Rice pilafi with soft herbs and fried onions

Name: Rice pilafi with soft herbs and fried onions recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 cinnamon quills; 10 cloves; Peel of 1 lemon (see recipe note); 25 curry leaves; 3 bay leaves; 400g white rice; 60g unsalted butter; 3 tsp lemon juice; 20.00 ml finely chopped dill; 20.00 ml finely chopped coriander; 20.00 ml finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves; 50g onion

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by Ozge Kalvo

CHEF

Apr 09, 2025

"A well-seasoned rice dish that stands up by itself. Rice is seasoned with burnt butter and lemon, then finished with crunchy fried onions, plenty of fresh, fragrant herbs and a good squeeze of lemon juice and salt. Acidic, textural and moreish." – Ozge Kalvo

You'll need a 22cm x 29cm metal baking dish. This recipe is by Ozge Kalvo.

3 cinnamon quills
10 cloves
Peel of 1 lemon (see recipe note)
25 curry leaves
3 bay leaves
2 cups (400g) medium-grain white rice
60g unsalted butter
3 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs finely chopped dill
1 tbs finely chopped coriander
1 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
⅔ cup (50g) fried onions, to serve

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
2.

Place the cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, curry leaves, bay leaves, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp fine salt and 680ml water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat.
3.

Spread rice out in a 22cm x 29cm metal baking dish and pour over boiled water with aromatics. Cover dish with baking paper, ensuring paper is touching surface of rice, then cover dish tightly with foil.
4.

Bake for 22 minutes, then remove dish from oven and stand, covered for a further 8-10 minutes. Remove foil and baking paper and fluff up rice with a fork. Discard the aromatics, if you prefer.
5.

To serve, melt butter in a small saucepan over high heat until brown and foaming, then remove from heat and immediately add lemon juice to stop cooking. Pour over rice and mix with a fork. Sprinkls with herbs, then fried onions to serve.