I spent the last week cooking with bacon and mushrooms. Mushrooms are a low calorie food, eaten raw, cooked or used as a garnish. They are an excellent source of B vitamins, essential minerals selenium and copper and, a good source of phosphorus and potassium. They are the ‘meat’ of the vegetable world.
This recipe is very simple. Whole spices are fried in oil then bacon, onions, and mushrooms and ground spice are added. Rice and stock is added then boiled and simmered until rice is ready. The rice tasted delicious. The fusion of spices and bacon was a great success.
- Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cardamoms, split at the tip
- 8 cloves
- 4 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
- 5 thick slices streaky bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, moon sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated root ginger
- 225g (½Ib) mushrooms
- 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes, then drained thoroughly
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 750mls (3 cups) water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 small bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- ¼ cup roasted cashew nuts to garnish
Heat the oil in a heavy based deep pan and fry the cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon until they pop (please be careful they might pop into your eyes).
Add the bacon and cook until nicely browned.
Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes over until lightly browned.
Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until lightly browned and then add the cumin, curry powder and turmeric,
and stir until thoroughly mixed, then
add the rice and stir-fry for about 4 minutes.
Add water and bouillon cube, season with salt and pepper (if necessary) and bring to a rapid boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.
Lift the lid, add chopped coriander (cilantro), fluff and serve the rice. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts
Serve
the rice was amazing
Mushroom Bacon Pilau
Preparation time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 50 minutes; Serves: 6 side dishes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cardamoms, split at the tip
- 8 cloves
- 4 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
- 5 thick slices streaky bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, moon sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated root ginger
- 225g (½Ib) mushrooms
- 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes, then drained thoroughly
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 750mls (3 cups) water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 small bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- ¼ cup roasted cashew nuts to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy based deep pan and fry the cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon until they pop (please be careful they might pop into your eyes). Add the bacon and cook until nicely browned.
- Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes over until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the cumin, curry powder and turmeric, and stir until thoroughly mixed, then add the rice and stir-fry for about 4 minutes.
- Add water and bouillon cube, season with salt and pepper (if necessary) and bring to a rapid boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes. Lift the lid, add chopped coriander (cilantro), fluff and serve the rice. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.
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My Favourite Pastime 
I am glad this recipe inspired you. Have a lovely week!
Liz
I assume a pilau is like a curry? When I read the ingredients I could almost get a sense of the aroma that would sweep through the kitchen. I will definitely try this. Although I love bacon, I think I might try it as just a vegetarian dish. I’m trying to eat less meat and have vegetarian at least 3 nights per week. Amazing how many different versions of a meat dish you can find to adapt to just vegetables. And…my waist line will not see this coming with no meat and begin to smarten up! Grin! Hope you have something awesome to do for yourself this coming week.
Hi Sandy
Pilau is usually a rice dish with whole spices (cardamon, cloves and cinnamon) and cumin and other spices. Frankly speaking this is the best Pilau I’ve eaten since the year began. I loved it. You can of course omit bacon. When I make rice I usually add veggies and sometimes meat. Same with pasta. I have lots of vegetarian dishes. I hope you’re enjoying this new week!
Liz
Very interesting…being a veg, shall make this dish minus bacon…
go ahead, sometimes I make it without bacon too!
Liz
Mushroom and bacon. Mmmmmm!
I like mushroom in any form. Will skip the bacon and make a veggie version of this!
Oh yes Aruna, you can totally skip the bacon. I do too, sometimes! I wish you a wonderful weekend!
Liz
I love all the yummy spices, and the bacon and mushrooms, too. My family would go crazy over this. I am going to save this and make it for them soon!
I hope you find time to make it. It tastes really nice!
Liz