Vegetable Carrot Fried Rice with Indian spices and shredded Carrots. 30 minute Carrot Veggie Brown Rice Pilaf. Colorful flavorful side for Easter or Holidays. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Recipe. Pin this Recipe!
Spring is in the air. Seriously it is. Sneezing and watery eyes all around. Easter calls for a load of sweet carrot stuff. For a change, make this savory carrot pilaf!
This spiced Indian style fried rice has toasted nuts, veggies, spices of course, and grated carrots. The grated carrots look like orange rice grains and look super pretty. Use chopped carrots for quicker. Use any spices you have and add herbs and flavor of choice. This rice can be served by itself with a dash of lemon or chutney/dressing or served as a side pilaf with curries, or gravy. I use brown rice in the pilaf, use any rice or other cooked grains of choice.
More Carrot and Spring Recipes from the blog:
- Cabbage Carrot Pacankes – Okonomiyaki
- Carrot Peanut Soup
- Carrot Cake Pancakes
- Asparagus Basil soup.
- Smoky Asparagus Tofu Spring Scramble
I have this thing with most brown rice. a- It just doesn’t sit well with my tummy, and b- seems to overpower the dish. I mean the flavors disappear by the time one is done chewing the darn rice! Thankfully, I did not let that get in the way of trying my own ways to use brown rice. I prefer Brown Basmati (long or short grain) rice. It cooks faster and softer. Well cooked and well spiced like this pilaf and you will be in love.
Vegetable Carrot Fried Rice - Carrot Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (32.25 g) chopped raw cashews or other nuts.
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) mustard seeds
- 6 curry leaves optional
- 1/2 cup (7 g) chopped red onion
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 inch (0.5 inch) knob ginger finely chopped
- 1 hot green chile or use cayenne to taste later
- 1 cup (100 g) cauliflower florets small florets
- 1 cup (128 g) packed or more grated or shredded Carrots use chopped for quicker
- 1/2-3/4 tsp (0.5 tsp) turmeric
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garam masala or curry powder or use ground cumin + coriander
- 1/4-1/2 tsp (0.25 tsp) cayenne
- 1/2 cup (20 g) packed chopped baby greens
- 1/2 cup (118.29 g) other quick cooking veggies of choice such as a mix of zucchini peas, bell pepper
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 2-3 tbsp (2 tbsp) water
- 2 cups (390 g) cooked brown rice
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) or more salt
- lemon juice and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Dry roast the nuts on a skillet until lightly golden and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. when the oil is hot, add cumin and mustard seeds and let them cook until they change color considerably or start to pop. Add the curry leaves, onion, garlic, ginger, chili and pinch of salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the cauliflower and mix. cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and a splash of water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the spices and mix in for a few seconds. Add the greens and veggies, ketchup and a splash of water. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked al dente or to preference. .
- Add the cooked rice, salt and roasted nuts and toss well. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Add more salt and cayenne if needed. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with a liberal drizzle of lemon juice, some garam masala and cilantro and serve. Serve as is , or with dal, curries or a drizzle of avocado cream (blended avocado lemon cilantro salt and pepper), or with mint chutney.
Notes
Nutrition
Posts pulling at my heart strings this week:
Survivors of Michael Vick’s fighting ring grow old and happy.– 51 Pit bulls rescued from Michael vick’s dog fighting ring, the first fighting dogs to be saved from death row. (they would normally all be euthanized). They were rehabilitated, learnt the meaning of normal life. Some of them are service dogs, some work with sick children, they have boundless love. #onions
The Life of Tillikum the Whale: For 30 years, Tilikum has been committed to an asylum of despair and deprivation. In Victoria, Tilikum was placed in a 100-by-50-foot pool only 35-feet deep, trained with food deprivation techniques. Forced to do eight shows a day, seven days a week, Tilikum developed stomach ulcers at a very young age. She is nearing the end of her tragic life because of chronic health issues.
Cassie Autumn Tran says
March 18, 2016 at 4:47 pmLooks delicious! I love carrots and all of the vegetables you included in this rice!
Richa says
March 19, 2016 at 12:37 pmThanks! Loads of spring veggies and carrots.
Rusty says
March 20, 2016 at 7:19 amThis looks lovely, definitely one to try. You’ve converted me to cumin seeds, they have a more complex flavour than the powder, especially toasted first. The only problem is as my spice collection is growing it has taken over a whole cupboard in my kitchen!
I think not all brown rice is the same, there are some brands I like and some that are just chewy cardboard. In the UK at least the Traidcraft brown rice is my preferred brand, I get it mail order if I can’t get it in the shops. With the added benefit of being fairly traded.
