Vegetable Rice is a delicious and versatile dish that combines the goodness of vegetables with the boiled rice. While one may use the same recipe with few added steps to make vegetable rice from scratch, this recipe uses left-over rice. Whenever I have boiled rice left over, I temper with veggies-onion, tomato, carrots, and peas along with Indian spices. These flavorful and aromatic vegetable rice are so addictive and amazingly delicious. Serve these turmeric flavored Veg Pulao with any gravy dish or curd. Find more delicious rice recipes from my blog: Pumpkin Rice with Coconut Milk, Indian Lemon Rice, Cilantro Lime Brown Rice, Brown Rice Pulao, and Crispy Air Fried Rice Paper Rolls.
Why Would You Love This Recipe?
Gluten Free Quick Recipe. Uses Left over rice and gathers in no time. Light Lunch or dinner. Can be made Vegan. Customizable Recipe Kids Friendly The Best Vegetable Rice Recipe Ever!
Ingredients
Left Over Rice- I had boiled left over rice from the day before. I recommend storing the left over rice in refrigerator once they attain room temperature as they may get bad soon. I have used the Basmati brand of white rice. You may use any good quality brand. If you wish to use brown rice, you may follow my Brown Rice Pulao Recipe. Salt and Spices- The powdered Indian spices I have included are turmeric powder, red chilly powder and Garam Masala. Whole Spices- Adding whole spice like cumin seeds, bay leaf, clove and cinnamon brings perfect aromatic flavor to this rice recipe. You may also add cardamom and whole black pepper. Carrots- Since I made this in summer, I got these fresh orange carrots. You may use any seasonal variety of carrots. Peas- These frozen peas add more color to the rice. You may use fresh peas as well. Onion- red onion works best for this recipe. One may use spring onions too. Tomato- Fresh ripe and juicy tomatoes work well. Desi Ghee- I prefer using ghee for making rice. To make it vegan, you may use any vegetable oil. Lemon Juice- Adding fresh lemon juice balances the whole flavor of these rice.
Variations
Veg Pulao from scratch- If you wish to make Vegetable rice or pulao using raw white rice, you may soak white rice for about 30 min. In a pressure cooker, add ghee, salt and spices along with veggies. When vegetables are tender, add raw rice (remove the soaked water). Add twice the water as rice amount. Pressure cook for 2 whistles on full. Add another green- You may garnish the vegetable rice with fresh coriander leaves or spinach leaves. Make Rice Protein-Rich- Add a few chunks of paneer and spinach to make protein-rich rice.
Storage Suggestions
I would highly recommend consuming the rice the same day as they are already left-over from the day before. But in case you have made the rice from scratch, you may let it cool off and store in dry container with lid in the refrigerator for about 1 day. I don’t recommend freezing the vegetable rice.
Expert Tips
Use long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine for vegetable rice. These rice varieties have a fluffy texture and a pleasant aroma that pairs well with the vegetables. Remember the cooking time may vary with the variety of rice used. Cook the rice as per ratio mentioned in variation, if you use raw rice. Overcooked or mushy rice won’t work well in vegetable rice. Different vegetables have different cooking times. Start by adding vegetables that take longer to cook, like carrots or broccoli, and add quicker-cooking vegetables, like peas or bell peppers, later in the process. This ensures that all the vegetables are cooked evenly. Saute in between so that the vegetables or rice don’t stick to the bottom of wok. (Use heavy bottomed wok).
What to Team This Rice With?
Plain Curd Bathua Raita Choley Masala Mushroom Masala
Detailed Recipe with Steps
Step 1 Wash, Chop, temper
Wash the vegetables and chop them in small. In a heavy bottomed wok, add ghee, whole spices and onion.
Step 2 Add more veggies
Once onions are transparent, add carrots and cook till tender. Add peas and tomatoes along with spices.
Step 3 Add Lemon Juice and Rice
Add salt, lemon juice and mix well. Add boiled rice and give it a good mix without mashing the rice too much.
Step 4 Serve It
The Vegetable Rice is ready and serve it hot with curd! You may also like:
Easy Vegan Fried Brown Rice Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Brown Rice Recipe- Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Rice Recipe With Coconut Milk (Wok + Instant Pot) Air Fryer Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings Recipe Jeera Rice in Desi Ghee- One Pot Cumin Rice Brown Rice Pulao Recipe (Indian Style)
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