Sweet and savory and studded with translucent bits of onions, this caramelized brown rice is the perfect side for a Vegetable Dhansak.
A Parsi brown rice is a richly and simply spiced yet complexly flavored caramelized rice. This vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe is easy, needing no more than 30 minutes to make, and it goes perfectly with veg dhansak or any vegetable dal or spicy curry.
What is Parsi Brown Rice?
Parsi Brown Rice is not -- as one might instantly conclude -- rice that is unrefined with the germ and bran intact. Rather, this is white rice that takes on a brown color after it's cooked with caramelized sugar and onions.
The caramelization, along with the warmth of a few whole spices and a bit of pungency from the onions, gives the rice lots of delicious flavor and makes it the perfect side for Vegetable Dhansak, a uniquely Parsi dal I shared with you last. But you could serve it with any complexly flavored dal, including this vegan Dal Makhani or this Spicy Urad Dal, or with a spicy curry like my favorite Mushroom Curry or Vegan Malai Kofta.
The Parsi Brown Rice and Vegetable Dhansak combination is almost always served with a kachumber, a tangy tomato-onion salad. Together, the sweetness of the brown rice, the pleasant warmth of the dhansak and the spicy-tangy kachumber make a meal to remember--and love.
The kachumber recipe is quite simple and I'll just share it with next, as we conclude our trio of delicious Parsi dishes you'll want to make again and again.
Why you'll love this Parsi Brown Rice recipe
- It's so delicious. Parsi cuisine combines influences from Persian, Indian (Gujarati) and British culinary traditions, which makes it rather distinctive even within the already diverse smorgasbord of Indian food. This rice, which likely has strong Persian influences, is just perfect and quite different from any rice you might have ever tasted. And it takes so little to taste so good.
- It's easy to make. If you follow cooking times this rice will be a hands-down success, no matter how skilled a cook you are or not. There's really not much else you need to do other than ensure that you caramelize the sugar to a point where it turns brown and bubbles (without burning).
- It's everyone friendly. It's vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and kids and adults will love the sweet-spicy flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamom bark
- 1 large onion
- ¼ cup sugar. I used coconut sugar but any sugar is fine.
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 cups water
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
How to make Parsi Brown Rice
- Wash the rice thoroughly in running water, then soak in a bowl with two inches of water to cover for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet with a tight lid.
- Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and saute until the cumin and spices have slightly changed color and are aromatic.
- Add the onion with ½ teaspoon of salt and a bit of ground black pepper and saute until the onion begins to brown.
- Stir in the sugar. Stay by the stove at this time and stir until the sugar melts, browns and bubbles. You want it to caramelize, not burn, so make sure you turn the heat down if it starts to brown too fast.
- Once the sugar has melted and browned and bubbled add the rice and stir it in. Fry the rice for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the water and add enough salt so the water tastes slightly saltier than you want the rice to be.
- Bring the rice and water mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover with a tight lid and set your timer for 20 minutes.
- At the end of 20 minutes turn off the heat but don't peek. Let the rice stand for another 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice grains with a fork and serve hot.
Frequently asked questions
You can. Keep in mind that brown rice will take longer to cook. Add 5 cups of water and, after the water comes to a boil, cover and cook 40-45 minutes. I would increase the amount of sugar by a tablespoon.
An Instant Pot can definitely be used to make this rice. Set the IP to the saute function and proceed. Once you've added water and salt to the liner close the IP lid and select the "rice" function. You can let the pressure release naturally or force-release 10 minutes after cooking is done.
You can store any leftover rice in the fridge for up to four days. For longer storage spread the cooked rice on a baking sheet and flash freeze. Then portion it out and freeze in airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze.
Related recipes
Parsi Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup sugar (I used coconut sugar but any sugar is fine here)
- 2 cups basmati rice (white. To make this with brown rice see notes)
- 4 cups water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the rice thoroughly in running water, then soak in a bowl with two inches of water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain before using.
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet with a tight lid.
- Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and saute until the cumin and spices have slightly changed color and are aromatic.
- Add the onion with ½ teaspoon of salt and a bit of ground black pepper and saute until the onion begins to brown.
- Stir in the sugar. Stay by the stove at this time and stir until the sugar melts, browns and bubbles. You want it to caramelize, not burn, so make sure you turn the heat down if it starts to brown too fast.
- Once the sugar has melted and browned and bubbled add the rice and stir it in. Saute a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the water and add enough salt so the water tastes slightly saltier than you want the rice to be.
- Bring the rice and water mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover with a tight lid and set your timer for 20 minutes.
- At the end of 20 minutes turn off the heat but don't peek. Let the rice stand for another 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice grains with a fork and serve hot.
Recipe notes
- You can make this recipe with brown rice. Keep in mind that brown rice will take longer to cook. Add 5 cups of water and, after the water comes to a boil, cover and cook 40-45 minutes. I would increase the amount of sugar by a tablespoon.
- To make the rice in an Instant Pot, set the IP to the saute function. Once you've added water and salt to the liner close the IP lid and select the "rice" function. You can let the pressure release naturally or force-release 10 minutes after cooking is done.
- Make sure that the sugar caramelizes and turns brown and bubbly before adding the rice, to get the perfect flavor.
- You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days. For longer storage spread the cooked rice on a baking sheet and flash freeze. Then portion it out and freeze in airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze.
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