Carrot rice recipe | How to make carrot rice recipe

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