Carrot Rice

Carrot Rice is a healthy meal made by tempering carrot along with spices and then mixing them with cooked rice. Carrot Rice also called as carrot sadam is an easy & healthy recipe and a lunch box menu for school and office goers. How to make Carrot Rice is posted in this recipe with step by step pictures and video.

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Carrot Rice is one of the best lunchbox for kids and elders as well. Carrot Rice Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

About Carrot Rice

Carrot Rice is a modern day new age dish made commonly for lunch box and on dull boring days to make us pepped up!
I remember eating Carrot Rice  as a school going kid…..It was one of the regular variety rice amma packs for lunchbox….And I would happily exchange my lunch box with my best friend(as she loves variety rice) this happens whenever there was any variety rice in my lunchbox but now the situation is totally reverse I can have variety rice even daily, it is sure better than the usual meal combo with sambar and rasam.Carrot Rice is best for kids lunch box so do try this healthy colorful rice for your kids.One of the best things I love about carrot rice is the crunch of the carrots and nuts.Amma adds cashews but I wanted to try a variation so added peanuts.One of the herculean task is packing lunch box for kids,am sure all mothers would agree to it….Though I haven’t faced it till now am sure I would have to scratch my head next year to pack for my picky eater.

Carrot Rice – A challenge:

My hubby classifies carrot as a fruit rather than a vegetable. He would argue it tastes better to eat raw just like any other fruit rather than to cook it as a curry and eat. He quotes that like pineapple, carrot is used for making sweets like Gajar ka halwa / Carrot Halwa, Carrot Kheer. He is a fruitarian and consumes raw carrot more than carrot curry. Though I agree to his view a bit, I wished to challenge and prove my hubby that Carrot is a vegetable and cooked version could also be great. I was fortunate that he was not used to Carrot rice at his home before marriage. I cooked him this recipe – Carrot rice – he was awed and agreed that Carrot is too good a vegetable too. My happiness was no bounds!

Carrot Rice – Kids favourite rice

The mild sweetness of carrot along with the flavour of spices is kids tongue friendly making this rice a kids favourite one. I add ghee instead of oil when I prepare Carrot rice exclusively for kids.
Carrot Rice – When can we make?
• Lunch Box menu
• Baby shower function when we cook 5 / 7 / 9+ varieties of Variety rices traditionally
• Monday Blues – Quick recipe in lazy times
• Kids get-together & sleepover days
• Picnic / Train / Car trip menu
• Left over rice / carrots / carrot juice

Carrot Rice goes well with any vegetable fry, papad, vadagam, and raitha. Usually I make fry – Potato fry as side dish for lunch box and raitha when I prepare it in home. Full boil & Omlette is a nice side dish for Carrot Rice.

Carrot Rice & Carrot Juice – My mom prepares Carrot juice once in a fortnight and uses the leftover squeezed carrots along with couple of fresh carrots for this recipe. So it is Carrot Juice, Carrot rice and Carrot & onion raitha as menu at home sometimes.

Methods to make Carrot Rice

• Pan Method: Carrot Rice is made by tempering spices with grated or finely chopped carrot and then mixing them with cooked rice. using pan is the recommended / preferred method as Carrot Rice by this method is tastier and delicious. I have posted step by step pictures along with video of this Method 1 – using pan in this recipe.
• Pressure Cook Method: Carrot Rice can also be made by pressure cooked method by cooking grated carrots, spices and onions along with pressure cooker and saute them in a pan for 2 minutes.
• Instant pot method : First cook the rice in rice mode with water ratio according to your rice variety. I use 1:3 cups water. Spread cooked rice in a plate to cool down meanwhile temper and saute the ingredients finally add cooked rice and toss well.

Carrot Rice Ingredients

• Carrot : Fresh grated carrot is recommended for this recipe. Carrot can also be finely chopped and used if you are not comfortable with grating. I use small quantities of left over cabbage (cabagges are big and forcefuly exhausted by adding in these kind of recipes ), peas as addons to this recipe to break the mom.
• Rice : Both Raw and Boiled rice are very good for making Carrot Rice. I used Ponni Boiled Rajabhogam rice for this recipe. We can use Basmati rice also for making more fluffier and flavourful Carrot Rice. I made with Basmati rice and it gave a Pulao feel!
• Oil / Ghee : Use refined oil available at stores. For a healthier option, you can use ground sesame / groundnut oil. When I make Carrot Rice exclusively for kids, I replace oil with ghee.

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How to make Carrot Rice

1.Cook rice and spread it on a plate to make it grains seperated, alternatively you can use leftover rice too. Heat oil in a pan – add peanuts.

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2.Fry until golden then set aside.Pin

3.Set aside.In the same pan – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ let it crackle
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4.Then onion with ginger garlic paste, saute till it turns slightly browned.Pin

5.Then add freshly grated carrot saute for a while till it shrinks and raw smell leaves.Pin

6.Then add required salt along with red chilli amd garam masala powders.Pin

7.Saute till the masalas nicely blends with the veggie.Then add peanuts, rice and mix well.Pin

8.Finally add cooked rice. Pin

9.Mix well, cook in low flame for 3 mins, sprinkle coriander leaves and switch off.Pin

Serve it warm with papad / chips.
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Expert Tips

• You can use ghee if you are making this for kids.
• You can skip whole spices and just temper jeera. And replace garam masala powder with sambar powder.
• Instead of peanuts, you can even add ghee fried cashews.
• You can even use leftover rice for this recipe.

FAQs

1. What is Carrot Rice?

Carrot rice is a healthy meal made by tempering carrot along with spices and then mixing them with cooked rice.

2. How to make Carrot Rice?

a. Cook rice and spread it on a plate to make it grains separated
b. Heat oil in a pan – add peanuts and fry till nicely browned, set aside.
c. In the same pan – temper spices, curry leaves let it crackle then add onion with ginger garlic paste, saute till it turns slightly browned.
d. The add freshly grated carrot and sauté till it raw smell leaves. Then add required salt along with red chilli and garam masala powders.
e. Saute till the masalas nicely blends with the veggie. Then add peanuts, rice and mix well. Cook on low flame for 3mins, sprinkle coriander leaves and switch off.
f. Serve it warm with papad / chips.

3. Can I add cashews to the Carrot Rice?

Yes – we can add roasted cashews along with peanuts to give a more crunchy flavour.

4. Can we use Basmati rice instead of raw / boiled rice?

Yes basmati rice could also be used and it blends well with carrot!

5. Can I use left over rice for making Carrot Rice?

Yes – we can use left over rice /carrots for making carrot rice. It will be equally good. My mom uses the crushed caarrots left out after making carrot juice along with 2 fresh carrots to make this rice.

Storing and Serving Suggestions

• Carrot rice is a good lunch menu at home and as well for lunch box. It could be made early in the morning and it would be good till late afternoon. Refrigeration is not needed.
• The rice tends to give a greasy feel when consumed after say 3pm when you pack it for lunch after cooking it around 6 or 7 am in the morning.
• When served along with other variety rice, 2 ladles of carrot rice serving is apt for the meal. Papad, vadagam, Full boil egg / omlette and vegetable fry are good side dish for Carrot rice.

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