Pilau with Beef Recipe from Kenya

Pilau with beef is a traditional and iconic dish in Kenyan cuisine. It’s often served during special occasions and celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and holidays. But we have found it to make for an amazing dinner any time of the week.

There is much to celebrate at our program in Kenya. Last year alone, we distributed over 126,000 meals to local children in need. These meals are keeping children in school, restoring families, and spreading the gospel. It’s amazing what God can do with a simple meal. 

Making this dish might not be such a life-changing experience for you, but it will be an opportunity to try some new flavors, experience Kenyan culture with your family, and could open up some great dinner table conversations.

We hope you enjoy this delicious dish and that it connects you in a deeper way with our extended Kenyan family. If you’d like to learn more about what our Christ-centered and holistic children’s program is doing in Kenya, you can do so here.

Pilau with Beef (Kenya)

Forward Edge International
Pilau with beef is a traditional and iconic dish in Kenyan cuisine, it's often served during special occasions and celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and holidays. But we have found it to make for an amazing dinner any time of the week. Connect with our Kenya program by making this delicious dish and learn how we're helping children in Kenya at www.forwardedge.org/kenya.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp ginger, minced
  • 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp pilau masala (see recipe or purchase on Amazon or specialty store)
  • 2 beef stock cubes
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 pound beef sirloin, cubed
  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a stockpot on medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until hot but not smoking.
  • Add the sliced onions and fry for 10-15 minutes or until the onions start to turn golden brown (be careful not to burn).
  • Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
  • Add the cubed beef, pilau masala, beef stock cubes, bay leaves, cilantro, and salt to taste. Cook until the meat browns and caramelizes, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their liquid.
  • Stir in the potatoes and the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the rice, and cover tightly with foil (to keep the steam in). Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
  • Once the rice is dry, remove the foil and fluff with a fork to ensure the seasonings are well distributed throughout the rice.

Notes

You can substitute chicken and chicken stock for the beef and beef stock cubes. You can substitute beef stock for the water and cubes. This dish is great as leftovers -- making ahead and reheating will only increase the flavor.
Keyword beef, dinner, flavorful, kenya, pilau, rice, savory, traditional
help children

Free To Love

When you think of the word freedom, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?  Free speech? Pickets and rallies? How about a soldier in uniform, fireworks, or even the American flag?  As Westerners, the idea of freedom often leads us to the rights of every individual. Because every

Go to Blog »
forward edge

One Week to Find Joy

Looking For Joy? Have you ever felt like you were on a hunt for joy? An 18-year-old boy was surprised to find it surrounded by people who had very little. He found it where you’d assume you’d find sadness. He went on a trip unsure of what he would experience

Go to Blog »
sellahomesaveachild

What is Sell a Home, Save a Child?

Have you come across Sell a Home, Save a Child and wondered what it is? Abbreviated SAHSAC, Sell a Home, Save a Child is a funding program for Forward Edge International. The premise is simple: sell homes and save children. Real Estate professionals can partner with Sell a Home, Save

Go to Blog »
child sponsorship

Sponsoring a Child During COVID-19

During these times when most of us are ‘social distancing’ and ‘sheltering in place’, we probably have much more time on our hands and yet are unable to be in touch with many of those on our minds. This is especially true of our sponsored children. We know they and

Go to Blog »

Pikliz Recipe from Haiti

Pikliz is a spicy, tangy condiment made primarily from pickled cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions, and Scotch bonnet peppers, seasoned with vinegar and spices. It

Read More »
Transform a Child's Life Through Sponsorship

Hola (hello), my name is Daniela

  • location

    Mexico

  • 4 yrs. old

    01-19-2021

Entered the program: October 2025

Daniela lives with her parents and her older brother, Santiago (also in the program) in a small one-room house with a kitchen and a bathroom.

Daniela’s parents met when they were in middle school. She moved in with Daniela’s father in 2017 and they had their first child. Her father works in construction and struggles with alcoholism and violence. Her brother was born with Encephalopathy, and their mother must devote much of her time and attention to his care, and Daniela is often neglected.

Sponsorship Level What's this?

Three $38 sponsorships are needed to cover the complete holistic care of one child. Cover one, two, or three sponsorships.