Rice Pilaf with Almonds, Chestnuts and Apricots - Turkish

[Guest guest]

Hey, Christie! You KNOW i'm adding the red pepper

(chili) flakes to everything.

 

This actually did come from one of the Aunties. She

had it at a dinner at the Turkish Embassy here in NY.

Its a fairly common holiday dish (Ramadan, weddings,

etc). They'd use white rice in Turkey, but I love

brown basmati for the color.

 

@@@@@

Rice Pilaf with Almonds, Chestnuts and Apricots -

Turkish

18 oz. rice

3 tbsp. butter

3 1/4 cups water, or stock

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

4-5 dried apricots

1 oz. blanched slivered almonds

10 oz. cooked chestnuts, or canned chestnuts or jarred

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. quatre-épices

1/2 tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper

 

 

 

 

 

Soak the rice in hot water with a pinch of salt for

one hour.

 

In another bowl, soak the apricots in hot water to

soften them.

 

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, sauté the rice in half

of the butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until

the grains are shiny.

 

Add the water, salt, pepper and sugar. Once the liquid

begins to simmer, cover and reduce the heat to

minimum. Let the rice cook for about 20 minutes or

until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff and

separate the grains of rice with a fork.

 

In a skillet or small saucepan, sauté the onion in the

remaining butter; add the almonds and diced apricots;

when everything is lightly browned, add to the pilaf.

Add the quartered chestnuts and the spices and mix

well.

 

Lay a clean towel over the pot and place the lid on

tightly to contain the steam; let rest about 10

minutes to finish cooking the rice and to allow the

flavor of the spices to permeate. Serve immediately.

 

Serves 4-6

 

Source: Turkish Embassy (Auntie Shpressa)

Formatted by Chupa Babi: 11.21.07

 

ChupaNote: We usualy toss in the seeds from a small

pomegranate just before serving. Color and crunch. I

like to serve this on a bed of arugula (rocket). The

rice steams it just right, and its a wonderful

contrast with the sweetness of the rice.

 

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[Guest guest]

Guess what I shall be making for dinner tomorrow! Thank you for this

fabulous recipe, Chupa. What a wonderful resource those aunties of

yours are. Quatre-epices is a new one on me - Wikipedia says it is a

combination of roughly equal parts of pepper, cloves, nutmeg and

ginger, or of allspice, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Is that your

understanding of it?

 

Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Christie

 

, Chupa Babi <recetta

wrote:

>

> Hey, Christie! You KNOW i'm adding the red pepper

> (chili) flakes to everything.

>

> This actually did come from one of the Aunties. She

> had it at a dinner at the Turkish Embassy here in NY.

> Its a fairly common holiday dish (Ramadan, weddings,

> etc). They'd use white rice in Turkey, but I love

> brown basmati for the color.

>

> @@@@@

> Rice Pilaf with Almonds, Chestnuts and Apricots -

> Turkish

> 18 oz. rice

> 3 tbsp. butter

> 3 1/4 cups water, or stock

> 1 sweet onion, finely chopped

> 4-5 dried apricots

> 1 oz. blanched slivered almonds

> 10 oz. cooked chestnuts, or canned chestnuts or jarred

> 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

> 1/2 tsp. quatre-épices

> 1/2 tsp. sugar

> Salt and pepper

>

>

>

>

>

> Soak the rice in hot water with a pinch of salt for

> one hour.

>

> In another bowl, soak the apricots in hot water to

> soften them.

>

> In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, sauté the rice in half

> of the butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until

> the grains are shiny.

>

> Add the water, salt, pepper and sugar. Once the liquid

> begins to simmer, cover and reduce the heat to

> minimum. Let the rice cook for about 20 minutes or

> until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff and

> separate the grains of rice with a fork.

>

> In a skillet or small saucepan, sauté the onion in the

> remaining butter; add the almonds and diced apricots;

> when everything is lightly browned, add to the pilaf.

> Add the quartered chestnuts and the spices and mix

> well.

>

> Lay a clean towel over the pot and place the lid on

> tightly to contain the steam; let rest about 10

> minutes to finish cooking the rice and to allow the

> flavor of the spices to permeate. Serve immediately.

>

> Serves 4-6

>

> Source: Turkish Embassy (Auntie Shpressa)

> Formatted by Chupa Babi: 11.21.07

>

> ChupaNote: We usualy toss in the seeds from a small

> pomegranate just before serving. Color and crunch. I

> like to serve this on a bed of arugula (rocket). The

> rice steams it just right, and its a wonderful

> contrast with the sweetness of the rice.

>