Flavors of TurkeyPreparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35-45 minutes

Like many Middle Easterners, Turks eat a lot of rice. Pilafs are rice dishes seasoned with various herbs and spices and varied with the addition of grains and legumes. It almost seems as if every day a new rice dish is being invented. Lately you'll find in restaurants a kind of spiced pilaf prepared in little terra cotta pots, covered with a layer of pastry and baked. Pilaf can be served as a main or side dish. Pilaf accompanied by white beans in tomato sauce occupies a special place in Turkish cooking. When men think back on their military service, they don't speak just about the friendships they made, but also about the white beans and pilaf.

1. Melt the butter and add the chopped onion and pine nuts;
2. stir until the pine nuts have browned lightly;
3. add the washed, drained rice and continue stirring for 5 minutes;
4. add the water and cover the pot tightly;
5. reduce the heat five minutes later and cook for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for several minutes before serving.

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In collaboration with the Turkish Embassy, Tourism Office and Cultural Ministry