Vegetable Basmati Rice

5 from 2 votes

Indian-style vegetable basmati rice with cheese, turmeric, and corn is a super quick and delicious dish for the entire family.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: servings

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Adina

1 small onion
1 large garlic clove
2 pieces fresh turmeric the size of your little finger or 1 teaspoon dry turmeric, Note 1
1 piece fresh ginger, thumb-sized
1 large yellow bell pepper
2 pre-cooked corn on the cob
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
9 oz basmati rice
2 ½ cups vegetable stock + some more as required, Note 2
3 green onions
4 oz cheese Cheddar or Gouda
fine sea salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper smoked if available

Finely chop the onion and the garlic.
1 small onion + 1 large garlic clove
Prepare vegetables: Peel and grate the turmeric and the ginger. Chop the bell pepper into small cubes. Cut the corn kernels off the cob. You should have roughly 5.5 oz/ 150 g kernels; a bit more or less is not essential.
2 pieces fresh turmeric + 1 piece fresh ginger, thumb-sized + 1 large yellow bell pepper +2 pre-cooked corn on the cob
Saute: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the turmeric, ginger, bell pepper, and corn kernels and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Simmer rice: Add the washed and drained basmati rice, stir to mix with the veggies, and coat with oil for 1 or 2 minutes. Next, add the stock and some salt (Note 3). Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
9 oz basmati rice + 2 ½ cups vegetable stock + salt
Add: Check and add more broth if necessary, the rice should not be too dry. I added about ½ cup/ 150 ml more. Add the finely sliced green onions, stir, cover, and continue cooking for about another 5-6 minutes or until the rice is tender.
3 green onions
Add cheese: In the meantime, cube the cheese finely. Turn off the heat, add the cheese to the pot, stir well, add more salt, if necessary, and lots of freshly ground black pepper, cover, and let stand for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
4 oz cheese

Turmeric: 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder can be used instead of fresh.
Stock: Or chicken stock. The stock can be homemade, from a jar, or made with stock cubes. I usually add some stock powder when I use vegetable stock, but never in the case of homemade chicken stock, which has enough flavor on its own. Taste the cooking liquid; it should be slightly salty.