Curried fish and rice pilaf - with hard-boiled eggs
This curried fish and rice pilaf is a simple one-pan supper, gently spiced and full of flavour. The rice is cooked in a fragrant fish stock with onions, tomatoes and curry spices, soaking up all the lovely flavours. Partway through, pieces of fish are nestled into the rice to poach gently so they stay moist and flaky. Finished with peas and topped with halved hard-boiled eggs, it's a meal that's easy enough for any night of the week.
Servings: 4 people
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Equipment
- Large saute pan with a lid
- Saucepan
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450 grams firm white fish fillets Pollock, cod, haddock or similar
- 1 cup / 180 grams uncooked white basmati rice
- 2 medium onions
- 2 large tomatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup / 150 grams frozen peas defrosted
- 1 fish stock pot
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 ounce / 30 grams butter
- ½ teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons curry powder hot, medium or mild - your choice
- Salt to taste
- Small bunch fresh coriander chopped for garnish (optional)
Kachumber salad (bonus recipe - optional)
- 1 finely diced tomato
- ¼ finely chopped, peeled and deseeded cucumber 3 - 4 inches in length
- ½ finely diced peeled small onion
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander finely chopped (roughly 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparation
- Place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling rapidly, turn the heat off and leave the eggs in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. After 10 minutes, the yolk will be set, but still soft and creamy; after 12 minutes, you will have a slightly firmer yolk. Once the eggs have stood for the desired time, plunge them into cold water and leave them until they are cool enough to peel.4 eggs
- Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Set them aside until you need them.
- Cut the fish fillets into large bite-sized pieces. They will shrink slightly once cooked. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.1 pound / 450 grams firm white fish fillets
- Peel the onion and cut into half-inch dice.2 medium onions
- Wash the tomatoes and cut them into half-inch dice. There's no need to peel the tomatoes unless you absolutely want to.2 large tomatoes
- Dissolve the vegetable stock cube and the fish stock pot in 2 cups of boiling water and set aside.1 fish stock pot, 1 vegetable stock cube, 2 cups boiling water
- Measure out the rice and the spices so they are to hand when you need them.1 cup / 180 grams uncooked white basmati rice, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 tablespoons curry powder
Cook the pilaf
- Melt the butter in a large pan and add the chopped onions. Cook on low to moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions start to turn translucent.1 ounce / 30 grams butter
- Stir in the curry powder and cardamom and fry for 30 seconds longer.
- Add the chopped tomatoes (and sugar if using) and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.
- Stir in the rice and mix well to coat with the spices.
- Pour in the prepared stock and adjust the heat to simmer.
- Cover the pan with a lid and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
- The rice will only be partly cooked at this stage, but taste the gravy for seasoning and add a little salt if necessary.Salt
- Remove the pan from the heat and nestle the pieces of fish into the partly cooked rice. Cover with a lid, return to the heat and continue to simmer for a further 7 to 8 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the heat, add the peas and use a spatula to fold them into the pilaf. Do this gently so as not to break up the fish.1 cup / 150 grams frozen peas
- Arrange the halved eggs on top, then cover with a lid and leave the pan to stand (off the heat) for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately.Small bunch fresh coriander
Kachumber salad (bonus recipe - optional)
- Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.1 finely diced tomato, ¼ finely chopped, peeled and deseeded cucumber, ½ finely diced peeled small onion, 1 small bunch fresh coriander, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, Salt and black pepper to taste
Notes
Recipe tips:
- Do the preparation steps before you start to cook. It makes it a lot easier if everything is ready up front.
- The ratio of rice to water is 2 parts water to 1 part rice (by volume) - so that would be 2 cups of stock to one cup of dry uncooked rice. I use an American 240 ml measuring cup, but you could use a British measuring cup, which is slightly larger at 250 ml.
- Use a pan with a tightly-fitting lid so there is minimal evaporation, and keep the heat to a simmer. There should be only a few bubbles gently breaking the surface of the stock. You don't want a heavy boil as that will cause the stock to evaporate before it has a chance to be absorbed by the rice.
- Add the pieces of fish as quickly as possible so the rice doesn't lose too much heat, and get the lid back on as soon as the fish has been added.
- Stir the peas in gently to avoid breaking the fish. I normally sprinkle the peas on top and use a fish-slice or spatula, and just turn the mixture over gently to incorporate them.
- The standing time is important! Add the eggs and cover the pan with a lid. Leave it to stand off the heat so the residual heat can finish cooking the rice and warm the peas and eggs. The pilaf should still be hot enough to serve, but if your kitchen is cold (mine gets very cold in winter), cover the pan with a cloth while it stands. You could also put the pan on a VERY low heat for a minute or two before serving. Not too high heat or the rice may burn on the bottom!
- Refrigerator. Allow to cook after cooking. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate as soon as possible after cooking - within 1 to 2 hours if possible. Do not keep for longer than 2 days, but best eaten within 24 hours.
- Reheating. Reheat gently in a pan or microwave until piping hot. If necessary, add a splash of water to loosen the rice. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the fish.
- Freezing. Technically, the dish can be frozen (without the eggs - they would become rubbery). Practically, I wouldn't recommend it. It wouldn't do you any harm, but I feel this is one of those dishes best eaten fresh.
Nutrition
Calories - 511kcal | Carbohydrates - 49.9g | Protein - 41.4g | Fat - 18.1g | Saturated Fat - 7g | Cholesterol - 468mg | Sodium - 726mg | Potassium - 514mg | Fiber - 4.9g | Sugar - 6.6g | Vitamin D - 35µg | Calcium - 175mg | Iron - 5mg
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
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