Chestnut and Pistachio Pilav

Osmanlı İçi Pilav

 

As soon as the weather cools and the chestnut sellers appear on the streets, I love to buy a paper bag of the fragrant treats to use for this pilav. Turkey grows all sorts of nuts, and we are lucky here to buy nuts of almost all kinds easily at markets in season. If you cannot find all of the varieties nuts below, just make it with the ones you can find. It will still be wonderful.

 

40g                         butter

1 tsp                      dried mint (kuru nane)

2 tbsp                    pine nuts (cam fıstığı)

2 tbsp                    currants (kuş üzümü)

2 tbsp                    almond kernals (badem)

2 tbsp                    pistachios kernals (antep fistik)

1/3 cup                 chestnut kernals, double shelled (kestane)

1 ½ cups               short-grain rice, such as calrose

3 cups                   water

1 tsp                      salt

 

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the dried mint, pine nuts, currants, almonds, pistachios and chestnuts and fry until fragrant.

 

Add the rice, and stir well to coat in the butter, turning the rice translucent. Continue stirring, until the majority of the rice turns an opaque white colour, about 5 minutes.

 

Add the water and salt, and bring to the boil. Cover and lower the heat to medium low. Boil until most of the water has been absorbed, about 5-10 minutes.

 

Turn off the heat, and allow to stand with the lid on for another 10 minutes.

 

Serve and enjoy.

 

SERVES: 4-6