Pilafs and Rice

Kestaneli İç Pilav; Pilaf with Chestnuts, Apricots and Herbs

By Ozlem Warren on December 12, 2024 in Pilafs and Rice, SEBZE 0

Kestaneli ic pilav from SEBZE cookery book – Image taken during photo shoot with Sam A Harris and Esther M Clark

This fragrant, festive pilaf, from my new cookery book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, is a specialty from the Ottoman palace kitchens and absolutely scrumptious. It encapsulates different textures and flavours – there are the earthy chestnuts and pine nuts, juicy apricots and currants, refreshing dill and parsley with a touch of lemon, and they complement one another beautifully. Although there are many versions of İç Pilav, the common feature is that it always has dried fruits and nuts in it, a legacy from the Ottoman period. Kestaneli İç Pilav appears on our tables on special occasions, religious festivities and for New Year’s Eve. Short-grain baldo rice is traditionally used in Turkey, although long-grain or basmati rice work well too. It is impressive to serve and a meal in itself with a refreshing salad and/or pickles on the side.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

I hope you enjoy this delicious, fragrant pilaf from my new book SEBZE, as part of your festive gatherings or to make any day a little bit more special. My new cookery book SEBZE, is my love letter to vegetarian Turkish cuisine with 85 easy, doable, wholesome and delicious recipes and stunning photography by Sam A Harris. It can make a lovely foodie gift too – you can order a copy of SEBZE worldwide here.

My best wishes and afiyet olsun,

Ozlem x

Kestaneli İç Pilav; Pilaf with Chestnuts, Apricots and Herbs

This fragrant, festive pilaf is a specialty from the Ottoman palace kitchens and absolutely scrumptious. It encapsulates different textures and flavours – there are the earthy chestnuts and pine nuts, juicy apricots and currants, refreshing dill and parsley with a touch of lemon, and they complement one another beautifully. Although there are many versions of İç Pilav, the common feature is that it always has dried fruits and nuts in it, a legacy from the Ottoman period. Kestaneli İç Pilav appears on our tables on special occasions, religious festivities and for New Year’s Eve. Short-grain baldo rice is traditionally used in Turkey, although long-grain or basmati rice work well too. It is impressive to serve and a meal in itself with a refreshing salad and/or pickles on the side.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian pilaf

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons currants
350 g (12 oz/1¾ cups) long-grain rice
2 tablespoons salted butter (use olive or vegetable oil instead for a plant-based option)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts
170 g (6 oz) dried apricots, quartered
170 g (6 oz) cooked chestnuts, chopped into small bite-size pieces
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or more to taste)
770 ml (27 fl oz/generous 3 cups) hot water
small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
small bunch of dill, hard stalks removed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Soak the currants in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Also soak the rice in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. This helps to get rid of the extra starch and keep the rice grains separate.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy, medium pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 7–8 minutes until softened. Add the pine nuts and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously. As they begin to turn golden, stir in the currants, apricots, chestnuts, cinnamon and the rinsed rice, and combine well for a minute. Season with salt and pepper, pour in the hot water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 18–20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat off, cover the pan with a clean dish towel and place the lid on firmly. Rest for 10 minutes (the towel will absorb excess moisture).
Stir in the chopped parsley, dill and lemon juice, and combine gently, ready to serve and enjoy.

Sebzeli Bulgur Pilavı – Bulgur Pilaf with Aubergines, Peppers,Tomatoes

By Ozlem Warren on July 3, 2024 in Pilafs and Rice, Vegetarian recipes 0

This is a really lovely dish, a meal in itself. Traditionally, aubergines (eggplant) and peppers are finely diced here, though I love their texture and keep them on the chunky side. I also prefer to bake them rather than frying – lighter and equally delicious. This is especially enjoyed during the summer at home, when the aubergine, peppers and tomatoes are in abundance. If you can get ripe tomatoes, you can dice them to use instead of tinned. The cooling cucumber and yoghurt dip, Cacık, complements this dish beautifully.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

This Bulgur Pilaf with Aubergines, Peppers,Tomatoes, is one of the 85 delicious vegetarian Turkish recipes from my recent cookbook, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen. Recipes with tips to prep ahead, freeze, and variations when applicable. I am very proud of this book, and I hope you enjoy it as much I loved writing. You can order a copy of SEBZE here, worldwide.

