Curry leaves masala rice - nutritious south Indian dish made with fresh curry leaves, spices, lentils, tamarind and leftover rice. It is a vegan and gluten free dish that makes a wholesome meal on weekdays.
Jump to:
Prepare it with freshly cooked rice if you plan to pack it in a lunchbox. This dish is great to include in a weekly meal plan.
To save time on hectic days, prepare the masala paste a couple of days ahead. Whenever you plan to cook just toss the cooked rice with freshly made tadka and premade masala paste which takes around ten minutes.
Why we love this masala rice?
Great way to repurpose leftover rice
Easy to prepare with basic ingredients
Ingredients
- Spices For Masala Powder: Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorn, salt and fresh curry leaves.
- Spices and Lentils for Tadka: Mustard, cumin, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chilli and curry leaves.
- Pantry Ingredients and vegetables: Peanuts, jaggery, tamarind pulp, oil and green chillies. I used roasted peanuts that I already had but you can use raw peanuts.
- Rice: I used cooked sona masoori rice but you could any white or brown rice that you often use at home.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Place a pan on the stove top.
Step 2: Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns and roast over medium heat for around 2 minutes until fragrant stirring regularly.
Step 3: Now add dried red chillies and roast for a minute until chillies release pungent aroma.
Step 4: Next, add curry leaves and roast for a minute and then switch the heat off and let it cool completely.
Step 5: Transfer the roast spices and curry leaves to the mixer jar or spice jar and grind it to a powder.
Step 6: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
Step 7: Once oil is hot, fry green chillies. Add ground masala, tamarind pulp and cook for 3-4 minutes until the raw aroma vanishes.
Step 8: Heat leftover rice in a microwave until warm and place it in a wide bowl.
Step 9: Combine cooked masala with rice. Mix well with a spoon until rice is well coated with masala.
Step 10: Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
Step 11: Once oil is hot, add mustard, cumin and let them splutter. Then add urad dal, chana dal and fry until they turn golden. Finally, stir in red chilli and curry leaves and switch the heat off.
Step 12: Add tadka, roasted peanuts to the masala rice and mix well with spoon until well combined.
Enjoy delicious and nutritious curry leaves masala rice with any side dish of your choice.
Substitutions and Variations
Other Grains: Instead of rice, you can use quinoa, millets or couscous for a low-carb option. Check out how to cook millets in instant pot on the blog.
Nuts: Add cashews for extra crunch and taste. Fry them in oil along with urad dal and chana dal.
Rice: I used leftover sona masoori rice but you could use any cooked white rice.
Storage
If using leftover rice, finish it off on the same day. However, if you prepare it using freshly cooked rice, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Place the required portion in a microwave safe bowl and heat it until piping hot. Take the bowl out of the microwave at regular intervals and stir with a spoon.
Tips and Tricks
Use day-old rice: Leftover rice tends to be drier and less sticky than freshly cooked rice, making it ideal for this recipe.
Freshly Cooked Rice: If you plan to pack it in a lunchbox, make it with freshly cooked rice.
Cool Rice: If you are using freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a large plate or baking sheet and let it cool completely. Then combine cooled rice with the cooked curry leaves masala and tadka.
Reheat: Ensure to reheat the rice until warm before combining it with masala. Alternatively, toss rice with masala in the pan and continue to cook until rice is heated through.
Peanuts: I used roasted peanuts that I had on hand. Fry raw peanuts in oil with urad and chana dal if using them.
Related
Looking for other recipes with leftover rice? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with curry leaves masala rice:
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you try this curry leaf masala 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?
📖 Recipe Card
Curry Leaves Masala Rice with Leftover Rice
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 500 gms (or) 3 Cups Cooked Rice
For Masala Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ¼ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- ⅓ Teaspoon Black Peppercorn adjust to suit your spice level
- 2 Dry Red Chillies adjust to suit your spice level
- ½ Cup (or) 15-20 sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves remove leaves from the stem and wash
For Masala Paste
- ½ Teaspoon Oil
- 2 Green Chillies wash and slit each into half lengthwise
- 3 Teaspoons Tamarind Pulp
- small piece Jaggery
- Salt as required
For Tadka
- ½ Teaspoon Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 Teaspoon Chana Dal
- 1 Red Chilli break into 2-3 pieces
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves remove leaves from the stem and wash
Instructions
- Place a pan on the stove top.
- Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns and roast over medium heat for around 2 minutes until fragrant stirring regularly.1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds, 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds, ¼ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds, ⅓ Teaspoon Black Peppercorn
- Now add dried red chillies and roast for a minute until chillies release pungent aroma.2 Dry Red Chillies
- Next, add curry leaves and roast for a minute and then switch the heat off and let it cool completely.½ Cup (or) 15-20 sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves
- Transfer the roast spices and curry leaves to the mixer jar or spice jar and grind it to a powder.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.½ Teaspoon Oil
- Once oil is hot, fry green chillies. Add ground masala, tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and cook for 3-4 minutes until the raw aroma vanishes.2 Green Chillies, 3 Teaspoons Tamarind Pulp, Salt, small piece Jaggery
- Warm leftover rice in a microwave and place it in a wide bowl.500 gms (or) 3 Cups Cooked Rice
- Combine cooked masala with rice. Mix well with a spoon until rice is well coated with masala.
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.½ Teaspoon Oil
- Once oil is hot, add mustard, cumin and let them splutter. Then add urad dal, chana dal and fry until they turn golden. Finally, stir in red chilli and curry leaves and switch the heat off.½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds, ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds, 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal, 1 Teaspoon Chana Dal, 1 Red Chilli, 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- Add tadka, roasted peanuts to the masala rice and mix well with spoon until well combined.
- Enjoy delicious and nutritious curry leaves masala rice with any side dish of your choice.
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
Leave a Reply