Name: Carrot rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup rice ((uncooked)); 1 tablespoon oil (or ghee); 1 small bay leaf (or curry leaves); ½ teaspoon cumin (or jeera); 2 green cardamoms (or ½ tsp mustard (optional)); 1 inch cinnamon (or 1 tsp urad dal (optional)); 1 medium onion ((sliced)); 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste ( or grated ginger); 2 carrots (grated or 1 cup chopped finely); 1 handful coriander leaves ( or pudina (mint) chopped); ¾ teaspoon garam masala (or any spice powder as needed); ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or paprika (optional)); 12 cashews (or roasted peanuts (optional)); salt ( as needed)

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Carrot rice – Simple, healthy, delicious & quick carrot rice recipe for the busy days. It can be made for lunch, dinner or for lunch box. This carrot rice can be made using grated carrots or finely chopped carrots to suit your liking or your convenience.

This rice can be made in 2 ways, sharing both the versions. The second method can be made in a pressure cooker. You can also use green peas or corn to make this and skip cashews. More details mentioned below.

Carrot rice can be served alone or with some curd, raita or papads. You can find more Carrot recipes here

I make this carrot rice at least a week for my kids’ lunch box. They love it and finish up most times.

Get creative and try with different spice powders like garam masala, pav bhaji masala, vangi bath or bisi bele bath powder.

Step-by-step photos

method 1 – How to make carrot rice

1. Heat oil in a pan. If using cashews, golden fry them and set aside. Saute dry spices. I used bay leaf, shahi jeera, cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves. You can also replace them with curry leaves, mustard, cumin and urad dal. I have made several times that way too, the rice has more of curry leaves flavor.

Frying cashews spices for carrot rice recipe

2. Add chopped or sliced onions and fry until they turn lightly golden or brown.

3. Next add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes off.

frying ginger garlic paste for carrot rice

4. Add grated or finely chopped carrots and saute for a while. If using green peas or corn you can add them now. If using corn from the cob they need to be boiled first until tender and then use here. If using frozen corn or peas, just rinse them and use.

5. Sprinkle salt and cook on a low flame until done.

Adding spice powders to make carrot rice

6. Then add red chili powder, garam masala and pudina leaves or coriander leaves. If making for young kids, you can skip red chili powder. Mix everything well and fry for a minute.

7. If using grated carrots, skip this step. Cover the pan and cook on a low flame for 1 to 2 minutes. This helps the veggies to absorb the flavors well. The mixture is slightly moist now, this prevents the rice from becoming dry even when stored in lunch box for few hours.

8. Switch off the stove. Add cooked and cooled rice, sprinkle salt. I also use little extra virgin olive oil.

adding cooled rice in carrot rice recipe

9. Mix everything well. I usually add hot rice to the pan and sprinkle salt and oil. Set aside to cool completely. I mix it later when cooled. Add cashews if using. If using corn or peas, you can skip cashews.

mixing ingredients with rice in carrot rice

Carrot rice can also be served with a simple raita or a bowl of plain curd. For the lunch box, i pack with a simple vegetable stir fry. This time it was the baby corn capsicum stir fry.

METHOD 2 – carrot rice in cooker

one pot method. Can make in pressure cooker or in a pot
This method works good with only chopped carrots. You can also use peas and corn. Same Instructions to follow till step 6 from the step by step instructions.

7. Add 1 and a ¾ cups water and bring it to a boil.

8. Adjust salt as needed. Add soaked and drained rice to the boiling water.

9. Cook until rice is done. If cooking in pressure cooker, cook until water is almost evaporated.

10. While the rice is still soggy, cover the cooker with a lid and cook on a very low flame for 3 to 4 minutes.

11. When the pressure goes off, open the lid .Carrot rice is ready, sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves.

For more Rice recipes, do check
Corn pulao
Fried rice
Veg pulao
Dal khichdi
Beetroot pulao

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