When preparing a pilaf we normally try to cook meat or fish (when using it) along with the rice to allow flavors to mingle. In this case the shrimp cook so quickly that it’s better to pan-fry them separately and combine with the rice at the very end. Senior food editor Andy Baraghani recommends using the highest quality basmati rice you can find (Andy loves extra long sella basmati rice from Mihan) for a perfectly fluffy and fragrant pilaf.
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
¼
2
1½
4
2
4
2
1
1½
1
3
2
½
Preparation
Step 1
Melt ¼ cup ghee in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden brown and starting to look lacy (this will take some time!), 15–20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the onions to a plate and set aside for serving.
Step 2
Add chiles de árbol, tomato paste, 2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. pepper, and ½ tsp. turmeric to onions still in pot. Cook, stirring often, until tomato paste darkens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until each grain is well coated, about 30 seconds. Add 1½ tsp. salt, pour in 2¼ cups water, and give mixture a stir to prevent any grains from sticking to bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot. Let rice cook until water is completely absorbed and rice is tender, 16–18 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let rice sit (still covered) 15 minutes.
Step 3
While the rice is resting, toss shrimp with garlic, ginger, remaining 2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. pepper, and ½ tsp. turmeric in a medium bowl. Season with salt and toss again.
Step 4
Five minutes before rice is done resting, melt remaining 2 Tbsp. ghee in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook until lightly charred around the edges, about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat.
Step 5
Uncover rice and fluff with a fork. Add shrimp and cilantro and gently fold in until evenly distributed. Transfer pilaf to a platter and top with reserved crispy onions. Serve pilaf with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Leave a Review
Reviews (44)
Back to TopI've made this twice now. The first time I used the oil from some jarred sun-dried tomatoes to sauté the onions, and then chopped about half of the tomatoes and threw them in. This was one of the best dishes I've prepared, according to my significant other. The second time, I was aiming to use some leftover shrimp from another meal, so I began by sautéing some chicken thighs and spooned some of the fat and drippings into the pilaf midway for an extra flavor boost, then served the chicken nestled into the pilaf. I can't tell which method was better, but they were both phenomenal. I should note I also found the dried peppers insufficiently spicy, so I added Spanish smoked paprika and cayene powder to taste. I also threw in some farmer's market frozen sweet corn with jalapenos toward the end, and that was a winning addition. Still, this recipe provides an excellent flavor profile as-is; I particularly loved how the flavor form the dried peppers is absorbed by the rice as it cooks. This recipe is saved in my cream-of-the-crop folder. Thanks, bon appétit! PS please add a way for me to upload photos! (Not to be a show-off or anything...lol)
Jen Biz
Madison, WI
4/8/2024
Made the pilaf and it was delicious. Added some capers, seemed to go well. Also made a pasta sauce variation of this by swapping ghee for olive oil, forgoing the rice and adding a 28oz can of tomatoes at that stage, everything else the same. Was just as amazing!
Anonymous
Toronto
1/7/2024
Nice flavors. Onions came no where near getting crispy, so I just stirred them all in. Agree that rice took longer to cook than listed, and a bit dry
Rojoyo
Seattle
10/3/2023
The rice took an additional 20 mins to fully cook through (I used a large dutch oven). Also, step 1 left the onions beautifully caramelized, but not crispy, so in the end I mixed all the soft onions with the rice, and fried a separate batch of sliced shallots for the garnish. Maybe an additional step for frying the onions would be helpful.
mscooldog
San Francisco CA
1/10/2023
I love this recipe! Didn’t have any issues with the measurements or instructions and it turned out great. We’ve made it several times now and can’t wait to make it again.
Pelmen
Portland, Oregon
9/1/2021
Terrible recipe.. rice/water proportions and times are not accurate at all. What a waste of time and ingredients on this.
Camila
8/31/2021
Delicious! A perfect date-night-in meal. Definitely agree with other reviewers that you should allow plenty of time for the onions or make them ahead.
Claire
7/3/2021