Swahili Goat Pilau)

Pilau ya Nyama ya Mbuzi (Swahili Goat Pilau) reads warm spice 5.5, umami 4.7 and allium 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Swahili Coast main, about 3 hr 9 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 6.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Warm Spice 5.5 · Umami 4.7 · Allium 3.6 · Salinity 3.6 · Floral 3.6 · Richness 3.5 · Earthy 2.6 · Sweetness 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Sourness 1.7 · Fruity 1.7 · Nutty 1.7 · Bitterness 1.2 · Heat 0.9 · Citrus 0.9

What's in it (16)

• goat meat — 1000 g
• long grain basmati rice — 500 g
• vegetable oil — 55 g
• red onions — 500 g
• garlic — 18 g
• fresh ginger — 30 g
• cumin seeds — 15 g
• black peppercorns — 10 g
• cardamom pods — 800 g
• cloves — 600 g
• cinnamon — 2 g
• tomatoes — 250 g
• potatoes — 300 g
• water — 1200 g
• salt — 10 g
• coriander — 100 g

Time & effort: about 3 hr 9 min (2 hr 59 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 157.5 kcal, 7.4 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 28.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (12 steps)

1. Rinse the basmati in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then leave it to soak in cool water for 30 minutes while you start the meat.
2. Toast the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a dry heavy pan over medium heat for about 90 seconds, until they smell warm and nutty. Do not let them darken.
3. Tip the toasted spices into a mortar and crush them coarsely. This is your pilau masala; grinding it yourself is the whole difference between a good pilau and a dusty one.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the sliced onions for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until they are deep mahogany brown and jammy. Pilau takes its colour from the onions and nothing else, so a pale onion makes a pale pilau. Lower the heat if they catch.
5. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, then add the crushed spices and stir 30 seconds more, until the pot smells of cardamom and cinnamon.
6. Add the goat and raise the heat to medium-high, browning the pieces on all sides for about 8 minutes.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, until they collapse into the fat.
8. Pour in the water or stock and the salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the goat is tender enough to pull from the bone.
9. Add the quartered potatoes and simmer 10 minutes more.
10. Drain the soaked rice and stir it into the pot; the liquid should sit about 2 cm above the rice. Cover tightly, drop the heat to its lowest setting and cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
11. Take the pot off the heat and let it rest, still covered, for 10 minutes. Fork the rice through gently to keep the grains whole, and scatter the coriander over the top.
12. Substitutions: light goat stock can stand in for the water.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Bariis Iskukaris (One-Pot Rice with Goat) — Somali
• Tripes à la Mode de Caen — French · Normandy
• Pepián de Pollo — Guatemalan
• Durban Mutton Bunny Chow — South African · Durban Indian
• Rogan Josh with Praan and Ratanjot — Indian · Kashmir

Keep reading: what warm spice, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.