Carrot Rice
This carrot rice is seasoned with warming spices and sautéed onions and then tossed with currants and cashews for a flavor sensation.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado or sunflower oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 10 ounces shredded carrots 3 medium carrots
- 2 tablespoons minced or finely grated ginger 1 thumb-sized piece
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Pinch ground clove optional
- 1 star anise pod
- 2-4 fresh or dried bay leaves
- 1-2 hot chilies or big pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 2 cups white basmati rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Add ins
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup dried currants or raisins
- 1 large juicy lime cut into wedges
- 1 very large handful cilantro chives, or basil, roughly chopped (optional)
- Flaky salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.
- Sauté the aromatics: Place a large, oven-safe dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onions, carrots, and ginger. Mix well and cook for 8 minutes, until juicy stirring every so often. Then add the salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, clove (if using), star anise, bay leaves, chilies (or red pepper flakes) and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, mixing often, until fragrant.
- Rinse and add the rice: Rinse the rice thoroughly using a fine-mesh strainer. (The water should run close to clear but not completely.) Transfer the rice to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and mix well. Toast the rice with the aromatics for an additional 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Then add the water and rice vinegar. Stir well. Cover with lid (or foil) and transfer to the oven.
- Bake the rice: Bake the rice for 30 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might need to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the rice is tender and fully cooked. (While the rice bakes, you can toast the cashews and gather the other garnishes.)
- Toast the cashews: While the rice is baking, add the cashews to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dry toast for 5-6 minutes, tossing every so often, until fragrant and golden. Transfer the toasted cashews to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes, then roughly chop (or you can leave whole, if desired).
- Fluff and transfer the rice: When the rice is done baking, remove from the oven and fluff with a fork. Remove the bay leaves and star anise pod. Add the currants and give it a good stir. Crack the lid over top and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the rice to a large serving platter or shallow bowl.
- Garnish and serve: Shower the rice with the toasted cashews and cilantro. Then squeeze over the lime juice and serve. Sprinkle over some flaky salt if you got it!
Notes
For the carrots, use the medium-sized holes on a box grater to achieve the texture you'll need for this dish.
If you have a cashew allergy, you can use toasted sunflower seeds or almonds.
This dish keeps well in the fridge. To re-heat, simply stir-fry it with a splash of water until thoroughly warmed.
Nutrition
Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 657mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 8032IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg