My Carrot Rice is super simple, super easy and of course – super delicious. My niece absolutely loves this dish and it is literally demanded every time she visits. But whenever I get a special request, especially from a picky eating toddler – I oblige, gladly.

Carrots are both healthy and nutritious -- they are chock full of Vitamin A, antioxidants and dietary fiber. Sometimes they are so sweet and almost even juicy, it’s hard to believe that they are vegetables! This is a great way to use up leftover rice and add an extra serving (or two) of vegetables into your family’s diet. You can serve this dish as part of any meal or even as a snack.


CARROT RICE WITH PEANUTS

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked Basmati rice
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup carrot, peeled and finely grated
3-4 small green Thai chilies, slit in half lengthwise (to taste)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
½ cup unsalted toasted peanuts
4-6 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of asafetida (hing)
½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup green peas (frozen is fine, thaw before use)
juice of ½ lime or lemon
2 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

METHOD:

This is a great way to use leftover rice, but if you don’t have any leftover rice you can always make the rice ahead of time and let it cool until needed.

In a large deep skillet or wok on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, very carefully add the mustard seeds and reduce the heat to medium. After the splattering has stopped, add the cumin seeds along with the asafetida, curry leaves and green chilies. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and then add the onions, ginger and peanuts. Sauté until the onions have browned slightly and then add the turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir fry for a few more minutes before adding the green peas & carrots. Stir and let cook for a few minutes and then add the cooked rice. Mix well to combine all the ingredients and then add the lemon juice. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables to the dish such as some diced red or green bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, corn kernels or you can even add some lightly fried paneer or cooked chickpeas.

Instead of peanuts, you could add cashews and also some raisins would be nice.