Fruited Rice Pilaf with Pine Nuts is a delicious rice dish that can be served as part of any Indian meal. When I’m taking a main course out of the freezer (like Tandoori Chicken) that's when I might take a few extra minutes to make this special rice dish.
This rice was a hit in my house and over time got added to my East Indian Dinner Club menu; the best of the best. Yet each of those recipes, individually appears on my dinner table just because we like them so much.
🍑 Ingredients
Having an extensive spice collection is part of the adventure of cooking and East Indian cuisine often uses whole spices and maybe some you don't have.
- basmati rice
- vegetable oil
- cardamom pods
- whole cloves
- bay leaf
- cinnamon stick
- onion
- canned fruit cocktail (or fresh fruit)
- sugar
- pine nuts
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Special Rice Dishes
I love rice in many forms and I have a handful of recipes that I refer to as 'special rice'. These are recipes that capture the flavours of cuisines from around the world and they're gluten free. This is my list of 'special rice' dishes.
- Thai Jasmine Coconut Rice
- Fragrant Saffron Rice
- Indonesian Yellow Rice
- Chinese Fried Rice
- French Rice Pilaf
Cook Once, Eat Twice Strategy
As often as I can I use a Cook Once, Eat Twice strategy. Everyday life is busy so it takes planning to get homemade meals on the table on a regular basis. We all like to have other people cook for us but the healthiest choice usually means cooking from scratch. Dishes with real food from the grocery store.
When I make Tandoori Chicken I try to make a double recipe, half for dinner and half to put in the freezer. Sometimes it goes in the freezer fully cooked to just thaw and heat. Other times I freeze the raw meat in the marinade. It marinates as it freezes and again as it thaws plus I get a delicious hot meal out of the oven.
Freezer Tip - Add some words to the label that remind you what to serve as a side dish. When I freeze my tandoori chicken or paneer with peppers I write 'make with fruited rice pilaf' as a reminder.
I hope you'll give this Fruited Rice Pilaf a try. Let me know in the comments below if you added some new spices to your collection and how you liked this rice dish.
__________________________________________________________________________
New here? I've got the help you need to learn to make gluten free food the whole family wants to eat. Subscribe and get your free resource, 29 Tips for GF flour.
🎉 I made it into the Top 100 Gluten Free Blogs for 2025 and the Top 40 Gourmet Food Blogs. Learn all the ways I can help you by visiting this page, Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet.
_________________________________________________________________________
Fruited Rice Pilaf with Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 1½ cups basmati rice*
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion
- 14 oz can fruit cocktail, drained**
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts (or pistachios)
Instructions
- Bring rice and water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Dry roast pine nuts over medium-low heat in a small pan until you can smell them toasting, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- While rice is cooking heat oil on medium-high heat in sauté pan.
- Add cardamom pods, whole cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon. Sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add onion and cook stirring for 6-8 minutes until light brown.
- Add fruit and increase heat. Cook, shaking the pan, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle sugar over fruit and cook another minute until sugar melts and glazes the fruit.
- Add fruit and nuts to rice and stir. Remove bay leaf if desired. Cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon are not to be eaten but look nice in the serving dish.
steshni
this rice is the best rice i’ve ever had
Cinde Little
Thanks Steshni! We love it too!
Mia
Delicious!!!!!
Cinde Little
Thanks Mia! Fruit in rice might sound unusual but it's a great combination.