January 15 - Sweet Rice Pilaf Recipe (Armenian Easter Dish)

Day 15 - Share a family recipe and tell a story about the family member that you got the recipe.

Sweet Rice Pilaf is another dish from my childhood that I used to detest as a kid but now I love it. 

This Rice Pilaf with raisins and dried fruits is a traditional Armenian dish that is usually made twice per year: on Armenian Christmas and Easter days. It is very simple and time-saving Lent dish containing no animal source foods. So vegans must love it as it is a 100 % vegan dish. In Armenian, we call it "Chamichov Pilaf" which means "Rice Pilaf with Raisins". 

You can make this pilaf with raisins only but a variety of dried fruits and honey will definitely add more sweetness and flavor to it.

Ingredients

2 cups of long-grain rice (I use Basmati rice)

4 cups of cold water

appr. 50 grams of butter(you can replace it with vegetable oil)

salt to taste 

Filling

400 grams of raisins

dried apricots 

dried plums

pitted dates

honey

oil 

Armenian Rice Pilaf with Raisins and Dried Fruits

Preparation

Wet the rice in cold water for a few hours and then drain. (optional)

Add the rice to cold salted water and bring to a boil.

Once it starts boiling, add the butter or oil and lower the heat.

Let it simmer until done.

In a separate pan, fry the raisins and dried fruits with a good amount of oil.

The heat should be low and pay attention to stir constantly.

Add some liquid honey for extra sweetness.

Once the raisins swell and turn a golden color, turn off the heat and add to the rice.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

You can watch a famous Armenian food blogger Heghineh's video for a more detailed direction.

Would you give this Rice Pilaf a try?

How do you traditionally make Rice Pilaf in your region?

This post was inspired by the January Mind, Body and Writing Challenge hosted by Linda Jean from Witte's World Blog.