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You are here: Home / recipe / Delicious Kenya Swahili Pilau Recipe

Delicious Kenya Swahili Pilau Recipe

By Jen

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It’s time for Around the World in 12 Dishes, our culinary trip around the world. This month we landed in Kenya, and I have to say we had a fun time. My daughters came up with the recipe for this month’s food adventure. This Swahili pilau recipe may become one of your family’s favourite easy chicken recipes.

swahili pilau

During the school year, my eldest daughter’s teacher had each student bring in a recipe from their “home” culture. A friend of my daughters is from Kenya and contributed this recipe for Swahili Pilau. The class even had a heritage food day and each brought in a sample of their dishes…my daughter loved this Kenyan rice and meat dish. So, when she heard that Kenya was going to be this month’s country we knew exactly what we would be cooking. The original recipe can be found at African Cook, we made a few modifications to fit the food we had on hand.

Swahili Pilau Recipe

(serves 4)

2 chicken breasts

1 cup basmati rice

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 large onion sliced

12 grape tomatoes

1 tbsp canola oil

2 tsp pilau masala or garam masala

12 small potatoes, halved

1/4 cup coconut milk

1. Poach the diced chicken in 4 cups of water until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain and keep the liquid.

2. Saute the onions, in canola oil, until soft…add garlic and ginger…continue to cook down onions, about 5 minutes.

swahili pilau potatoes

3. Add potatoes and tomatoes…cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes…sprinkle in pilau masala or garam masala…stir and cook another 3 minutes.

swahili pilau broth

4. Return diced chicken to pan and add 3 cups of the reserved poaching liquid and bring to the boil…once boiled add the rice. Let the dish simmer until the rice is softened and the liquid has been absorbed. If the liquid is absorbed before the rice is cooked add the coconut milk.

This aromatic dish makes a perfect one pot meal. Traditionally this dish would be made using goat or mutten, however we substituted chicken and it worked just fine. The flavours and the way of cooking the food is reminiscent of a curry dish from India. My daughter said that her friend’s dish was a little bit better than mine…of course. That being said both my girls ate most of their food…I just can’t convince my little one to eat cooked onions.

swahili pilau broth
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Swahili Pilau Recipe

Swahili pilau is an aromatic, one pot dish that your family will love.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: dinner
Cuisine: swahili
Keyword: rice, rice pilau, swahili recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 863kcal
Author: Jen

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 large onion sliced
  • 12 grape tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 tsp pilau masala or garam masala
  • 12 small potatoes halved
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk

Instructions

  • Poach the diced chicken in 4 cups of water until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain and keep the liquid.
  • Saute the onions, in canola oil, until soft…add garlic and ginger…continue to cook down onions, about 5 minutes.
  • Add potatoes and tomatoes…cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes…sprinkle in pilau masala or garam masala…stir and cook another 3 minutes.
  • Return diced chicken to pan and add 3 cups of the reserved poaching liquid and bring to the boil…once boiled add the rice. Let the dish simmer until the rice is softened and the liquid has been absorbed. If the liquid is absorbed before the rice is cooked add the coconut milk.

Notes

Nutrition Info is to be used as a rough guide only. Nutrition Info is based on the products I am using and you may not be using the same products/brands. Thus the Nutrition Info may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 134g | Protein: 46.2g | Fat: 16.5g | Saturated Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 3337mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 1210mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 134g | Protein: 46.2g | Fat: 16.5g | Saturated Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 3337mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 1210mg | Iron: 1.1mg

What did we learn about Kenya through making this dish? We learned that Kenyans know how to use their resources wisely. Saving and using the poaching liquid in the dish was a great idea. We could also see how this dish was absolutely packed with filling foods…potatoes and rice both in one dish! One bowlful was more than enough, this pot of food could be stretched to feed a lot of people. All in all, we really enjoyed learning about Kenya.

Now the fun begins. Have you ever been to Kenya? Do you enjoy cooking Kenyan cuisine?


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Filed Under: around the world in 12 dishes, dinner, food, kids, recipe Tagged With: around the world in12 dishes, Kenya, recipe, swahili pilau

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Comments

  1. Phyllis at All Things Beautiful says

    July 9, 2013 at 9:56 am

    Thank you so much for posting this. We will be studying Kenya soon, and I will definitely use this recipe. It looks yummy.

    • Jen says

      July 9, 2013 at 9:41 pm

      Be sure to check out the African Cook website for Kenyan recipes…there are a few on there. Enjoy.

  2. Ticia says

    July 9, 2013 at 10:09 am

    You know, that would have gone over much better than what we did…….

  3. celine says

    October 11, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    The Pilau recipe sounds good am going to try it.~Thank you

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