Have some leftover rice to use up? This easy carrot rice recipe is a must try. It is a tasty and flavourful rice made with carrot, nuts and a few spices. It’s perfect for a lunchbox or midweek dinner.
It is one of the fabulous dishes that older kids can prepare with minimal assistance from adults and it gets ready in under 30 minutes. This delicious carrot flavoured rice gets its lovely colour from fresh carrots and its a great way to encourage kids eat nutritious meals.
The mild earthy flavour of cumin, nutty crunch of peanuts and sesame seeds, and a touch of sweetness from carrots are sure to appeal the kids so much that even picky kids finish their food without any fuss.
Check out other flavoured rice recipes on the blog using leftover rice – lemon rice, curry leaves masala rice, corn fried rice, coconut rice and jeera rice.
Variations and Substitutions
Vegetables: We’ve used minimal ingredients to keep it simple. Feel free to use onion and garlic.
Vegan: For a vegan version, substitute butter with any cooking oil.
Cashews: Adds a lovely crunch to the rice. Fry a handful of broken cashews in butter along with cumin.
Lime/Lemon Juice: Add a dash to enhance the flavour of rice and give it a touch of zing.
Garam Masala: Half a teaspoon of garam masala adds a lovely flavour.
Grated: You can use grated carrots instead of chopped ones if your kid prefer.
South Indian: for the South Indian version, add mustard seeds and curry leaves .
Serving Suggestions
Carrot rice goes well with plain yogurt, raita and plain papad or masala papad.
This simple rice with carrots paired with sides such as jeera aloo, chickpea veggie patties and glass of fresh fruit juice or mango lassi makes a good meal. Make sure to cook jeera aloo mild for young kids
It’s a perfect dish to pack in a lunch box with a simple vegetable stir fry or with roasted vegetables such as baked potato wedges or sweet potato wedges.
Ingredients
Nuts & Seeds: peanuts and white sesame seeds are used to infuse lovely nutty flavour. We have used peanuts with the skin on, but feel free to use blanched peanuts.
Vegetables: Only carrot and coriander are used to keep the recipe simple.
Spices & Seasoning: Cumin and chana dal impart fabulous earthy and nutty flavours and aromas. Green chilies to give a touch of spiciness. You can either substitute it with crushed black pepper or use deseeded green chilli to reduce the spice levels.
Butter: Unsalted butter has been used here.
Rice: I have used cooked basmati rice but you could use any variety of rice such as parboiled rice, sona masoori, ponni, long grain and jasmine.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds until aromatic in a pan over medium low heat. Let them cool down completely.
Step 2: Grind them to a coarse powder in a spice blender or a small mixer jar.
Step 3: Saute cumin, chana dal and green chilli in butter for a few seconds.
Step 4: Cook carrots for 10 minutes until tender.
Step 5: Add cooked rice, coriander, peanut-sesame powder and mix until well combined.
Serve it with any simple side dish.
Notes
Adjust spices and seasoning to suit your child’s taste.
You can swap in ground black pepper or red chilli powder for green chillies.
Add only half of the peanut-sesame powder if your child prefers a mild nutty flavour. Store the remaining powder in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can use it in stir-fries and curries such as capsicum masala, kohlrabi curry, drumstick leaves curry.
You can use either grated or chopped carrots, but make sure they are chopped finely to speed up the cooking process.
More Recipe Ideas to Cook with Kids
Date Snickers: Decadent bite-size sweet treat made with just 4 ingredients. A spin on the popular snicker bars, but healthier and individual-size treats.
Mango Cherry Popsicles: Refined sugar free kid-friendly summer treat made with just 3 ingredients. Ideal as an after-school snack or an indulgence to relish anytime on a hot sunny day.
Flatbread Pizza: quick and easy vegetable pizza that gets ready in under 15 minutes and makes a fuss-free weekday dinner or weekend supper.
Bread Pizza: A quick, kid-friendly snack that is sure to entice even the pickiest eaters.
Pasta with Carrot Sauce: A mildly sweet and flavourful dish that makes a great meal for kids.
More Rice Recipes
Bisi Bele Bath: a delicious one pot meal made of rice, lentils, vegetables and a special spice blend.
Ven Pongal: A classic south Indian special dish prepared with rice, moong dal, a few essential spices and ghee
Peas Pulao: A delicious and aromatic one-pot rice dish flavoured with peas and spices.
Methi Pulao: A healthy, tasty and nutritious one-pot rice dish made with fenugreek leaves and a few basic spices.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you try this simple carrot rice recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Carrot Rice
Equipment
- 1 Spice Grinder
- 1 Skillet/Steel Pan
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 3 tablespoons (or) 38 gms peanuts
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1.5 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (split bengal gram)
- 1 green chilli chopped
- ¾ cup (or) 108 gms carrot finely chopped
- salt as required
- 2 cups (or) 357 gms cooked rice
- Handful coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Toast 3 tablespoons (or) 38 gms peanuts in a small pan over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes or until they release nutty aroma and turn dark colour. Keep stirring regularly.3 tablespoons (or) 38 gms peanuts
- Now add ½ tablespoon sesame seeds and toast for a minute and turn off the heat.½ tablespoon sesame seeds
- Allow it to cool down completely.
- Transfer them to a spice blender and pulse 2-3 times or until you get coarse powder. Keep it aside.
- Add 1.5 tablespoons butter to a skillet or pan. Let it melt over medium-low heat.1.5 tablespoons butter
- Now add ½ teaspoon cumin and saute for few seconds until it splutters.½ teaspoon cumin
- Add 1 teaspoon chana dal (split bengal gram) and saute for a minute until it release nutty aroma and starts to turn golden.1 teaspoon chana dal (split bengal gram)
- Stir in 1 green chilli and saute for few seconds.1 green chilli
- Now add ¾ cup (or) 108 gms carrot, salt and mix well. Increase the heat slightly and cook for 8-10 minutes or until carrots start to soften, sauteeing frequently.¾ cup (or) 108 gms carrot, salt
- Add 2 cups (or) 357 gms cooked rice, Handful coriander leaves, peanut-sesame seeds powder and toss until rice is well combined with carrots and spices.2 cups (or) 357 gms cooked rice, Handful coriander leaves
- Serve delicious and flavourful carrot rice as is or with any side dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
