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Rice with raisins, pine nuts and herbs in a white bowl and a spoon inside it.
5 from 6 votes

Turkish Rice with Raisins and Nuts (Ic Pilav)

By Zerrin & Yusuf
Rice cooked in olive oil with onions and enriched with pine nuts, currants/raisins and allspice, cinnamon and black pepper.
Yields: 4 servings
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PREP 15 minutes
COOK 20 minutes
TOTAL 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
  

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 cup rice rinsed well
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1½ cups hot water
  • ¼ cup parsley
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Heat olive oil in a pan. Add in 2 tablespoons of pine nuts and onions. Cook until onions become translucent.
  • Add in rice, salt, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and raisins. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Pour 1 and ½ cups hot water and let it cook covered over medium heat until it boils.
  • Bring the heat to the lowest when it starts to boil and let it simmer until the rice is soft and all the water is gone.
  • When there isn’t any water left in the pan, remove from the heat. Uncover, put a paper towel on the top and put the lid back. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Uncover and add parsley. Give it a gentle stir.
  • For the optional topping, put pine nuts in a pan in a single layer without adding oil. Toast until golden brown.
  • Serve the rice with toasted pine nuts on the top.

NOTES

  1. Don’t skip cooking the rice with spices for about 5 minutes. Don’t pour water earlier than this.
  2. Don’t rush and cook it over medium high heat. A good pilaf needs some time. So cook it over low heat until all the water is absorbed.
  3. You can substitute chicken stock for plain water to have more flavor.
  4. Put a paper towel on the surface of the rice after removing it from the heat. This will help remove any humidity and result in a fluffier rice.
  5. Don’t serve it without letting it rest for 15 minutes.
  6. We highly recommend the optional pine nut topping.They give a nice crunch.
  7. You can serve this at room temperature the next day.

NUTRITION

Calories: 348kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 594mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 322IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Course Sides
Cuisine Turkish
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