This quick and easy curried rice recipe is huge on curry flavor, done in under 30 minutes, the perfect spicy and comforting side dish or main dish.
Are you looking for a quick and easy go-to recipe that can be served up as either a side dish or a main? This is the recipe you've been looking for.
We're cooking up easy Curried Rice, and you're going to love it.
Curried rice is a comforting dish that you can whip together with your pantry staples at a moment's notice.
Just grab the rice from the pantry, a few vegetables and seasonings and you're good to go.
It's an ideal side dish recipe that goes with just about anything, and it's nice and spicy for the spicy food lover in you. No more boring white rice!
And, it cooks up in 30 minutes or less with little effort, really just cooking down some vegetables and cooking the rice, which is nothing more than simmering.
I enjoy serving curried rice as a main dish, which you can easily do by adding in your favorite proteins. Just cook up some chicken or shrimp, toss it all together, and you've got yourself a great dinner rice stir fry.
Let's talk about how to make curried rice, shall we?
Curried Rice Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil. For cooking.
- Vegetables. Onion, bell pepper, carrot. I like to add in spicier peppers for my curried rice.
- Ginger-Garlic Paste.
- Seasonings. Yellow curry powder, ground coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, salt and black pepper. Also, garam masala to finish.
- Long Grain Rice. Use basmati rice or Thai jasmine rice.
- Water or Stock (or Broth). I prefer chicken broth or vegetable broth (or stocks) when making curried rice, as you'll get more flavor, but water is perfectly fine, as we're using a lot of spices.
- To Garnish. Red chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley, lemon.
How to Make Curried Rice - the Recipe Method
Cook the Vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat.
Add the onion, peppers and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the Seasonings. Add the garlic and ginger paste and seasonings (add curry powder, coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, salt and pepper). Stir to coat. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Simmer the Rice. Add the rice and stock and stir.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender to your preference. If the rice is not done enough, add a bit more water and stock and simmer longer.
Fluff and Garnish. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with garam masala, chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley, and serve.
Boom! Done! Your curried rice is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? Serve it as a flavorful side dish, or you can serve it as your main. I like to add chicken or shrimp for a fuller meal.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Rice. Long grain rice is best for curried rice. My favorites are basmati rice or Thai jasmine rice, which are fluffier and lighter, and don't clump together.
- The Vegetables. You can easily include other vegetables in your curried rice. Some favorites include green beans, peas, corn, tomato, and others. Use your favorites!
- Add Proteins. You can easily add in proteins to make this a fuller meal. I often love to serve mine with chicken, shrimp, or scallops, but consider pork, tofu, chickpeas, or others.
- Other Variations. Coconut milk is a great addition to make this a bit more of a Thai inspired version. You can also easily vary up the spices. Consider curry leaves for extra curry flavor. You can also easily make curried rice in your rice cooker.
Storage
Keep any leftover curried rice in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last up to 5 days this way.
To reheat, simply warm it gently in a pan with a tablespoon of water to keep it moist, or use your microwave.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this curried rice recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Other Curry Recipes
- Thai Panang Curry
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken Korma
- Chickpea Curry
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Vindaloo
- See all of my Curry Recipes
Try Some of My Other Rice Recipes
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Jollof Rice
- Arroz Verde (Green Rice)
- See all of my Spicy Rice Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Curried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped (use other hotter peppers if you'd like)
- 1 medium carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup long grain rice use basmati rice or Thai jasmine rice
- 2-1/2 cups vegetable stock or use chicken stock, or water
- 1 teaspoon garam masala or more to taste
- To Garnish. Red chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley, lemon.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat.
- Add the onion, peppers and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and seasonings (curry powder, coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, salt and pepper). Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and stock and stir. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender to your preference. If the rice is not done enough, add a bit more water and stock and simmer longer.
- Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with garam masala, chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley, and serve.
Nutrition Information
Eddie says
Thanks chef, tried this and really liked it.
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Eddie!
Chef Token says
the curried rice was nice i tried the rice my guest really loved it
Mike Hultquist says
Wonderful! Thanks, Chef!
Marisa says
This was super delicious and so easy to make!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Marisa!
Louise says
Wow this was sensational. Best rice I’ve had
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Louise! Thanks!
Jill says
Rice is good, different. I would and should have added some mango at the end. Thanks for sharing.
Mike Hultquist says
Mango would be great! Or maybe a bit of pineapple. YUM.
Alan Smith says
Just made this tonight! Absolute winner!
I added some sliced up Cumberland pork sausages for our protein! I just par-cooked them before slicing and tossing them in some curry powder and browning them off. Then removed them from the pan before adding the veggies. Then added them back in with the rice and stock!
So good and very easy to make!
Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Mike H. says
I really appreciate it, Alan. =) Enjoy it!
Gillian says
I like the recipe except I will replace the carrots and add green peas and then sprinkle fresh cilantro..nice garam masala the curry powder etc plus the other spices are enough
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Andy says
Mike, do you think this would be able to be dehydrated for use as a camping meal?
Mike Hultquist says
Andy, absolutely, yes. The only issue might be the oil from the cooking, but I think that should be fine. Dehydrate, then simply rehydrate with hot water and should be good to go. I wrote a lot about this in my Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Barbara says
I love curry in any way, shape or form. This affair began over 60 years ago when I tried Graham Kerrs' recipe for Beef Vindaloo. The recipe stated that if you spilled some of the curry powder on the floor the bes thing to do was move! I KNOW this will be a wonderful recipe starting out with tonight's dinner menu! Thanks, Mike!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! I love to hear it, Barbara. Great story! Thanks for sharing. =)