Fruit Pilaf

A bright, warming, hearty, and wonderfully fragrant meatless take on pilaf! This version comes together fast — you only need 15 to 20 minutes of hands-on work; the rest is cook time. And it's so good! Swap the butter for vegetable oil and you've also got a filling, wholesome dish for meatless days. Let's get started...

nasstin

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Parboiled rice

250

Carrot

100

Raisins

0.5

Dried apples

0.5

Dried apricots

Prunes

Apple juice (can be swapped for any other juice, such as grape or orange, or just water)

0.5

Butter

Honey (optional)

Pine nuts (or any other nut — optional)

Cinnamon

Barberries

Saffron

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 6 % 2 g

Fats 17 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 77 % 27 g

164 kcal

GI: 58 / 15 / 27

Cooking method

Cooking time: 50 min

Step 1:

How do you make fruit pilaf? Here's what you'll need.
Step 2:

Rinse the raisins and dried fruit well.
Step 3:

Roughly chop the dried apricots, prunes, and dried apples.
Step 4:

Cut the carrot into matchsticks, the traditional cut for pilaf.
Step 5:

Put the butter and cut carrots in a heavy pot or Dutch oven and cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 6:

Add the raisins and cook with the carrots for another 3 minutes.
Step 7:

Add the rest of the dried fruit and the spices, cover, and cook another 10 minutes. Use whatever spices you love — I'm partial to cinnamon with apples, and I went with the traditional barberries and saffron for pilaf. You could also toss in 2–3 star anise pods (I only remembered them too late!). In short, experiment!
Step 8:

After 10 minutes, add the rinsed rice and, carefully so you don't disturb the layer of rice, pour in the apple juice. I tried the juice as an experiment and it came out delicious! I've seen recipes made with grape, peach, and orange juice — I'll probably try a different one next time. You can also use plain water instead of juice; it's just as tasty.
Step 9:

Once it comes to a boil, cook on low for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on your rice. Check the liquid at the 20-minute mark — if it's all been absorbed but the rice isn't done yet, carefully add another ½ cup of water. For some reason it's a different amount every time for me, probably depending on the type of rice. The standard rice-to-liquid ratio is 1:2.
Step 10:

Mine was ready in 30 minutes! Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for another 10 minutes.
Step 11:

Then uncover the pot, stir, and transfer to a plate.
Step 12:

I topped my fruit pilaf with pine nuts and drizzled it with honey — that makes it even more nourishing, but it's optional. Enjoy! It's really delicious!

Important! For rice dishes that come out great every time, read our article on the ins and outs of choosing rice and cooking it well.
Every cooking oil is only stable up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds. For frying, choose an oil with a high smoke point.
Keep in mind that how you cut the carrot changes the result here: grated carrot breaks down into a mush as it cooks and blends into everything else, while matchsticks or cubes hold their shape.