Red Pepper Rice Pilaf

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

6

Introduction

To make a pilaf, dry rice is stirred in a hot pan along with a little oil or butter (and other seasonings, if desired) until the grains become opaque. Then cooking liquid is added and the rice is steamed. The result is a dish of separate, glistening grains. It is easy to turn leftovers into fried rice.

Ingredients

	3	Tbsp. vegetable oil
	1	red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), seeded, deribbed, and cut into ¼-inch dice
	1	small (about 2 ounces) onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
	3	cups long-grain white rice, preferably basmati
	4½	cups water
	2½	tsp. salt
	~	Freshly ground pepper to taste
	1	small bay leaf, broken in two
	1½	tsp. celery seed

Steps

1. In a 4-quart or larger heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the pepper and onion until they are slightly softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and celery seed. Stir, bring the water to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 15 minutes. Stir the pilaf and remove the bay leaves.
2. Reserve 6 cups of the rice and serve the rest. Cool the reserved rice, cover, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

Notes

• Serves 4, with 6 cups reserved for Fried Rice with Julienned Pork

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