A

A is for Akni, Akhni - from the Arabic Yakhni... AKA Pilau, Polao, Pilaf.

Its origins are from Bangladesh - Chittagong province with its lovely named city - Chattogram. The truth may be stranger than fiction - this sure sounds like it's coming from a Calvino novel :-)

This was a favourite dish as a kid. The origins are the same, with some adaptations it was an East African staple. My mum made us this comfort food - a one-pot rice dish with slow-cooked onions, potatoes, peas and a variable array of other add-ins, delicately flavoured with whole garam masala.

Here's a joyful how-to video recipe for Kenyan Pilau (Akni) from Plant-Based Naija