A six-ingredient, 20-minute and very aromatic Dill Rice to eat with curries and dals.
This dill rice is simple but full of flavor and it is so easy to make. All you need to flavor the long strands of basmati are bay leaves, cardamom and cloves and a bunch of fresh dill leaves. The fragrant rice is amazing with spicy, slightly tangy curries like this creamy peas potato curry, massaman curry, or Goan feijoada. But it will also transform a meal with a simple dal, like this dal tadka or tomato dal, into a special occasion. A vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
Here in the United States we use dill mostly as a flavoring in dishes like this classic vegan potato salad and in pickles. But in Indian cuisine dill is treated as a vegetable rather than an herb, and in the state of Maharashtra, to which my mom belonged, large bunches of dill are finely chopped to make a delicious side or sabzi called shepuchi bhaji.
Dill is also commonly used in India as a leafy addition to dals and seafood dishes. But in my kitchen our favorite way to use this fragrant herb is in a dill rice -- a dish that's so aromatic and intensely flavorful despite its utter simplicity.
This dill rice needs just six ingredients and it takes under 20 minutes to go from scratch to done. Unlike Middle Eastern or Persian dill rice, which uses butter as a flavoring, my Indian dill rice uses a few common spices like cardamom, cloves and bay leaves.
This rice is great served with nearly any curry or dal, although I think the pungent, slightly bitter flavor of dill is best paired with a tangy dal or curry. Try it the next time you want a flavorful rice dish and be sure to let me know if you love it!
Spotlight on dill
Dill (suwa/shepu) is seasonal in the United States all the way from summer through fall and it can easily be found at supermarkets and farmers' markets, although you can just as easily grow it in your own home or garden.
Feathery and frond-like, dill leaves resemble fennel. But this herb belongs to the same family as celery. It has numerous health benefits, including helping control and prevent diabetes, and the flavonoids in dill can help fight heart disease.
Essential oils in dill might also help those with insomnia and its calcium content could help improve bone health.
Dill is extremely aromatic and a little goes a long way. You will need a cup of packed dill leaves for this recipe and that quantity adds the perfect flavor to the rice.
Why you will love this dill rice
- It will add a whole new level of deliciousness to your culinary repertoire. If you love dill, you likely don't need much convincing to try another delicious way to eat it. And even if you've never really eaten it or cooked with it before you will discover a whole new world of flavor.
- It needs just six ingredients and takes 20 minutes to make from scratch. And most of the time is hands-off, making this perfect for a weeknight dinner or for a lazy weekend meal.
- It is soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan, so it's suited to all dietary needs. Rice and dill are both easy to digest, with the dill also contributing to improving digestive health. So no matter where you fall on the diet spectrum, adding in this dish can only help you.
Ingredients for dill rice recipe
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. I mostly use avocado oil for cooking but any unflavored vegetable oil is fine here.
- 4 green cardamom pods. Crush the pods slightly to reveal the seeds, but add them whole to the skillet.
- 6 cloves
- 2 bay leaves. If you find that I add bay leaves to most of my rice dishes it is because bay leaves add a subtle but exquisite aroma to rice, and it is especially wonderful with basmati rice, which we will use here.
- 1 cup packed dill leaves. Chop the dill leaves before measuring and keep the tender stems because they have lots of flavor too.
- 1 cup basmati rice. A long grain rice like basmati works best in this recipe. You can use brown rice or light brown rice but you will need to tweak the cooking times.
- 2 cups water. Or you can use a light vegetable stock. Don't use a strongly flavored stock because you want the dill and rice flavors to shine here.
- Salt to taste.
How to make dill rice
- Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and saute for a few seconds until the spices are aromatic. This shouldn't take more than 30 seconds to a minute over medium heat.
- Stir in the chopped fresh dill leaves. Mix for just a few seconds--you don't reallyw ant to cook the dill at this stage.
- Add the rinsed rice to the skillet and saute it for a minute or two until the strands turn opaque.
- Add the water or stock and stir it in. Add salt to taste and taste the water--it should taste a little saltier than you want the finished rice to be. You can also squeeze in some lemon juice at this stage, which will help keep the rice looking bright white (although if you use a vegetable broth keep in mind that could add a tint).
- When the liquid boils, cover the skillet with a tight lid and turn heat down to low. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- About halfway through cooking stir the rice once, then cover again and let the rice cook undisturbed.
- Turn heat off and let the rice stand, without opening the lid, for 10 more minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, use 2 tablespoon dried dill. The flavor is not quite as evocative as it would be if you were to use fresh dill, but it would still be delicious.
You definitely can. Use 3 ½ cups of water or stock and cook the rice for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through. You can add more dill if you use brown rice--I'd add up to half cup more of fresh dill.
To make this recipe in an Instant Pot, saute the ingredients in the Instant Pot liner with the "saute" function on. Pressure cook at high for three minutes. Let the pressure release naturally or release it manually 10 minutes after cooking has ended.
What to serve with the dill rice pilaf
- Any spicy curry is wonderful with this dish. I love it with this chickpea curry or check out more vegan curry recipes here.
- You can also serve this dish with a tangy dal. You can find dozens of dal recipes here.
- Serve vegan raita and poppadum on the side.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: The dill rice can be stored in the fridge for four to five days.
- Freeze: Spread the rice on a baking sheet and freeze until cooled thoroughly. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Reheat the rice in the microwave until thawed and piping hot.
More vegan rice recipes you might like
Dill Rice
Equipment
- 1 Skillet (with lid)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 4 green cardamom pods (slightly crushed. Use the whole pod and not just the seeds)
- 6 cloves
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup dill (measure after chopping and pack the cup firmly. You can use the leaves and tender stems)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups water (or a light vegetable stock)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and saute for a few seconds until the spices are aromatic. This shouldn't take more than 30 seconds to a minute over medium heat.
- Stir in the dill leaves. Immediately add the rinsed rice to the skillet and saute it for a minute or two until the strands turn opaque.
- Add the water or stock and stir it in. Add salt to taste and taste the water--it should taste a little saltier than you want the finished rice to be.
- When the liquid boils, cover the skillet with a tight lid and turn heat down to low. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- About halfway through cooking stir the rice once, then cover again and let the rice cook undisturbed.
- Turn heat off and let the rice stand, without opening the lid, for 10 more minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Recipe notes
- If using dried dill, use 2 tablespoons. The flavor is not quite as evocative as it would be if you were to use fresh dill, but it would still be delicious.
- To make this recipe with brown rice use 3 ½ cups of water or stock and cook the rice for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through. You can add more dill if you use brown rice--I'd add up to half cup more of fresh dill.
- To make this recipe in an Instant Pot, saute the ingredients in the Instant Pot liner with the "saute" function on. Pressure cook at high for three minutes. Let the pressure release naturally or release it manually 10 minutes after cooking has ended.
- Refrigerate: The dill rice can be stored in the fridge for four to five days.
- Freeze: Spread the rice on a baking sheet and freeze until cooled thoroughly. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Reheat the rice in the microwave until thawed and piping hot.
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