Carrot and Coriander Pilaf

AmandaInOz's Note:

From the September 20, 2005 Sydney Morning Herald. Serve with lentils and warm naan or roti bread, or with grilled fish or chicken.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 250 g carrots, grated
• 250 g basmati rice, rinsed
• 500 ml water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a lidded saucepan and cook the onion until soft.
2. Add the coriander, cumin and mustard seeds, ground coriander and turmeric and cook for 1 minute, then add the carrot, stirring well.
3. Add the rice, water and salt and bring to the boil, stirring. Cover tightly and simmer very gently, undisturbed, for 15 minutes.
4. Take from the heat for a further 5 mins, covered, then fluff up with two forks.
5. Serve with lemon quarters and fresh coriander.

Reviews

[dianegrapegrower]

Nice rice recipe. No outstanding flavors, but a pleasant sweetness, and gorgeous color. As other reviewers have stated, would be great for a buffet menu.

[VegSocialWorker]

Loved it! The flavoring is perfect: it's distinct yet mellow enough to serve under a spicy dish. The color is beautiful. I used a long grain brown rice, which was a little undercooked. Next time I will add a bit more water and cook longer so that the brown rice will work better. Thanks for posting. Made for the Dec 08 veggie swap.

[Karen Elizabeth]

We really enjoyed this..in fact, I'm still enjoying it, for my lunch! Everything cooked perfectly according to recipe, which I was pleased about, I like being able to put the lid on and leave it to its own devices, I found the texture of rice and carrot excellent, light and fluffy but still moist, and I found the flavour good, especially when teaming it with a flavourful curry, when the dishes need to complement each other. I did use sesame oil, perhaps that added a little zing too! Thanks for a great recipe, Amanda!