Carrot Rice

🥕 Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: This carrot rice comes together in one pan in less than 30 minutes, but packs in a whole lots of flavor.
• Super flavorful: With a base of garlic, onion and shredded carrot, plus spices like curry power, cumin and coriander, this carrot rice is bursting with flavor in every bite. The carrot adds the perfect touch of sweetness and color, plus an extra serving of vegetables!
• Great side dish (but also great on its own): I honestly enjoy just eating a bowl for a light lunch, but it's also delicious paired with grilled or baked proteins, curries with a similar flavor profile, or even a soup.
• Meal prep friendly: Make a big batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy as a side dish or light lunch.
• Allergy-friendly: This carrot rice is naturally vegan and gluten free. It's also easy to make nut free, so it's an excellent choice for various dietary needs.

🍚 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this carrot rice:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Rice: Basmati rice, a long-grain rice traditionally grown in India and Pakistan, is the best choice for this recipe. It's slightly nutty and aromatic and doesn't get too sticky, so it works well as a side dish. You can also substitute with another similar long-grain white rice.
  • We don't recommend swapping basmati rice with brown rice, as that will require a different cooking time.
• Carrot: You can buy pre-shredded carrot, but we prefer to grate it on the large hole of a cheese grater instead so it's super fresh and a bit thinner than what you usually get in a package.
• Vegetable broth: We use regular (not low sodium) to add extra flavor to this carrot rice. If you're not vegan/vegetarian, feel free to use chicken broth.
• Curry powder: Each spice brand will have a slightly different blend of curry powder, since there are so many different types of curry. For this recipe, opt for madras curry powder if you can find some.
• Lime juice adds the perfect amount of acidity to balance out all of the rich spices. Freshly squeezed is always best.
• Cilantro: Optional – feel free to leave out if you don't like the flavor.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(2) Stir in grated carrot and continue cooking over medium-low for another 5 minutes.

(3) Add in rice, curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and stir well.

(4) Pour in the broth and lime juice, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring once or twice. 

(5) Stir in cilantro and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Top with golden raisins and chopped cashews and serve warm.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Stir once or twice during cooking to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This will also ensure that the rice cooks evenly all the way through.
• Serve this carrot rice with:
  • Masoor dal
  • Tofu tikka masala
  • Mediterranean grilled tofu
  • Cauliflower steaks
  • Another grilled or baked protein
  • Spicy carrot red lentil soup
  • Coconut curry squash soup
  • and so much more!
• Using vegetable broth instead of water to cook the rice adds a lot more flavor to this dish. You can use water, but you may need to adjust the salt and other seasonings to add more flavor.
• Toppings: golden raisins and cashews add a pop of sweetness and a nutty crunch to the finished carrot rice. I think they're essential because I absolutely love how much flavor and texture they add, but it will still taste delicious without them.

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