I’m really sad Ramadhan is over! I’ve been paying my Muslim friends impromptu visits on the pretext of checking on them but all I really wanted was that delicious Pilau served in many homes at Iftar! I think they all knew but I’m glad they welcomed me anyway. And in the spirit of opening up, I might as well confess right here that when I was younger, I may or may not have visited a couple of Mosques because you all know about those large trays of rice passed around after the evening prayer especially during Ramadhan! I’m hungry just reminiscing about those times! All you had to do was cover up, utter “Alhamdulillah” loud enough so those next to you didn’t look at you suspiciously and then dig in! Good times! Several served free juice and fruit too! God bless the Muslim Community for their generosity! I don’t play when it comes to Pilau. I can eat an entire pot in one sitting! Judge me all you want but I’m sure you’re addicted to something too! Quick thank you to whoever invented this tasty dish and I like how it has evolved over the years. You can season it with various spices and flavours but I still prefer the classic Beef Pilau although I don’t mind Chicken, Fish and even Veggies served with it too. The other advantage is that you can make it with just about every variety of rice. Rwandan, Long Grain, Pishori, Basmati, Pakistani, Vietnamese... whatever your preference. I do make the dish at home every now and then but it doesn’t taste as good as what other people and restaurants serve. I wonder why! Speaking of restaurants, I know about three spots in town that serve really sumptuous Pilau but I will not share lest you all start frequenting the joints which will most certainly lead to two things. I tend to have late lunches and so might miss out after everybody has eaten to their fill but more concerning is that more demand will drive the price up and I’m not ready to pay more even for one of my favourite dishes so I’m sorry but you will have to do your own scouting! Which brings me to my next point. Pilau should be a global delicacy by now, don’t you think? Guess investors are sleeping on it! Wish I had deep pockets because this is something you wouldn’t struggle to sell. To anyone looking to start a business, seriously think about this. Forget what I said earlier about not sharing. It would be nice to have it as a staple in J’oburg, London, Paris, New York and other Global Cities the same way we have Nando’s and McDonald’s Chains elsewhere because Pilau is not only a healthier choice but more filling too. In case any rich folks take this up, I’m okay with you profiting off me even though I had absolutely nothing to do with creating it. Just guarantee me a life’s supply of free Pilau and we’ll call it even!
