Carrot Rice/Pilaf Recipe is an Indian-style rice dish that is a quick, healthy, and tasty breakfast, lunch, and kids lunchbox recipe. This dish can be made with grated carrots or finely chopped carrot as per your liking.
Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants and offer several health benefits. Carrots are best known for their ability to improve and protect eyesight.
This healthy carrot rice is one of the favorite lunch box recipe at our home and also convenient for me to make in less time and pack for myself, husband, and daughters lunchbox.
I usually prepare this rice with basmati rice but any variety of rice can be used. You can also add roasted cashews or peanuts for the crunch.
I have given a South Indian touch to this recipe by adding sambhar powder but you can also just add garam masala powder or try other variations by adding vangi bath powder, Bisi Bele bath powder, or pav bhaji masala.
You can also check my other rice recipes like Raw Mango Rice, Capsicum Rice, Milagai Podi Rice(Chutney Powder Rice. Also, check my 25+ Instant Pot Rice Recipes Collection.
Also check my Kids Lunch Box Series Posts
Masala Rice + Lauki Raita + Broccoli Smileys
How to Make Carrot Rice
Heat oil/ghee in a Kadai. Add whole spices, mustard, and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
Then add green chillies, curry leaves and hing (asafetida). Saute for few seconds.
Next add onions, minced ginger and garlic
Saute till onions are light brown in color. Then add green peas, grated carrot, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
And then add turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, sambar powder, and salt. Cook for another minute. Add cooked rice, mix it well and turn off the gas.
Garnish it with coriander leaves & serve this South Indian style carrot rice hot with raita.
What to serve with Carrot Rice?
Carrot Rice/Pilaf recipe can be served with a side of yogurt or raita, pickle, and papad. However, this rice recipe goes very well with the dal recipe, like dal tadka or palak dal.
Tips & Variations
- You can also use sweet corn instead of peas.
- You can skip sambhar powder and add an extra ½ teaspoon of jeera and coriander powder each OR add more garam masala or pav bhaji masala or Bisi Bele bath powder for variation.
- Can also add finely chopped carrots instead of grated carrot.
- Substitute white rice with brown rice, quinoa, or millets.
- If you are preparing this carrot rice for kids then use ghee instead of oil.
- You can even use leftover rice for this recipe.
- You can add roasted cashews or peanuts to get crunch in the rice recipe.
More Rice Recipes
Carrot Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- measuring cup used 1 cup = 250ml
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice or any rice
- 1 cup carrot grated
- ½ cup onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup boiled green peas
- 2-3 green chillies slit lengthwise
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
- few curry leaves
- few cashew nuts
- a pinch asafetida (hing)
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- salt
Whole Spices
- 2 cloves
- 1 green cardamon(elachi)
- ½ inch cinnamon(dal chini)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
Dry Spices
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sambhar powder
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil/ghee in a kadai. Add whole spices ,mustard and cumin seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds start spluttering add green chillies ,curry leaves and hing(asafetida).Saute for few seconds.
- Next add onions, minced ginger and garlic.Saute till onions are light brown in color.Then add green peas, grated carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- And then add turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, sambar powder and salt. Cook for another minute.
- Add cooked rice, mix it well and turn off the gas.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves & serve hot with raita.
Notes
- You can also use sweet corn instead of peas.
- You can skip sambhar powder and add an extra ½ teaspoon of jeera and coriander powder each OR add more garam masala or pav bhaji masala or Bisi Bele bath powder for variation.
- You can also add finely chopped carrot instead of grated carrot.
- Substitute white rice with brown rice, quinoa, or millets.
Nutrition
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