pilau

American  

[pi-lahf, pee-lahf, pi-law, -lou, pee-law, -lou] / pɪˈlɑf, ˈpi lɑf, pɪˈlɔ, -ˈlaʊ, ˈpi lɔ, -laʊ /

Or pilaw

noun

1. pilaf.

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pilau British  

/ pɪˈlaʊ, pʊˈlaʊ, pɪˈlɔː, ˈpɪlæf, pɪˈlaʊ /

noun

1. a dish originating from the East, consisting of rice flavoured with spices and cooked in stock, to which meat, poultry, or fish may be added

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Etymology

Origin of pilau

C17: from Turkish pilāw, from Persian

Example Sentences

"I'd have prawn puri for starters, lamb rogan josh, Bombay potatoes with some saag aloo, peshwari naan, all the poppadoms, pilau rice, saag paneer," Benn says.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

As he puts it, “There are recipes that come home to me because of my own Gullah Geechee experience”—specifically chicken pilau, chicken perloo and jambalaya.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2025

There was usually lots of fried fish and other seafood, like octopus, squid and crab, and always a pile of pilau — rice cooked with broth and some kind of meat, usually beef.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2021

Today we’re having slow-cooked lamb nihari, sag aloo, lentil dal, pilau rice, green salad and seekh kebab.

From The Guardian • Jul. 6, 2015

“The pilau there, such a lovely smell, and it has roasted nuts in it—or no, I think the fritters will last longer....”

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya