I love to prepare pilaf rice especially when at home we have foods left from yesterday meals. In Venezuela we name this rice "Calentado de sobras". In the town where I lived in my childhood we had great influence from turkish people, they came here running away from economic problems. My mother bought them many materials to make clothes for us, they share with my mother recipes we still use. They became our friends and were very respectful with us.

The venezuelan pilaf was adapted with what we had in Venezuela. My mother kept some rice from the last meals and fried it with green plantain, black beans, toasted noodles and some vegetables, all cut in small pieces. You can decide what to add to your pilaf, you can invent one. So, I think a pilaf is more than a white rice, I can say that is a decorated rice.

To prepare this pilaf you need:

• 3 cups of white rice
• 1 litre of chicken broth
• finely cut vegetables: leek, chives, red pepper, chillies, parsley leaves
• 1 carrot cut in small pieces
• 1 cup of toasted noodles
• 3 garlic cloves
• 250 grams of meat cut in small pieces
• 200 grams of ham cut in small pieces
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1/4 cup of olives
• spices: black pepper, thyme, cumin seed, turmeric powder
• if you have you can add green peas

Preparation:

• first wash the rice many times to eliminate the starch
• place it in a pan with the chicken broth, spices, 3 tablespoon of olive oil and the cut vegetables
• adjust the salt
• cook for 20 minutes
• fry the meat with salt
• toast the noodles without burning them
• now place the rice in another saucepan
• add the meat, ham, noodles, chives, chillies, olives, garlick and parsley leaves
• mix well and place on the fire again covered with a lid
• cook until the noodles are soft
• at the end add the raisings and more chives to serve