Carrot is a fun vegetable to have around- bright hues, beautifully fresh and amazing in flavor. Make them into a crunchy salad, soothing soup , stir fry or a decadent dessert, this vegetable makes for a stunning dish. This time I made a pilaf dish with it which is simply irresistible. Letโs prepare stunning ginger scented carrot rice and get ready to fall in love with it !!
There is something so inviting and almost attractive about carrots. I am not sure if its their gorgeous color against all the green in the fresh produce section, their fresh appeal or the crunch.. i simply cannot resist myself from buying a big bag of these beauties.
I have had a fondness for carrots ever since i have been a kid. Back in India, carrots are seasonal and they can be spotted as beautiful, dark- rich red colored ones. These carrots are sweet flavoured and lend a beautiful taste to the dishes made with these. One of the most famous desserts made with carrots in India is Gajar Halwa/ Carrot fudge (recipe coming soon)ย and it is probably the most divine Indian dessert ever ๐ Ever since i moved away from India, i miss these carrots immensely and it is difficult to get that taste with the orange ones we find abroad but the best way is to go ahead with the ones we get here ๐
This one time i had a big bag of carrots which had gone concealed in the corner of my refrigerator and i happen to buy another bag. Now i had to finish this old bag asap and decided to make something for my sunday lunch. I started with grating them into thick shreds with an Idea to make a semi-crunchy salad but then i added rice to it and made them into a light- subtly flavoured Pilaf dish.ย The dish is a quick thing to whip up and can be eaten hot or even cold, so its perfect for a picnic lunch ๐
Ginger scented Carrot Rice
Ginger scented Carrot rice
- 2 cups of grated carrots (red carrots are favorable but orange ones does the job too)
- 1 cup uncooked rice (i chose basmati rice)
- 2 cups of water
- couple of curry leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp salt or as required
- 2 tablespoons ghee/ butter or vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida (optional)
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped spring onions (both white and green portion)
- 1 inch ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 cup fresh green coriander, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
- 1/2 cup peanuts, fried or roasted.
Method
- Begin with washing and soaking the uncooked basmati rice in 2 cups of water. Let this soak for about half an hour. Do other preparations meanwhile.
- Using a food processor or grater, grate the carrots till you have about 2 cups of them.
- We begin with taking a heavy bottomed pan. To this, add in the ghee/butter/oil and heat it up. Next, add in the asafoetida, mustard seeds and curry leaves and let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Once, add in the spring onions and saute on high flame till the onions turn translucent. Now, add in the grated carrots, ginger and green chillies and let it cook on high for another minute.
- Add in the salt, red chili powder and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes on simmer so that the carrot is slightly cooked.
- Next, add in the uncooked rice with the water it was soaked in and bring to a boil on high flame. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pan with the lid and let this simmer on low flame till the rice is cooked. Gently mix this with a slotted spoon or a fork and fluff up the rice. Add in the chopped coriander, peanuts and garam masala and toss well. Theย ginger scented carrot riceย is ready.
This rice dish is just amazing… lightly scented with ginger and carrots, this dish is perfect to have on its own, with a raita or Tzatziki dish (recipe here) . I served this last sunday afternoon and it was an instant hit ! The carrots leaned an amazing flavour and a gorgeous colour to the rice. The best thing about this dish is that it is light but packs a punch of flavour. Perfect for a hot summer to be served along with Sangrias or cloudy/cold winters along with hot cuppa soup, this dish is amazing !! Enjoy !
Loved it Prachi ๐
Amazing. Simple n flavorful
Thanks a lot lady !! do try the recipe ๐
Thanks Sonal ๐
Looks delicious. Lovely name too!
Thanks Apsara ๐