Indian Pilau is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic starter of parboiled rice that's lightly fried and cooked in stock before being flavoured with curry powder and served with fried chicken meat that's finished in a mango and onion sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Indian Pilau.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Indian Pilau that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 327.—INDIAN PILAU.
Peel and chop six large onions, and put them into a stewpan with four ounces of butter and two Indian mangoes cut into shreds; on the top of these ingredient place the cut members or joints of a chicken previously fried in butter for the purpose, and set the whole to stew very leisurely over a slow fire for about three quarters of an hour. When done, arrange the pieces of chicken on some rice (as in No. 326) lightly piled in a dish, stir the sauce to mix it, and pour it over the pilau, and serve hot.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
6 large onions, chopped
120g butter
2 mangoes, peeled and cut into strips
1 chicken, jointed and fried in butter
450g rice
120g butter
900ml stock or water
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp raisins briefly boiled in white wine to plump and drained
Method:
Combine the onions, butter and mangoes in a pan. Sit the chicken pieces on top then bring to a simmer, cover and stew gently for about 45 minutes.
Thoroughly wash the rice in a colander under plenty of cold, running, water to remove the excess starch. In the meantime, bring 1.5l of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the rice and parboil for 3 minutes then drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the rice and fry until very lightly-browned then add the 900ml of stock or water along with the cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and and cook gently for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is done and almost dry. Fluff with a fork then add the curry powder.
Pile the rice on a serving dish and arrange the chicken pieces on top then pour over the sauce and serve.
