With just the right amount of spices, sweet carrots and fluffy rice, this carrot rice recipe is my friend Devi’s signature dish. Paired with yogurt raita and vegetables such as green beans, potato curry or cauliflower curry, this carrot rice makes a delicious lunch option.

Carrot Rice
recipe courtesy of Devi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati rice cooked and set aside
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 5-6 whole peppercorn
• 1 red chili for a little heat (optional)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp split black gram lentil (urad daal)
• 2 tsp chana daal (split chickpea lentils)
• 1/2 tsp asafetida powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
• Oil
• Curry leaves if you have
• Roasted peanuts (optional) for garnish
• Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

• Cook basmati rice according to package directions and set aside.
• In another nonstick pan heat 2 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds and urad daal and chana daal. Let the mustard seeds splutter (close the pan to prevent them from popping all over the counter). Once the mustard seeds stop popping add the curry leaves and the spices and toast in the oil for just a few seconds. Immediately add grated carrots and salt and cook until carrot becomes tender about 5 minutes.
• Once the carrots are tender add the cooked rice and mix into the carrots. Cover the pot and cook carrot rice for an additional 5 minutes. Turn the stove off.  Add juice of 1 lemon and mix into the rice.
• Carrot rice is ready.
• Garnish with roasted peanuts and fresh chopped cilantro.