I hope you enjoy this delicious Sebzeli Bulgur Pilavı,

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Sebzeli Bulgur Pilavı - Bulgur Pilaf with Aubergines, Peppers,Tomatoes

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian recipes

Cuisine: Turkish recipes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 medium aubergines (eggplant), trimmed
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 green and 1 red (bell) pepper
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste
400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
400 g (14 oz/2¼ cups) coarse bulgur, rinsed
460 ml (16 fl oz/1¾ cups) hot water
1 teaspoon pul biber
1 teaspoon dried mint
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the cacık dip
150 g (5 oz) cucumber, diced
275 g (10 oz/generous 1 cup) plain yoghurt (or plant-based alternative)
dried mint, to sprinkle
sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas 7.
Cut the aubergine lengthways in quarters and then slice into 1 cm (½ in) pieces. Lay them on a baking sheet and sprinkle salt over them, and set aside for 10 minutes (salt will help the moisture and bitter juices come out of the aubergine).
Dry the aubergines and baking sheet thoroughly with sturdy paper towels and spread the aubergines in one layer. Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over and use your hands to coat well. Bake for 20 minutes.
Cut the peppers in half, deseed and remove the hard stalk. Cut each half into 3 wedges and slice each wedge into 1 cm (½ in) chunks. When the aubergines have had 20 minutes in the oven, remove and stir in the chopped peppers. Pour over 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for a further 20 minutes until the vegetables start to char at the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespooon of oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the rinsed bulgur and combine well, then pour in the hot water, season with pul biber, salt and pepper, and mix well. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed all the liquid. Turn the heat off, cover the pan with a clean dish towel and place the lid on firmly. Rest the pilaf for 10 minutes (the towel will absorb excess moisture).
Gently combine the baked aubergine and peppers with the bulgur, stir in the dried mint and combine well.
For the cacık dip, simply combine the diced cucumbers with the yoghurt in a bowl. Sprinkle over some dried mint, season with salt to taste and mix well. Serve on the side of the pilaf.

Turkish style rice pilaf with orzo or vermicelli – Sehriyeli Pirinc Pilavı

By Ozlem Warren on December 13, 2023 in Pilafs and Rice 2

Pilaf, or pilav as we call, is an important dish for us, Turks. It accompanies almost every Turkish meal, including our casseroles, meatballs. The iconic Turkish bean stew, kuru fasulye is always served with pilav, the combination referred as “kuru fasulye – pilav”. Combined with chickpeas, Nohutlu Pilav is another delicious variation and a much loved street food- a meal in itself with pickles, tursu aside.

Turks are passionate about making pilav. Proper Turkish pilav needs to be grainy, “tane tane pilav” as we say, and mastering to make it properly is a real test, traditionally, for a Turkish lady before marriage. Rinsing then soaking the rice in warm water is an important stage, as it helps to get rid of excess starch and make the rice grainy. We also use either chopped vermicelli like tel sehriye or orzo like arpa sehriye which is sautéed in our rice, which adds additional texture and flavour. Short grain baldo rice is the preferred choice in Turkiye, though I prefer the more widely available long grain rice. Make sure to let your rice rest for 10 minutes, covered with sturdy paper towel and lid, before serving – paper towel will absorb any excess moisture and make your rice grainy, “tane tane.”

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Turkish style rice pilaf with orzo or vermicelli – Sehriyeli Pirinc Pilavı

Pilaf, or pilav as we call, is an important dish for us, Turks. It accompanies almost every Turkish meal, including our casseroles, meatballs. The iconic Turkish bean stew, kuru fasulye is always served with pilav, the combination referred as “kuru fasulye - pilav”. Combined with chickpeas, Nohutlu Pilav is another delicious variation and a much loved street food- a meal in itself with pickles, tursu aside. Turks are passionate about making pilav. Proper Turkish pilav needs to be grainy, “tane tane pilav” as we say, and mastering to make it properly is a real test, traditionally, for a Turkish lady before marriage. Rinsing then soaking the rice in warm water is an important stage, as it helps to get rid of excess starch and make the rice grainy. We also use either chopped vermicelli like tel sehriye or orzo like arpa sehriye which is sautéed in our rice, which adds additional texture and flavour. Short grain baldo rice is the preferred choice in Turkiye, though I prefer the more widely available long grain rice. Make sure to let your rice rest for 10 minutes, covered with sturdy paper towel and lid, before serving – paper towel will absorb any excess moisture and make your rice grainy, “tane tane.” Afiyet Olsun.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Pilaf, vegetarian, vegan

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Ingredients

200g long grain rice
2tbsp olive oil
3tbsp orzo (or tel sehriye, chopped vermicelli)
420ml hot water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the rice in a strainer and rinse under running warm water, until the water runs clear. Then place the rice in a bowl and cover with warm water with a pinch of salt and set aside for 15 minutes – this will help get rid of the excess starch.
Pour in the olive oil in a medium size pot and stir in the orzo or tel sehriye, vermicelli, sauté over medium to high heat for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to turn dark golden. Drain the excess water in the rice bowl using a strainer and stir the rice into the pot. Stir and combine for 1 – 1 ½ minutes, so that the rice grains coat with the oil too.
Stir in hot water, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix to combine. Cover, bring the pot to the boil, and then turn the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, covered; during this cooking time, do not stir the rice. Turn the heat off once the rice is cooked and water is absorbed. Now place 2 sturdy paper towels or clean tea towel over the pot and put the lid back on to seal, and leave to rest for 12-15 minutes. The paper towels will absorb any excess moisture and make your rice grainy, “tane tane pilav”, as we say in Turkish. Fluff the rice with a fork, check the seasoning and add more salt or pepper to your paste and serve. We love pilav rice with pickles, tursu and a dollop of yoghurt aside, as well as along with casseroles.