Mixed vegetable ginger & turmeric rice

Mixed vegetable ginger & turmeric rice has a lively combination of sweet, salty, tangy, and bright. With a wealth of vegetables, this yellow rice is a well balanced one-pan-meal. Or it can be a produce-packed side dish to your favorite Indian curry.

Whether you want an easy weeknight meal, a satisfying side dish, or something new for your packed lunch, look no further than today’s recipe. Mixed vegetable ginger & turmeric rice ticks all of the boxes.

Lightly fried rice is packed with cauliflower, carrots, red bell pepper, and onions. It’s seasoned with the flavors of garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Finally, it’s finished with lime juice, cilantro, and a handful of cashews.

There’s so much flavor in every forkful.

Cold rice is best

Cold cooked rice is best for fried rice, because it’s less prone to clumping or mushiness. With freshly made rice, it’s harder to get the right texture and even dispersement of spices, oil, and vegetables.

If you have frozen rice in the freezer, I recommend popping it into the refrigerator to thaw before making this dish.

However, if you’re in a pinch, you can use it straight from frozen into the pan.

Something to keep in mind, though, is that frozen rice has very defined grains. So when you’re measuring it, it’s not going to flatten into the measuring cups in the same way as thawed rice. So you’ll likely need a little more rice than what’s listed if you’re using it straight from frozen.

How to make ginger & turmeric rice stir-fry

Here are the ingredients you will need.

• Sauté cauliflower & carrots in a large skillet with oil.
• Add onions and bell pepper. Then throw in fresh or frozen peas.

• Push vegetables to one side of the pan, and add more oil. In that spot of oil, sauté minced garlic & zested ginger. (I recommend using a Microplane zester for the ginger.)
• Incorporate the garlic & ginger with the vegetables. Then add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and a dash of cayenne.

• Add cold cooked brown rice & lime juice.
• Stir in raisins, chopped cilantro, and salt.
• Finish with a handful of roasted cashews or peanuts.

Make it your own

You can easily leave out any spices or vegetables you don’t like or don’t have. Or swap out any of the vegetables with whatever is in your crisper. Simply replace with equal amounts of your preferred veg.

If the produce is on the hardier side, cook it earlier in the process – at the same time as the cauliflower and carrot. If the produce is on the lighter side – cook it later, at the same time as the onions and bell pepper.

• Instead of cauliflower, use broccoli or sliced Brussels sprouts.
• Instead of onions, use leeks or shallots.
• Instead of carrots, use sweet potato or green beans.
• In place of English peas, use sugar snap peas or chopped asparagus.
• Instead of bell pepper, use zucchini.
• For more turmeric flavor, you can easily double the amount.
• In place of lime juice, use lemon.
• Raisins can be replaced with dried cranberries or omitted.
• Instead of cilantro, use parsley.

What to serve with it

This rice stir-fry can be a one-pan meal all on its own. Or you can fill it out with any of the following:

• Samosas & apple chutney
• Curry lentil soup
• Masala lentils
• Chana masala

How to store & reheat leftovers

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 to 5 days.

To reheat in a pan, add a little oil to a skillet, and bring it to a medium heat. Cook the fried rice for 5 to 10 minutes, until evenly heated. If necessary, add a splash of water or vegetable broth if it seems dried out. A squeeze of lime juice will also bring it back to life.

To reheat in the microwave, add a splash of water or vegetable broth, and stir before reheating. That way the rice won’t get too dried out as you’re reheating it. Then heat until warm.

Mixed vegetable ginger & turmeric rice

Loaded with vegetables & packed with flavor, this hearty one-pan-meal can be a main course or side dish. The raisins dotting the top give it an edge of sweetness, while cashews or peanuts give it salty crunch. Bonus: It's a great way to use leftover rice in the refrigerator!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian, Vegan

Keyword: easy side dish, vegetable fried rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons organic canola oil divided
• ▢ 1 cup cauliflower broken or chopped in small to medium florets
• ▢ 1 medium carrot chopped in small to medium pieces
• ▢ ½ cup yellow onion chopped in medium pieces
• ▢ ½ cup bell pepper red, yellow, or orange, chopped in medium pieces
• ▢ ½ cup peas fresh or frozen
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ Dash cayenne optional
• ▢ 2 cups cooked brown rice cold from the refrigerator
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• ▢ ¼ cup raisins
• ▢ ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves roughly chopped
• ▢ Generous pinch salt or to taste
• ▢ Handful roasted cashews or peanuts

Instructions

• ▢
  Bring a large skillet to a medium heat with a teaspoon of organic canola oil (or your preferred high heat oil).
• ▢
  Add cauliflower and carrots to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower and carrots have softened & browned but still have bite.
• ▢
  Add onion and bell pepper to the pan. Sauté for a couple of minutes, until fragrant and slightly translucent. Then add peas and cook for about a minute more.

  (If the pan starts to get too hot, lower the heat. Add more oil, if necessary.)
• ▢
  Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. In the empty area, add the remaining ½ teaspoon organic canola oil. In that small spot, sauté garlic and ginger for a minute or so, until fragrant. Then incorporate them with the other vegetables.
• ▢
  Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and a dash of cayenne, if using. Incorporate the spices with the vegetables, and allow everything to cook for a couple of minutes.
• ▢
  Add the cooked brown rice to the pan along with lime juice. Fully combine the rice and vegetables.

  (If the spices are sticking to the bottom of the pan or not incorporating fully, add one or two Tablespoons of water.)
• ▢
  Stir in raisins, cilantro, and a generous pinch of salt, making sure everything is evenly incorporated. Finish with a handful of roasted cashews or peanuts. Taste for salt, and add more if needed.

Notes

Feel free to replace any of the listed vegetables with whatever is in your crisper drawer. Just use about an equal amount of whatever you are replacing. If it's a sturdy vegetable, cook it early in the same time slot as the carrots and cauliflower. If it's less sturdy, cook it at the same time as the onions and bell pepper.

To keep the rice from clumping, it's best to use cold rice from the refrigerator. 

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3337IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Content, recipe, and photos updated January 11, 2021. Originally posted March 2, 2010.