Simple Pilau

Cut up beef into big cubes. The size should be bigger than the size for beef stew. Put in a pressure cooker or cooking pot with 1 teaspoon of ginger and boil until meat is tender but not falling apart. Remove the meat from the stock and save the stock for later

Peel and cut the onions in half and then finely slice them into semi circles.

Peel and crush/pound the garlic in a pestle and mortar or use a garlic press if you have

In a cooking pot pour in the vegetable oil and let it heat up slightly before putting in the onions. Fry the onions on high heat stirring frequently

When the onions turn transluscent, add the spices and stir to coat in the oil. Reduce the heat/flame to medium to avoid the spices burning and becoming bitter. Keep stirring while allowing the spices to cook in the oil (about 2 minutes)

When the onions start turning a nice pale golden brown, add the boiled beef (without the stock) and salt to your desired taste and stir to mix everything together. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. (At this point you can wash the rice). Keep checking and stirring the meat every so often until it turns brown (should take about 15 minutes)

Once the beef has browned, create some space in the middle of the pot and put in the crushed garlic. Let the garlic cook in the oil for about 30 seconds before stirring it into the meat. Stir for another 30 seconds

Add the washed rice and stir to coat it in the beef and spices. Make sure everything has mixed well. Cover and keep checking every 2-3 minutes, stirring each time you check.

After about 20 minutes the rice will have turned translucent and everything will have been incorporated well together.

Switch on the oven to 100 degrees. Reheat the beef stock in a pot and measure out 3 cups. Pour the stock into the rice mixture and stir to mix everything together. Turn up the heat to medium high and let it come to a boil and then reduce to medium. Cover and let it cook until the stock has completely reduced. Reduce the heat to low then cover the pot with foil then with the lid for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes transfer the pot to the oven (lower rack) and let it finish cooking (30 minutes)

Serve the pilau when still hot.