Ic Pilav (Turkish Rice Pilaf with Currants & Pine Nuts)
The celebration pilaf of Ottoman kitchens: baldo rice studded with buttery pine nuts, sweet currants, warm spices and fresh dill.
Ask Bio about this recipe
Ingredients
300g (1 1/2 cups) baldo rice
50g pine nuts
2 tbsp currants (kus uzumu), soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
60g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g chicken livers, trimmed and finely diced (optional but traditional)
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
450ml hot chicken stock or water
Small bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Soak the rice in warm, lightly salted water for 20 minutes, then rinse until the water runs clear and drain well.
- 2
Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan over medium-low heat, add the pine nuts and toast gently for 2-3 minutes until golden — watch closely, they burn fast.
- 3
Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft, then add the diced chicken livers, if using, and fry for 2-3 minutes until just coloured.
- 4
Stir in the drained rice and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the grains turn slightly translucent at the edges.
- 5
Add the drained currants, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, sugar and salt, then pour in the hot stock and bring to the boil.
- 6
Cover, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 10-12 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed.
- 7
Off the heat, place a tea towel under the lid and rest the pilaf for 15 minutes.
- 8
Fold in the chopped dill with a fork, fluffing the grains as you go, and serve warm.
Ic pilav — literally 'inner pilaf' — began life as the fragrant stuffing spooned inside whole roast chicken and turkey in Ottoman palace kitchens, and it was too good to stay hidden. Today it is served in its own right at bayram feasts, weddings and Sunday tables across Turkey: glossy baldo rice flecked with golden pine nuts, plump currants, a whisper of cinnamon and allspice, and a shower of fresh dill at the end.
The magic is in the contrast. Pine nuts are toasted slowly in butter until deep gold, tiny currants soften and turn jammy in the steam, and the sweet spices play against savoury onion — plus, traditionally, diced chicken livers, which melt into the rice and give it real depth. If livers are not your thing, simply leave them out; the pilaf is still glorious.
Use a proper short, starchy Turkish rice such as Duru baldo and do not skip the 20-minute soak in warm salted water — it rinses off surface starch so the grains cook up separate and shiny. Pine nuts, baldo rice and the spices are all a click away at Turkish Online Market, so a UK kitchen can turn out a pilaf worthy of a palace. Serve it beside roast chicken or grilled lamb, with cold ayran on the side.
More recipes
Main DishesSehriyeli Pilav (Turkish Rice Pilaf with Orzo)
The classic Turkish side dish: fluffy baldo rice studded with golden toasted orzo, cooked in butter so every grain stands separate. Foolproof method included.
Main DishesKiymali Makarna (Turkish Pasta with Minced Meat)
The ultimate Turkish weeknight dinner: pasta tossed with a rich minced meat and tomato paste sauce, finished with butter, grated cheese and a spoon of yoghurt.
Main DishesZeytinyagli Taze Fasulye (Green Beans in Olive Oil)
The definitive Turkish olive oil dish: flat green beans slowly braised with onion, tomato and plenty of extra virgin olive oil, then served at room temperature with lemon. Simple, healthy and endlessly moreish.
Main DishesPatlican Kebabi (Aubergine & Meatball Kebab)
A classic southern Turkish tray kebab where smoky aubergine slices are layered with spiced meatballs and baked in a rich tomato sauce. Pure comfort food, easily made in a UK home oven.
