Swahili Beef Pilau

Ingredients

2 cups of Basmati rice

2 tbsp of vegetable oil and ghee

1 cup of heavy cream

2 cups of meat stock- which ever type of meat you prefer; goat, beef, lamp or chicken. See website for home made stock recipe

1 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1 star anise

1 Cinnamon stick

2 tsp of pilau masala

10-15 pepper corns

3 whole cardamom

half a scotch bonnet- adjust to tolerance

1 large onion

1 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste- if you don't have paste, powder will be just fine

1 bay leaf

salt to taste

1/2 a kilo of raw diced beef

Preparation

Wash rice and beef, once finished heat up the ghee and vegetable oil in deep casserole pot on a medium- high heat. After 3 minutes gradually add your whole spices - in which ever order you like. Add the raw beef and thinly sliced onion- sauté, until onions turn brown.

When onions are nice and brown add your pilau masala, then sauté for about 2 minutes. If cooking in a cast-iron you should reduce the heat to low now. Then add your ginger, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper- you can choose to omit this in if you don't like spicy food. To finish off this stage add your heavy cream and meat stock and then bring to a boil. From here add salt and black pepper to taste. After 20 minutes on low heat, add your washed rice.

Note; Make sure the stock and cream over the rice, if not add a bit of water. Cook the rice for about another 20 minutes on low- medium heat. Make sure to turn after every 10 minutes and there you have it swahili pilau!!!! Enjoy