Homemade plain pilau rice is white rice cooked in oil (or ghee) with whole spices such as cardamom, cloves, and bay before adding stock or water. The addition of fat increases the calorie content compared to plain boiled rice, but the spices contribute aromatic compounds with antioxidant properties. It is a flavourful, fragrant preparation widely eaten across South Asia and the Middle East.
Use parboiled basmati for the cleanest separate grains; fry the whole spices in oil for 30 seconds first to bloom their essential oils before adding washed, soaked rice.
Where Rice, pilau, plain, homemade Stands Out
Macronutrients per 100g
Glycemic Index & Load
Medium GI food — moderate effect on blood sugar. Pair with protein, fat, or fibre to lower the overall meal GI.
Glycemic Load (GL = GI × carbs ÷ 100) accounts for portion size. A high GL — keep portions modest.
Vitamins & Minerals
| Nutrient | Per 100g | % Daily Value* | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 51.0 mg | 3% | |
| Phosphorus | 34.0 mg | 5% | |
| Chloride | 25.0 mg | 3% | |
| Calcium | 11.0 mg | 1% | |
| Magnesium | 9.00 mg | 2% | |
| Selenium | 4.00 µg | 7% | |
| Folate | 2.00 µg | 1% | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-TE) | 1.83 mg | 15% | |
| Vitamin A (RE) | 1.00 µg | 0% | |
| Niacin equivalents (NE) | 0.900 mg | 6% | |
| Iron | 0.890 mg | 6% | |
| Zinc | 0.400 mg | 4% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.300 mg | 2% | |
| Manganese | 0.240 mg | 12% | |
| Copper | 0.090 mg | 9% | |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 0.070 mg | 1% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.040 mg | 4% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.030 mg | 2% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.000 mg | 0% | |
| Vitamin C | 0.000 mg | 0% | |
| Iodine | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) | 2.29 g | — | |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.800 g | — | |
| Sucrose | 0.300 g | — | |
| Glucose (dextrose) | 0.300 g | — | |
| Fructose | 0.200 g | — | |
| Maltose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Cholesterol | 0.000 mg | — | |
| Beta-carotene | 4.00 µg | — | |
| Biotin (Vitamin B7) | 0.300 µg | 1% | |
| Retinol (vitamin A) | 0.000 µg | 0% |
* % Daily Value is the proportion of an adult
EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) supplied by 100g of this food.
NRVs are the labelling standard — the same basis as the “%RI” figures printed on
food packaging — so these percentages are directly comparable with a shop label.
They are a single adult figure and do not vary by age or sex, which is why they
sometimes differ from UK dietary reference values: the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg
where the UK RNI is 40mg. When Nutriofia assesses your own intake in the
reports and trackers, it uses the age- and sex-specific UK values instead.
Fibre is shown without a percentage. Our fibre values use the UK
Englyst NSP method, while the published 30g daily goal is an AOAC figure — the two
are measured differently and a single percentage would mislead.
How we source and normalise our data →