Curry rice is an easy side dish that's both delicious and nutritious. The sauteed veggies, rice, peas, and curry powder blend perfectly to create a dish that will please the whole family!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Curry Rice Recipe
- Flavorful- Curry rice is a tasty and aromatic dish loved by many for its carefully blended spices and exotic taste.
- 30-Minute Recipe- Enjoy curry rice in just 30 minutes from start to finish!
- Filling- This dish contains a good balance of carbohydrates, vegetables, and proteins, which makes it filling and satisfying. Plus, the addition of spices makes it even more delicious!
What Is Curry?
Curry is a delectable and aromatic dish that traces its roots to South Asia. It typically consists of a harmonious blend of spices, vegetables, and proteins cooked to perfection in a savory sauce or gravy. This dish is incredibly versatile and can vary in flavor and ingredients depending on the region and specific recipe. Whether you prefer it mild or spicy, vegetarian or meat-based, there is a curry recipe out there that will tantalize your taste buds.
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large Pan With Lid
- Stirring Spoon
- Vegetable Grater
- Rice Cooker or Instant Pot (Optional)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- Olive Oil- Used to sautee the onion and garlic.
- Onion- Adds a bit of crunch and flavor.
- Garlic Cloves- Enhances the flavors of the curry rice.
- Salt- Balances out all of the ingredients.
- Cayenne Pepper- Gives the rice a spicy flavor.
- Paprika- Adds a hint of heat.
- Ground Ginger- Enhances the taste of the curry powder.
- Curry Powder- Essential to create the unique curry flavor.
- Frozen Peas- Gives the curry rice more texture and a hint of sweetness.
- Carrots- Adds flavor, nutrition, and a pop of color.
- Long-Grain Rice- The base of the dish.
- Vegetable Stock- Used to cook the rice and infuse it with flavor. You can also use vegetable broth.
How To Make Curry Rice
To make this recipe, start peeling and finely chopping an onion and garlic. Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, ginger, and curry powder. Mix everything well and cook for 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, grate some carrots and add them to the pan along with some frozen peas.
Mix everything well and cook for another 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly. Then, add some rice and pour in some stock. Mix everything well again and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
Once done, transfer the dish to serving plates and optionally top with lime juice, lemon juice, finely chopped cashews, or fresh cilantro. Garnish with some lime wedges, and enjoy!
Watch Me Make This Curry Rice Recipe
Popular Substitutions And Additions
- You can pre-steam some red potatoes or sweet potatoes, then add the chopped pieces to the dish before it's final heating.
- Any faux meat, such as plant-based chicken, meatless protein, or homemade seitan, would be excellent. Cut plant-based protein into smaller pieces before adding to the dish, making a great main meal.
- Add a splash of coconut milk or any dairy-free milk at the end and heat through for a creamier dish.
- Use your favorite long-grain cooked rice. Brown rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, or long-grain white rice are excellent options.
- Substitute coconut oil in place of olive oil.
Can I Freeze Vegan Rice?
Yes, you can freeze curry rice! Allow the dish to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer bag. Label the container with the date and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw the dish in the fridge overnight and then warm it up in a pan on the stove or the microwave.
Easy Curry Rice FAQs
Can I add other vegetables to this curry rice recipe?
Absolutely! You can customize your vegan rice recipe by adding your favorite vegetables, such as corn, bok choy, any color bell pepper, mushrooms, or green beans. Just chop them into bite-sized pieces and add them to the dish during cooking.
Is curry rice spicy?
The level of spiciness in curry rice can vary depending on the amount of cayenne pepper used and the spice level in the curry powder. If you find the spiciness too much for your taste, try reducing the cayenne pepper or adding a splash of dairy-free milk or soy sauce to balance it. Remember to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed to achieve your desired level of spiciness.
What is a good homemade curry powder recipe?
My favorite curry powder recipe is cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, mustard seeds, and black pepper. I usually use 2 tablespoons of cumin, 2 tablespoons of coriander, 1 tablespoon of turmeric, 1 tablespoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Still, you can add extra spices to your liking. Mix all the spices in a bowl or jar, and you'll have a fragrant and flavorful curry powder that you can use in various dishes.
How to Store Curry Rice
Refrigerating. Place any leftover cooked rice in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Oftentimes I find that rice dishes like this taste even better after refrigeration as it gives all of the yummy flavors a chance to come together.
