Pilaf with Olive Sauce

Name: Pilaf with Olive Sauce
Ingredients: For pilaf: 1 large cup of rice; 1 liter of water; 1 small cup of oil; 1 carrot; 1 bell pepper; 1 onion; 1 parsley root; 1 small celery; For the olive sauce: 3 small onions; 1 carrot sliced into rounds; 200 g of lightly salted olives; 2-3 bay leaves; a pinch of salt; a pinch of pepper; 1 teaspoon of flour diluted in a small cup of water; 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste/tomato juice; A few fresh parsley leaves.

Savory - Pilaf with Olive Sauce by Cleopatra F. - Recipia

This delicious olive sauce pilaf recipe is perfect for the fasting period, but also for any occasion when you want to enjoy a healthy and flavorful meal. The portions are enough to feed 6 people, making it ideal for a family meal or with friends. We start by preparing the vegetable broth. In a large pot, we bring 1 liter of water to a boil. When the water reaches boiling point, we add the carrot, celery, parsley root, onion, and bell pepper, all roughly chopped. It is important to chop them evenly for even cooking. We season to taste with salt and pepper, and the broth will be ready in about 30 minutes, being careful not to leave it on the heat too long to preserve the flavors of the vegetables. Meanwhile, we wash the rice in 4-5 waters until the water becomes clear. This is an essential step as it helps remove excess starch, resulting in a less sticky pilaf. After washing it, we place the rice in a pot where we have poured a small cup of oil. We pour the strained broth over the rice, ensuring it covers the rice by about three fingers. We cover the pot with a lid and put it in the oven at a moderate heat for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, we take care of the olive sauce. We finely chop the onion and sauté it in a little hot oil until it becomes transparent. We add the carrot cut into rounds, salt, and pepper, then cover with water and let it boil for about 10 minutes. When the water has reduced, we add the olives and add more water to cover them by two fingers. We let it boil for 20 minutes until the olives soak up the flavors of the sauce. Once the sauce is almost ready, we add 2-3 tablespoons of broth and a few bay leaves for extra flavor. In a small cup, we dissolve a teaspoon of flour in warm water, mixing well, then pour the mixture through a strainer over the sauce to prevent lumps of flour from forming. When the rice is ready, we place it on plates and pour the olive sauce over it. It is an extremely tasty meal, full of flavors and colors, and for a special touch, we can garnish with freshly chopped parsley. This recipe will not only delight your taste buds but also bring a touch of warmth and comfort to your meals. Enjoy your meal!