X Rusty
Richa says
March 20, 2016 at 12:21 pm🙂 yes, so many spices have many flavor profiles, toasted dry, toasted in oil, ground and toasted etc. My spice cabinet is spread beyond the cabinet, into the pantry and more!:)
Yes its like any rice. Many varieties. The fat brown or dark brown or brown jasmine rice doesnt go well with me at all.
IR says
March 21, 2016 at 4:24 pmThis looks yummy Richa!
Richa says
March 21, 2016 at 4:55 pmThank you Isabel. You are back! I missed you 🙂
Nina says
March 25, 2016 at 8:40 pmThis was fantastic! Loved the spices in this. We added the extra veg you suggested – zucchini, peas and bell pepper. Was really delicious. I always have dried curry leaves (bought fresh at Indian market and dried on a plate on kitchen counter) on hand just for your dishes. Also have an exploding spice cabinet because of you, even have gf Hing! Thanks again for great recipe, Nina
Richa says
March 25, 2016 at 10:32 pmAwesome! you should freeze the curry leaves and use them frozen. The flavor is much stronger that way. The frozen leaves stay good for 6 to 8 months!
Nina says
August 2, 2016 at 4:37 pmRicha! We made this again and my daughter and I cannot get over your brilliance with spices. This is so flavorful and layered. Gorgeous!
Richa says
August 2, 2016 at 6:46 pmawesome!
Richa says
March 8, 2017 at 11:58 amHey Nina,
Hope you are doing well. Havent seen you on the blog for a while, so thought to check.
Richa
Laura says
April 1, 2016 at 7:56 pmThis was delicious! I doubled up on the cauliflower as the ‘extra veggie’ and may have doubled up on the cashews because I love them. BF loved it too and I got to use some garden veggies. Thanks!
Richa says
April 1, 2016 at 8:15 pmYay! Awesome!!
Catherine Wells says
September 10, 2016 at 12:50 pmThis is a wonderful recipe!! I only found your blog yesterday (via Pinterest) and all of your recipes looked really tempting.
I bulked up some of the quantities as my son has a huge appetite.I asked him how any stars out of five he would award it and he said five….I do too!My son said that the aroma of the spices on the plate when I handed it to him was wonderful.
Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Richa says
September 10, 2016 at 2:51 pmAwesome! I am so glad to hear that!!
Rob S says
January 6, 2017 at 4:54 pmI make this regularly. It’s delicious and relatively easy especially if leftover rice is on hand. I vary the veggies here and there depending on what I have. It’s a great end of the week meal to use up vegetables. I usually kick up the spice a bit unless I’m cooking for friends. The spices are a must.
Richa says
January 6, 2017 at 5:40 pmyou speak my language! more spices the better.
Constance Braid says
January 10, 2017 at 9:37 amThis is so delicious and colorful. The perfect way to use up the cauliflower and veggie odds and ends.
Richa says
January 10, 2017 at 10:41 amThanks! Its a favorite in our house too. variations every other week.
Régine Bohar says
February 3, 2017 at 10:12 pmI made this for dinner and it was absolutely amazing (I didn’t have ketchup, and replaced it with a couple canned tomatoes). This is going with my favorites. My only regret is that your recipes are only for two people (very generous portions, though), when I would have liked to eat this for 2 or 3 days in a row! Any idea how to adjust the spices if I double (or triple) the other quantities? I think maybe only 1 and 1/2 times instead of 2, but I am not too sure! I love Indian cooking and I am also trying to become completely vegan, so I am thrilled having stumbled about your fantastic blog. Thank you!
Richa says
March 8, 2017 at 11:48 amI would double most of the spices except the heat like cayenne, black pepper etc. Those you can start with 1.5 times and add more later.
Diane Wilson says
February 20, 2018 at 11:56 pmWhich Brown rice brand do you recommend?
Richa says
February 21, 2018 at 10:13 ami use lundberg brown basmati
Jessica says
March 3, 2018 at 7:48 amLove this recipe! Very adaptable. I just use whatever veggies I happen to have on hand and it always turns out delicious!
Keren says
December 27, 2019 at 9:05 amPerfect. I had lots of vegetables to use up so in addition to the carrots I added shaved broccoli and cauliflower stems, fennel and a bit of lettuce and scallions, as greens. The ratio was probably more veggies to rice, plus I added cooked lentils. Doubled the seasoning and used tomato paste instead of ketchup. This ended up the perfect dish for a cold day: delicious, intriguing, spicy, rich and highly satisfying. I’ll be enjoying leftovers over the next few days.
Thanks, Richa, for yet another superb recipe.
Richa says
December 27, 2019 at 11:33 amawesome!