Flavored Rice Recipes

Rice is the staple diet of majority of people in the world. At the same time, each of the world cuisines have their own variations of rice, each of them different than the other, yet very delicious. You can use flavored rice recipes whenever you are bored of eating plain rice. At the same time, pre-packed flavored rice is expensive and is also laden with preservatives. Flavored rice can be vegetarian (vegan, to be more precise) or non-vegetarian. Depending on the availability of flavored rice ingredients at home, you can decide to make the rice of your choice.

How to Cook Flavored Rice

When you are going to cook flavored rice, it is recommended you use regular long grained rice. There are some flavored rice recipes, especially from India, which use regular rice. Most of these recipes can be used as an entire meal or to compliment any meal.

Cumin Flavored Rice
We will now see how to make simple and tasty cumin rice.

Ingredients

• Long Grained Rice 1 cup
• Water 2 cups
• Carrots (diced) ½ cup
• Green Peas ½ cup
• Oil 2 teaspoons
• Clarified Butter 2 teaspoons
• Cinnamon 1 inch
• Cloves 4
• Green Cardamom 1
• Bay Leaves 2
• Black Cumin 1 teaspoon

Method

• Wash rice till water runs clean and soak it in 2 cups of water. It is always good to soak the rice for a minimum of 15 minutes before you cook it.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a medium pot with tight fighting lid.
• Add 2 teaspoons of clarified butter to the oil and heat it.
• Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves to the oil and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
• Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a couple of seconds.
• Before the cumin burns add carrots and green peas to the pot and mix well.
• Do not cook the carrots and peas too much, just about till they are well coated with oil.
• Add rice along with water to the pot, along with rice.
• Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat cover it and keep the rice on simmer for about 15 minutes.
• When the rice is cooking, it is recommended you do not peep into the rice.
• After 15 minutes mix all the ingredients with the rice, as they often tend to form the top most layer and the rice is ready to be served.

Chicken Flavored Rice
Although the name of this recipe is chicken flavored rice, you can just about any use any meat of your choice.

Ingredients

• Long Grain Rice 1½ cups
• Hot Water 1½ cups
• Butter 2 tablespoons
• Onions (chopped) ¼ cup
• Chicken Flavored Bouillon Granules 2 teaspoons
• Dried Whole Basil ¼ teaspoon
• Garlic Powder ¼ teaspoon
• Mushrooms (cut into pieces) 1 can
• Fresh Parsley 1 tablespoon
• Parmesan Cheese (grated) 1 tablespoon

Method

• In a casserole, combine rice, water, butter, onions, bouillon granules, basil and garlic powder.
• Cover the casserole with heavy duty wrap and microwave the rice for about 7 minutes on high.
• Now add mushrooms, stir well, cover and microwave again on high till the liquid is completely absorbed.
• Remove the rice from the microwave and let it stand for 2 to 4 minutes.
• Lastly add parsley, fluff rice with a fork and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and chicken flavored rice is ready to be savored.

Tomato Flavored Rice
This is a wonderful recipe, which you can make at the spur-of-the moment. It has a delicious blend of spices, which are cooked well in a rice cooker.

Ingredients

• White Rice 3 cups
• Olive Oil 2 tablespoons
• Distilled White Vinegar 2 tablespoons
• Dried Basil ½ teaspoon
• Dried Oregano ½ teaspoon
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Ground Black Pepper 1 pinch
• Diced Tomatoes (drained) 1 can
• Water 4½ cups

Method

• In a medium size pot heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add basil, oregano, salt, pepper to the oil and stir will fragrant.
• Then add the tomatoes and mix well.
• Distilled white vinegar, rice and water should be added now.
• Stir well for 2 to 3 minutes and transfer the rice to slow cooker or rice cooker.
• Let the rice cook as per the settings of the cooker's settings.
• Stir the rice and serve warm.

You can also try different combination and come up with your own recipes to make flavored rice. I have normally not gone way too wrong when I have experimented. I hope it is the same with you as well.