This easy and pretty carrot rice comes together quickly for a weeknight meal, and yet it's special enough for an occasion. Pair it with our coconut curry for a healthy and delicious meal that's also gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. And vegan, of course.
I love a simple but nourishing rice pilaf and one of our favorite meals hereabouts is this quick and easy Carrot Rice paired with a creamy Coconut Curry. It's a quick weeknight dinner that's bound to leave you licking your fingers.
The Carrot Rice is a few-ingredient wonder flavored with the sublime aroma of cinnamon and cloves, and I'd first shared it with you more than a decade ago. It is such a treat, I have a hard time stopping myself from just scooping it out of the pot with my fingers and eating it until it's gone.
But as tasty as it is, it is also utterly nourishing, with the goodness of carrots, a veggie that makes just about everything you add it to both nutritious and beautiful.
In fact, I love how this carrot rice looks, with those orange shards of carrots mixed in with the long grains of the basmati rice.
A few whole spices give the rice a fragrance that's to die for.
As simple as this recipe is, I don't have too many tips and tricks for making it perfect--it's already quite foolproof. And it comes together in just over 20 minutes, so what's not to love?
Tips for making the best carrot rice:
- Use the largest holes on your hand grater or food processor to grate the carrots. You want the carrots and the rice to be approximately the same size when they cook. Keep in mind the carrots will shrink as they express their juices, and the rice will expand as it absorbs them.
- For the same reasons, slice the onions really thin. If the onion you use is big, cut the slices in half.
- You don't need to soak the rice for this recipe, which makes it come together even more quickly, since there's no prep ahead of time.
- Usually, when I share a rice recipe with you, I ask you not to stir the rice as it cooks. I will make an exception in this case. About halfway through the 20-minute mark when the rice is covered and cooked, give the rice a stir. This will help the carrots and rice mix better and cook more evenly.
- I like adding a few cashew pieces to this recipe, but they are completely optional if you want it to be nut-free.
What do I serve with carrot rice?
I almost always make this carrot rice with a creamy and just as easy Coconut Curry. Together, they are magical.
But you can also serve it with any vegetable curry, like this 20-minute Vegetable Curry or this South Indian Vegetable Curry.
More vegan rice recipes
- Ven Pongal, a south Indian khichri
- Veg Tehri, a rice and vegetable pilaf
- Vegan Dirty Rice
- Lemon Garlic Rice
- Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice
- Lemon Rice
- Vangi Bath (South Indian Eggplant Rice)
Carrot Rice
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 2-inch piece cinnamon
- 5 pods green cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoon raw cashew pieces (optional)
- 2 cups carrots (grated. Approx 2 carrots)
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 cups water (or vegetable stock)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil. Add the whole spices--cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf--and stir for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the onions and cashews, if using, and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent but not brown.
- Stir in the carrots and saute for another couple of minutes until they start to cook. Stir in the rice along with salt to taste and mix well. As soon as the rice starts to turn opaque, add the water and salt. Give everything a good stir and let it come to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook the rice 10 minutes. At the 10-minute point, open, give the rice a good stir, and cover and cook another 10 minutes.
- Let the rice stand another 10 minutes before opening. Serve hot.
A_and_N
I love the addition of coconut milk and the rice looks great!
Ashwini
Lovely combo..Love both potato and carrot.. Very tempting.
Paulina
This looks so yummy! I have all the ingredients, so I'll be making both dishes sometime this week.
I love visiting your blog! Your recipes aren't too complicated and most of the ingredients can be easily found.
Uma
mmmmmm. mouth-watering combo! Nice recipes 🙂
Soma
That curry looks like heaven. I like coconut milk & the flavor it imparts to the curries.Nive healthy carrot rice. This is what i do for my kids!
Divya Vikram
I too make carrot rice. love the slightly flavored rice.
Vaishali
Ali, Thanks for pointing it out. It's 2 cups of any long-grain rice, like basmati.
Vishali
love the carrot rice with potato curry Vaishali.
Priya
Yummy comba Vaishali..love carrot rice:)
Cham
Delicious combo of rice and creamy kurma.
Happy cook
I have neve rmade carrot rice looks yumm, and that creamy potato curry just looks divine. My kind of dish that is, i just love them.
seitanismymotor
I would give a lot for a bowl of that curry and the rice. It looks so delicious.
Asha
Visual treat and tasty combo too! 🙂
Indhu
very tasty combination... I have loads of carrots at home... must try this dish 🙂
Mahimaa's kitchen
yummy combo.
Ali
I just discovered your blog and am anxious to try many of your recipes. They look delicious! I want to start with this one..But...... HOW MUCH RICE? I can not find the amount listed here! 🙂
Thank you!!!