This Carrot Rice is a flavorful Indian-style dish that's quick, healthy, and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a kid's lunchbox. You can prepare it using either grated or finely chopped carrots, depending on your preference.
Carrot Rice is a simple and flavorful dish made by cooking grated carrots with rice, onions, ginger, garlic, herbs, and spices. The carrots add a natural sweetness and vibrant color to the dish.
I have given a South Indian touch to this recipe by adding sambhar powder. You can also add garam masala powder or try variations with vangi bath powder, bisi bele bath powder, or pav bhaji masala. It can be served as a main dish or as a side dish with any Indian curries or lentils.
This healthy carrot rice, along with palak rice and masala rice, was one of my favorite school lunch boxes growing up. It's also convenient for me to quickly prepare and pack lunch for my husband and daughter.
More Indian Carrot Recipes you may like are carrot beetroot salad, beet carrot sandwich, and zucchini carrot paratha.
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Ingredients
- Rice: I used instant pot white basmati rice for this recipe. You may also use medium-grain Instant pot sona masoori rice, adjust the water as needed.
- Ginger and garlic: I used homemade ginger paste and garlic paste. You can also mince and add them.
- Vegetables: I used onions, freshly grated carrots, and green peas. You can also finely chop the carrots and add them.
- Spices: I used cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and sambar powder.
How to Make South Indian Style Carrot Rice
Heat 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee) in a Kadai. Add whole spices like ½ inch cinnamon stick, 1 cardamom, and 2 cloves. Saute for a few seconds or till aromatic.
Then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
Add 2 green chilies, 1 stalk curry leaves, and 1 pinch hing (asafetida). Sauté for a few seconds.
Next, add ½ cup onions (thinly sliced), and 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onions are light brown.
Then add ½ cup green peas (I used frozen), and 1 cup of grated carrot. Cook for 2 minutes.
And the following spices:
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sambhar powder
- salt
Cook for another minute.
Add 3 cups of cooked basmati rice, mix everything well, and turn off the gas.
Garnish it with 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves and a few roasted cashews. Serve this South Indian-style carrot rice hot with raita or yogurt.
What to Serve with Indian Carrot Rice?
Serve carrot rice with a side of homemade yogurt or onion tomato raita, pickle, and papad.
However, this rice recipe pairs well with Indian dal recipes such as dal tadka or palak dal.
Storage Suggestions
- Store: Leftover carrot rice keeps well in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container.
- Freeze: Cool the rice completely, then store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 1-2 months. Defrost and reheat in a microwave.
Tips & Variations
- Other Veggies: You can also use sweet corn, bell peppers, and green peas.
- Spices: You can skip sambhar powder and add an extra ½ teaspoon of jeera and coriander powder each, or add more garam masala, pav bhaji masala, or Bisi Bele bath powder for variation.
- Carrot: You can also add finely chopped carrots instead of grated carrots.
- Ghee: If you prepare this carrot rice for kids, use ghee instead of oil.
- Other Grains: Substitute white rice with instant pot brown basmati rice, instant pot cooked quinoa, or instant pot cooked millet.
- Leftover Rice: You can even use leftover rice for this recipe.
- Coconut: You can garnish with grated fresh coconut to add mild sweetness to the rice dish.
- Nuts: You can add air fryer roasted peanuts or cashews to get crunch in the rice recipe.
Also check my Kids Lunch Box Recipes Posts
Carrot Rice Recipe (Indian Style)
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice or any rice (from 1 cup raw basmati rice)
- 1 cup carrot grated
- ½ cup onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup green peas fresh or frozen
- 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
- few curry leaves
- few cashew nuts roasted
- a pinch asafetida (hing)
- 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
- salt to taste
Whole Spices
- 2 cloves
- 1 green cardamon(elachi)
- ½ inch cinnamon(dal chini)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
Dry Spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sambhar powder
Instructions
- Heat oil/ghee in a Kadai. Add whole spices, and saute for a few seconds or till aromatic.
- Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
- Add green chilies, curry leaves, and hing (asafetida). Saute for a few seconds.
- Next, add onions, and ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onions are light brown.
- Then add green peas, and grated carrot. Cook for 2 minutes.
- And then, add turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, sambar powder, and salt-Cook for another minute.
- Add cooked basmati rice, mix everything well and turn off the gas.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves & roasted cashews. Serve this South Indian-style carrot rice hot with raita or yogurt.
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Other Veggies: You can also use sweet corn, bell peppers along with green peas.
- Spices: You can skip sambhar powder and add an extra ½ teaspoon of jeera and coriander powder each OR add more garam masala, pav bhaji masala, or Bisi Bele bath powder for variation.
- Carrot: You can also add finely chopped carrots instead of grated carrots.
- Ghee: If you prepare this carrot rice for kids, use ghee instead of oil.
- Other Grains: Substitute white rice with brown rice, quinoa, or millet.
- Leftover Rice: You can even use leftover rice for this recipe.
- Coconut: You can garnish with some grated fresh coconut to add mild sweetness to the rice dish.
- Nuts: You can add roasted peanuts or cashews to get crunch in the rice recipe.
Nutrition
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