Basmati Rice Pilaf with Chickpeas and Dried Fruit

Seasoned with aromatic spices, Middle Eastern inspired Basmati Rice Pilaf is a delight for the senses. Studded with chickpeas and dried fruit, it's perfect as a side or main dish.

Basmati Rice Pilaf transforms plain rice into something extra special. It features spices, garbanzo beans, and dried fruit, making it a satisfying main dish or side.

If you're like me, you've probably tried a lot of dishes in restaurants and at home using different types of long grain rice. I often reach for jasmine rice to make recipes such as coconut rice and yellow rice.

But one day at the supermarket, I started to wonder what the difference is between basmati and jasmine rice. While both varieties of long grain rice look similar and have subtle aromas when cooked, there are some differences. Basmati is commonly found in Indian, Middle Eastern and Persian cuisines, while jasmine is used in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Jasmine tends to be stickier since the grains are a little shorter and thicker. But both work well in recipes calling for brown or white long-grain rice.

And if you're not able to find basmati rice for this pilaf recipe, jasmine is a good substitute. Plus both varieties come in both brown and white versions. My preference is to use brown rice since it's a whole grain which works well as part of a vegan Mediterranean diet.

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• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients and substitutions
• Instructions
• Amy's tip
• Serving suggestions
• Storing
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Ingredients and substitutions

• Brown or white basmati rice (or substitute jasmine or regular long-grain rice)
• Olive oil (for sauteing, or use 2 Tablespoons water if following an oil-free diet)
• Onion (white, yellow, or red)
• Dried spices: turmeric, cinnamon, ground cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Canned chickpeas (or 1½ cooked from dried)
• Dried fruit: raisins and dates (or use your favorites like sour cherries and apricots)

Instructions

The first step in making this recipe is to prepare the rice. No matter what method you use, you should thoroughly rice and drain the rice. Then you can either follow the directions on the package for cooking the rice on the stove or use a pressure cooker.

To cook the rice in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (my preferred method):

• For brown rice, add 3 cups water to the 2 cups rinsed rice. Lock the lid and cook for 22 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally.
• For white rice, follow the same instructions but cook for 8 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

While the rice is cooking, saute the onion until soft and lightly browned. You can either cook it with olive oil or use water if you are avoiding oil. Then add the turmeric, cinnamon, and ground cumin and saute. Your kitchen will smell amazing!

Next add the chickpeas, raisins, and dates to the pan. Lastly fold in the cooked basmati rice until well combined.

Serving suggestions

Basmati Rice Pilaf goes well with a variety of dishes including vegan salads, vegetable kebabs, and other vegan sides.

I particularly enjoy it with Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad and mustard roasted cauliflower.

Or try it with sauteed fresh green beans and mushrooms and a mixed green salad with green olive dressing or creamy cashew ranch.

Storing

Leftover pilaf can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. This is a great recipe to make if you like to meal prep since it reheats really well in the microwave.

More vegan rice recipes

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