Pilaf staple (4)
I believe the answer is:
rice
'pilaf staple' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for rice that I've seen before include "... his librettist - cereal" , "Grains from the paddy field" , "Seeds from the paddy field" , "Lyricist Tim - dramatist Elmer" , "Paddy field crop" .)