Festive pilaf
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Festive pilaf
A leftover turkey sandwich is a must at Christmas, but if you’re hosting on Boxing Day and looking for a centrepiece, try this festive turkey pilaf. It’s a lightly spiced meal-in-one that can also form part of a buffet
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Spencer Lengsfield
Ingredients
- 400g basmati rice
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 5 cardamom pods
- 50g dried cranberries, plus extra to serve
- 300g-400g leftover cooked turkey meat, shredded
- 600ml chicken stock*
- 1 bay leaf
To serve
- 100g Greek yogurt
- ½ x 30g pack coriander, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish
- juice of 1 lemon
- 25g pistachio kernels, chopped
Step by step
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Start by washing the rice in a colander until the water runs clear, then set aside. Add the butter to a large lidded saucepan or sauté pan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the onion, garlic and chilli (if using) and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden and softened. Add the spices and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute. Add the cranberries, turkey meat and washed rice. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is well coated in the spices. Add the stock and bay leaf, season and stir to combine. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Leave to cook for 15 minutes, before removing from the heat and leaving to sit for another 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine the yogurt with the coriander, half the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Once the rice has rested, remove the cardamom pods and bay leaf, stir in the remaining lemon juice and fluff up with a fork. Transfer to a platter, then top with a drizzle of the yogurt, the chopped pistachios, extra coriander leaves and extra dried cranberries to serve.
*Check your stock is gluten-free, if required.
