Tomato Pilaf

👥 6 servings 🍽️ side 🌍 Turkish time.cook: 20 minutes time.prep: 30 minutes

🥘 Ingredients

  • rice
    2.5 cups
  • salt
    1 tbsp
  • butter
    2-4 tbsp
  • tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and grated)
    4
  • hot water
    3.5 cups
  • salt
    1.5 tsp
  • black pepper

🍳 Cookware

  • pot
📝

TOMATO PILAF is a summertime classic. It is the Turkish equivalent of Italy’s pasta with fresh tomato sauce, one might say. When cooked with ripe summer tomatoes, its flavor and consistency are wonderful, and it is addictive with a bowl of cacık (Cold Yogurt and Cucumber Soup, page 103). You must serve it immediately, however, or it will lose some of its mouthwatering moisture.

📝

Note: This is the one and only pilaf that the author does **not** leave over low heat to fluff; the slight stickiness imparted by the tomatoes makes it unique. Stock is avoided in this pilaf because it takes away from the freshness and aroma of the tomatoes.

  1. 1
    Drain and rinse the rice (soaked for 30 minutes in plenty of hot water with salt ).
    rice: 2.5 cups, salt: 1 tbsp
  2. 2
    Combine the butter and tomatoes in a pot over medium heat and cook for ⏱️ 4 minutes until half-cooked and still juicy.
    butter: 2-4 tbsp, tomatoes: 4 (peeled, seeded, and grated)
  3. 3
    Add the rice and hot water and salt . Stir to mix, ensuring the liquid covers the rice by about one-and-a-half finger-widths.
    hot water: 3.5 cups, salt: 1.5 tsp
  4. 4
    Cover and cook for ⏱️ 5 minutes over high heat, then reduce to medium and cook for ⏱️ 8 minutes . Remove from heat immediately.
  5. 5
    Gently stir once and serve immediately, sprinkled with black pepper — the more the better!
    black pepper