Flavored Rice Recipes

Rice is the staple diet for a lot of people all across the world. At the same time, each of the world cuisines have their own variations of this dish. You can use these recipes whenever you are bored of eating plain rice or bread. At the same time, pre-packed flavored rice is expensive and is also laden with preservatives.

It can be vegetarian (vegan, to be more precise) or non-vegetarian. Depending on the availability of the ingredients at home, you can decide to make the dish as per your preference.

When you are going to cook this dish, it is recommended that you use regular long grained rice. There are some recipes, especially from India, which use regular grains. Most of these recipes can be used as an entire meal or as an accompaniment for any meal.

Ingredients

• Long Grained Rice, 1 cup
• Water, 2 cups
• Carrots, (diced) ½ cup
• Green Peas, ½ cup
• Oil, 2 tsp.
• Clarified Butter, 2 tsp.
• Cinnamon, 1
• Cloves, 4
• Green Cardamom, 1
• Bay Leaves, 2
• Black Cumin, 1 tsp.

Method

• Wash the rice till water runs clean. Soak it in 2 cups of water for minimum 15 minutes before cooking.
• Heat 2 tsp. oil in a medium pot with a tight fitting lid.
• Add 2 tsp. of clarified butter to the oil and heat it.

• Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaves to the oil and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
• Then, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a couple of seconds.

• Before the cumin burns, add carrots and green peas to the pot and mix well.
• Do not cook the carrots and peas too much. Cook till they get well coated with oil.
• Add rice along with water to the pot.
• Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover it. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

• Do not take off the lid for 15 minutes and let it steam well.
• After 15 minutes mix all the ingredients with the rice, as they often tend to form the top most layer. The dish is now ready to be served. You can dot it with butter in order to increase the flavor and aroma.

Although we are using chicken in this recipe, you can prepare it with any meat of your choice.

Ingredients

• Long Grain Rice, 1½ cups
• Hot Water, 1½ cups
• Butter, 2 tbsp
• Onions, (chopped) ¼ cup
• Chicken Flavored Bouillon Granules, 2 tsp.
• Dried Whole Basil, ¼ tsp.
• Garlic Powder, ¼ tsp.
• Mushrooms, (cut into pieces) 1 can
• Fresh Parsley, 1 tbsp.
• Parmesan Cheese, (grated) 1 tbsp.

Method

• In a casserole, combine rice, water, butter, onions, chicken flavored bouillon granules, basil, and garlic powder.
• Cover the casserole properly with a heavy wrap and microwave the dish for about 7 minutes, on a high temperature.

• Add mushrooms and stir well. Cover the casserole and heat it in the microwave again on a high temperature, till the liquid gets completely absorbed.
• Remove the dish from the microwave and let it rest for 2 to 4 minutes.
• Add parsley, fluff rice with a fork, and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over it. Your dish is ready to be savored.

This recipe has a delicious blend of spices, which are cooked well in a cooker.

Ingredients

• White Rice, 3 cups
• Olive Oil, 2 tbsp.
• Distilled White Vinegar, 2 tbsp.
• Dried Basil, ½ tsp.
• Dried Oregano, ½ tsp.
• Salt, 1 tsp.
• Ground Black Pepper, 1 pinch
• Diced Tomatoes, (drained) 1 can
• Water, 4½ cups

Method

• In a medium size pot heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to the oil and keep on stirring it gently.
• Add the tomatoes and mix well.

• Distilled white vinegar, rice, and water should be added now.
• Stir well for 2 to 3 minutes and transfer the rice to a cooker.
• Let it cook as per the cooker's settings.
• Stir the rice and serve warm.

You can also try different combinations and come up with your own recipes to prepare this dish. You can experiment with ingredients like assorted dry fruits, fried onions, saffron, etc. Each of this will lend a different flavor to the dish and will definitely enhance your meal experience.