Freezing. This vegan curry rice freezes surprisingly well, just let it cool completely before packing it into an airtight container. You can use tupperware, but personally, I like freezing this rice in zip-top freezer bags as you can flatten them so they take up less space! Once frozen, the rice will be good for up to 3 months.
Thawing/Reheating. If frozen, defrost your curry rice in the fridge the night before you plan to use it. When you’re ready to reheat your rice, place it in a pot over medium heat and add a splash of vegetable broth or water to create some steam as this will help the rice and vegetables to soften up again. You can also reheat this one in the microwave–it shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes, just make sure to give it a stir every 30 seconds or so to ensure that it reheats evenly.
More Easy Rice Side Dishes
- Vegan Spanish Rice and Beans is a nice change-up and very delicious.
- You can use an air fryer or not for this Sticky Mushroom Rice recipe.
- Acadian Black Beans and Rice is one of my most popular rice recipes.
- Another simple dish is for the crockpot: Healthy Slow Cooker Mushrooms and Rice.
π Recipe
Easy Vegan Curry Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ΒΎ tsp salt
- ΒΎ tsp cayenne pepper
- ΒΌ tsp paprika
- Β½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 Β½ cup frozen peas
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, ginger, and curry powder.
- Mix all well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Grate the carrots. Add the peas and carrots to the pan and mix well.
- Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the rice and pour in the stock.
- Mix well again and cover. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
- When done, transfer to serving plates.
- Optionally, top with finely chopped cashews or cilantro and garnish with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage
- Refrigerate leftover vegan curry rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze any leftover curry rice in an airtight container–or a zip-top freezer bag–for up to 3 months. Be sure to let it cool off before freezing.
- Thaw frozen curry rice in the fridge overnight. Reheat your leftovers in a pot over medium heat with a splash of vegetable stock or water to help loosen and soften the rice and veggies. Or, reheat leftovers in the microwave until hot, stirring every 30 seconds or so to encourage even heating.
Peter @Feed Your Soul Too
Looks really light and flavorful
Ginny McMeans
Thanks Peter and it is! π
Lea
Thought this might be a nice light base for a summer salad... what do you think? Add some peas? What else would you suggest?
Ginny McMeans
Excellent comment Lea! Yes, it would be wonderful. You could add fresh peas if you can find them or sugar snap peas. Small chopped pieces of red bell pepper would be a nice addition too. I would toss with a Italian dressing or an oil and vinegar mix.
Anonymous
eat in romaine wraps mmm
Ginny McMeans
What a great idea! I will do this !
nancy
YUM!!!!
Donna Hill
Another technique for cooking seasoned white rice (or any 20 minute rice) with vegetables is saute vegetables like onions, peppers, mushrooms with the seasoning on medium high heat for a few minutes until onions are translucent, stirring frequently so not to burn. Add the dry rice and continue to saute a couple more minutes, stirring constantly, until rice changes color slightly. Add liquid, bring to boil, cover, set heat to low and cook 20 minutes. I add veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower at the same time as the water. Greens like spinach can be added to the top of the pot after the liquid boils, just before covering with the lid. Using coconut milk or low sodium vegetable or no-chicken broth for liquid adds flavor. I like cooking everything together in one pot. P.S. I love your website. I'm new to vegan. You have so many good recipes that seem easy to make and practical.
Ginny McMeans
Yes, that's right Donna and thanks so much for taking your time to type this out for us. I make it the old fashioned way too sometimes. It is so good! Adding veggies makes it a meal for me and I love it. I am so glad you are here and thanks for your kind words.
Ainoa
The quantity of salt reffers to 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon?? Love the recipe!
Ginny McMeans
Yes Ainoa! Thank you!
Ainoa
Ok! π And what if I use long brown rice instead of the white one? Would the recipe ingredients' measures change?
Ginny McMeans
Everything would remain the same Ainoa! That should taste good too.
Siena
Such a pretty color. It was a nice surprise on our dinner plates and everybody ate it all up. Nice change for a side and thanks!
Joshua Howard
Yummy Yum Yum!!! This rice was fabulous! Thank you for this recipe!
Ginny McMeans
Fabulous Joshua! Thank you!
Suzanne
The combination of ingredients is quite nice and is very flavorful. Thank you for the recipe. It was too salty for us with the regular vegetable broth so I will just adjust it when I make this in the future. Or, I'll use low sodium vegetable broth.