Healthy carrot rice recipe, a flavorful side dish or light main meal made with only a few ingredients and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.
Carrot rice and rice dishes generally are a staple in our house, I've cooked these grains in so many different ways, I stopped counting a long time ago. If you would like to try some of our favorites, have a look at this traditional Romanian pilaf with chicken, its vegan version, or at the Simple Buttered Rice with Garlic. For other international flavors, try this Korean Gochujang fried rice, the Spanish rice and beans, or this Costa Rican Gallo Pinto.
Table of contents
Recipe ingredients
Rice:
- Any kind of long-grain rice if fine, but I prefer to use basmati or jasmine, they have more flavor than plain sorts.
- Basmati is traditionally used in the Indian and South Asian cuisines, while jasmine is used more frequently in Thailand and Southeast Asia. They are pretty similar in looks and flavor.
- Both usually need to be cooked for about 10 minutes, but check the packet's instructions.
- Plain long-grain sorts might need longer, those that I usually buy need between 12 and 15 minutes. Again checking the packet's instructions is best.
Curry powder:
- I use Madras curry very often when making carrot rice. Not only I love its flavor, but I also love its yellow color which fits this dish very well.
- It is only mildly hot, so 2 teaspoons will not add too much heat.
- You can use another sort of curry powder, whatever you like or have in the pantry. Just remember to adjust the amount you use, if your powder is spicier.
Recipe steps
- Saute the onion, add the garlic and curry powder. Stir well. (1)
- Add rice and grated carrots, stir well. (2)
- Pour in the vegetable stock, stir. (3)
- Cook, covered for about 10 minutes until grains and vegetables are tender. (4)
- Let stand, covered, for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Stir in the butter and serve.
Tips and FAQ
- Don't stir it while it's cooking, that would make it sticky. Also, if you stir when it is almost done, you might crush some of the grains.
- Try not to lift the lid during cooking time, it is better left alone, and not too much steam should escape during cooking.
- Let stand for about 5 minutes (up to 10) before serving. It makes it fluffier.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. I am mentioning it because I know many people who don't do it. Rinsing it not only cleans it, but it helps keep the grains moist.
Rice should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Reheat on the stove. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth, cover the pot and reheat gently for 4-5 minutes while stirring frequently and breaking the lumps.
Freeze leftovers for 1-2 months. Defrost and reheat.
How to serve?
You can serve the carrot rice as a light main meal with a green salad with vinaigrette or yogurt dressing on the side.
You can also serve it as a side dish for any kind of curry. For instance, this delicious chicken balti curry or this paneer tikka masala.
It is also perfect for serving with cast-iron chicken thighs, turkey skewers or beef koftas.
More rice side dishes
Carrot Rice
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons curry Note 1
- 300 g/ 10.6 oz/ 1 ½ cups long grain rice Note 2
- 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 2 ½ cups grated carrots
- 600 ml/ 20 fl.oz/ 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 heaped tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion. Grate the garlic cloves. Keep them separated.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes until slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and curry powder and stir continuously for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and the grated carrots and stir for 1 minute until everything is well mixed.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, stir, cover the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Check the rice.
- Leave, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Carefully, mix in the butter until melted. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
- I had Madras curry, which is very flavorful but only mildly hot. Use any kind of curry mixture you like and adjust the amount according to taste. If the curry is very hot, you might want to use a smaller amount.
- Basmati or jasmine rice are great, but more plain long-grain rice is super as well. Basmati and jasmine usually need about 10 minutes of cooking time, while other sorts of long-grain rice might need 12 to 15 minutes. Check the packet's instructions on the matter and prolong the cooking time accordingly.
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