47 pilaf recipes

Vibrant rice salad tossed with crisp vegetables, toasted sesame seeds, and a tangy Asian-style dressing. Perfect way to transform leftover rice into a refreshing side dish or light lunch that travels well.

Ryzi me araka is a classic Greek rice and peas dish cooked pilaf-style with olive oil and onion. Six ingredients, one pot, and naturally vegetarian.

Brown rice pilaf with toasted pine nuts, sweet raisins, garlic, and fresh parsley. A Middle Eastern-inspired whole grain side dish with nutty texture and bright herbs.

Armenian sweet rice pilaf studded with dates, apricots, prunes, and toasted almonds simmers in honey-butter. Raisins and currants add even more jeweled sweetness.

Curried rice with lentils, raisins, and apples: a vegan Indian-inspired one-pot pilaf with turmeric, ginger, curry, and sunflower seeds. Fat-free, high-fiber comfort with sweet and savory in every bite.

Greek-style tripe stew simmered for hours in a tomato paste, white wine, and butter sauce with onions and parsley. Serve with pilaf for a traditional Mediterranean comfort meal.

Raisin bulgur pilaf with cumin, made by soaking cracked wheat in boiling water for 30 minutes. Just 5 ingredients, no cooking, and diabetic-friendly. A simple, nutty side dish.

Wild rice pilaf with parboiled white rice, hot chili peppers, sweet onion, and vegetable stock. A nutty, spicy side dish that doubles as a vegetarian main with simple add-ins.

Stuffed monster zucchini is the answer to a giant garden zucchini: halved, hollowed, and packed with a savory cumin-thyme rice and lentil pilaf, then baked until tender. A hearty, frugal vegan main.

Round steak slices rolled around a spiced vegetable stuffing with cinnamon, browned in olive oil, and braised low and slow in tomato sauce until fork tender. Serve over rice pilaf or spaghetti.

Gujar Ka Pullao (Indian carrot rice pilaf): fragrant basmati cooked with caramelized onions, grated carrots, and whole spices like cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and cumin. A vibrant, naturally vegan side from Northern India.

Ryzi me araka: traditional Greek rice and peas simmered with onion and olive oil in a one-pot pilaf. Simple, vegan, and a no-fuss weeknight side from the Greek home-cooking playbook.

Bulgur saute toasts cracked wheat with onion and celery in butter, then simmers it in beef-bouillon broth until fluffy. A nutty, pilaf-style side dish ready in well under an hour with seven everyday ingredients.

While Schwartz describes the name for this Israeli dish as slightly pretentious, he notes that it won a cooking competition and found its way onto the menus of five star hotels. He recommends serving it over a bed or bulgur pilaf.

Kashmiri chicken marinates slashed drumsticks and thighs in yogurt and curry paste, then simmers them with cumin, ginger, and ground almonds for a creamy, mildly spiced curry.