Carrot rice – Simple, healthy, delicious & quick carrot rice recipe for the busy days. It can be made for a quick meal and also goes well in lunch box. This carrot rice can be made with 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.
This carrot rice is so much flavorful that you really don’t need anything on the side. If you prefer to have something on the side, then plain yogurt, raita or papads can be served.
I make this carrot rice often for my kids’ school lunch box. They love it and finish up most times. Apart from carrots, this time I used some cashew nuts. Sometimes to add variety I make it with green peas or sweet corn too.
Get creative and try with different spice powders like garam masala, curry powder, pav bhaji masala, vangi bath or bisi bele bath powder.
Method 1 – Preparation
1. Rinse 1 cup rice well a few times and cook it al dente. Do not make the rice mushy. If cooking in a pot pour 2 cups water and add the rinsed & drained rice. Cover and cook on a low heat until fully cooked.
2. If cooking in a pressure cooker directly, pressure cook for 1 whistle. Use the same amount of water as you would cook it regularly. Rice has to be grainy and not mushy here. Cool this completely.
How to make carrot rice
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter in a pan. If using cashews, fry them until golden and remove to a plate. Add the whole spices:
- 1 small bay leaf or 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green cardamoms (optional)
- 1 inch cinnamon (optional)
- 2 cloves (optional)
4. When the spices splutter, add 1 small chopped or sliced onion. Saute until they turn lightly golden or brown.
5. Next add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 2 fine chopped garlic cloves. Saute until the garlic smells good for about 60 minutes.
6. Add 1 cup 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.
7. Sprinkle little salt and cook on a low flame until slightly tender.
Adding spice powders
8. Then add
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder (reduce for kids)
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves or coriander leaves (finely chopped). Mix everything well and saute for a minute.
9. 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.
10. Switch off the stove. Add cooked and cooled rice, sprinkle salt & lemon juice. I also use little extra virgin olive oil.
11. Mix everything well. Taste test and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Add fried cashews if using.
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.
Add 1 and a ¾ cups water and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt as needed. Add soaked and drained rice to the boiling water.
Cook until rice is done. If cooking in pressure cooker, cook until water is almost evaporated. While the rice is still soggy, cover the cooker with a lid and cook on a very low flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
When the pressure releases, 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
Carrot rice recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup rice (uncooked)
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
spices
- 1 small bay leaf or curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green cardamoms or ½ tsp mustard (optional)
- 1 inch cinnamon piece (optional)
other ingredients
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 2 chopped garlic or ½ inch chopped ginger
- 2 medium carrots grated (or 1 cup chopped finely)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves or mint leaves chopped
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala or curry powder as needed
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder or paprika (optional)
- 12 cashews or roasted peanuts (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes. While the rice soaks, prepare the veggies. After 20 mins drain the rice and set aside.
- Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil, add drained rice and cook covered on a low heat until fully done. Fluff with a fork and cool completely. To cook in a pressure cooker, cook for 1 whistle with 1¾ cups water.
How to make carrot rice
- Heat a pan with oil and add cumin, cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaf.
- When they begin to splutter, add onions and saute until transparent or golden.
- Saute ginger garlic paste till the raw smell goes away. Add carrots and saute for one to two minutes. Sprinkle salt and cook till carrot is slightly tender.
- Add spice powders – chili powder, garam masala and mint or coriander leaves. Stir and saute for a minute for the raw smell of chili powder to go away.
- Cover and cook on a low heat for 1 to 2 mins.
- Add cooked and cooled rice and sprinkle very little salt.
- Mix everything well and squeeze in some lemon if you like. Taste test and add more salt if needed.
- Garnish carrot rice with toasted cashews. Serve with a Raita.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Karthi says
How to make carrot rice recipe – Take a pen and sheet of paper and list down the ingredients first. And then write how to cook. That’s it. 🙂
swasthi says
Hey Karthi,
Sorry for the delayed response! I took so long to understand your comment.
🙂
In the past I too thought that making a recipe literally means writing down the recipe. But No! It also means making the dish! Thank you!
🙂
Divya says
I tried peas and corn pulavu.. It was very nice.. Post more lunch box receipes.. It would be very useful. ..
swasthi says
Thanks Divya,
You can check this link for more lunch box recipes.
Asjad says
Looks good will make it tomorrow in Shaa Allah
swasthi says
Thank you. Yes do try it.
Jackie says
Thank you for this recipe! I made it for the first time last night and it was absolutely delicious!
swasthi says
You are welcome. Thanks for trying
Varun says
Hi Swasthi,
Thank you very much for this excellent recipe. Your recipes have been a life saver for me here in Germany. Prepared this for dinner and a little extra would suffice as lunch the next day. Used rice cooker for cooking the rice and chopped carrots and it came out very beatiful. Just tweaked your recipe by adding Pepper powder and Coriander powder instead of Chilli and Masala powder. I don’t have the luxury of garnishing as the nearest Indian shop is 80 Kms away. Anyway, I loved this recipe and am trying your Beetroot Pulao very soon. Thank you once again.
swasthi says
Hello Varun
You are welcome. Very glad to know the recipes are useful. Yes do try beetroot pulao, healthy and delicious. This link on easy indian recipes may help you to find quick recipes on the blog easily without having to search much. Thanks and Appreciate your comment and feedback.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Madhavi says
Hi swasthi! Made this carrot rice for my son and i for a quick lunch. It was indeed quick and very yummy! I grated the carrots and added few paneer pieces which were just left so it was even more quick ?. my son also enjoyed eating it. Thank u for a nice recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Madhavi
Nice to read your comment after a long time. Happy to know you all liked it. I havent tried paneer in this rice yet. Sounds so good. Thanks for the share
shalini says
Its very tasty. A unique flavour of rice. Never thought that carrot rice would taste so yummy.
In this form at least we eat healthy vegetables.
swasthi says
Thanks shalini
glad you liked it
siri says
Looks delicious… will definitely try this tomorrow
swasthi says
Thanks Siri.
mrunalini says
I made this for dinner tonight and it turned out awesome. Lovely… My husband and my brother loved the recipe…. Thanq for sharing this wonderful, simple and delicious recipe…
mrunalini says
I served this along with your kesari rava recipe. This made a wonderful desert…..
swasthi says
Thanks Mrunalini
swasthi says
Welcome Mrunalini,
That’s a very quick try.
🙂
I am so glad you all liked it. Thank you.
Anamikha says
The carrot rice recipe was really awesome… Mouth watering… I am very new to cooking and this recipe helped me a lot….
Can u pls mention how to prepare the vegetable stir fry coz I am still not aware of that recipe….
Keep rocking swasthii…
Go ahead..
I am ready to follow Ur recipes..