Mixed vegetable ginger & turmeric rice

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.

In this post:

Oil: Avocado oil is my go-to, but any neutral flavored cooking oil will work here.

Veggies: Cauliflower, carrot, onion, bell pepper, peas & garlic.

Ginger: For the best flavor, freshly grate it with a Microplane zester.

Spices: Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne & salt.

Cooked brown rice: For best results, use it cold, straight from the refrigerator.

Lime juice: Freshly squeezed is best.

Raisins: They add a bit of sweetness.

Cilantro: Look for leaves that are bright green & not wilty.

Roasted cashews: They add crunch. Replace with peanuts, if you prefer.

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

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. 

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.

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.

This rice stir-fry can be a one-pan meal all on its own.

Store leftovers in an airtight 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.

📖 Recipe

Mixed vegetable ginger & turmeric rice

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 8 votes

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!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian, Vegan

Keyword: easy side dish, vegetable fried rice

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons avocado 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 of 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 of salt or to taste
• ▢ Handful of roasted cashews or peanuts

Instructions

• ▢
  Bring a large skillet to a medium heat with a teaspoon of avocado 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 avocado 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. 

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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

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