This Indian brown rice salad features coconut oil and turmeric, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory spice, making it both healthy and aromatic.
A wonderful aromatic salad that is super packable and will be ideal for picnics, potlucks and perfect for your lunchbox. A great make-ahead salad for when you are entertaining large crowds as it can be put together the day before.
Indian brown rice salad is vegan and vegetarian-friendly and is also dairy-free.
Or you can serve it as part of an Indian banquet alongside:
Healing powers of turmeric in this rice salad
It is the Curcumin in turmeric that gives its magical healing powers such as the potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis.
How to make Indian Brown Rice salad
1Boil
your rice
Soak brown rice for 15 minutes this will allow it
to cook faster, then rinse well before cooking.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil add some salt and the soaked brown
rice. Once the rice has come to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and cook
for 15 minutes (check after 10 minutes). Strain the rice in a strainer and let
stand for a few minutes to drain completely (at least 3 minutes).
2Prepare your veggies
It is a good idea to get on with the veg prep while you are waiting for your rice to soak and boil.
Remove the papery skin from the onion, cut off the tops and ends then discard. Wash your carrots and zucchini, cut off the tops and ends, peel your carrot. Then cut your onion, carrot and zucchini into small dice.
3Sauté the veg and rice
Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and tender, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so, add all the spices and cook until aromatic.
Then stir in the cooked rice, diced zucchini and carrots and let the mix stand covered for approximately 5-10 minutes. Discard the cardamom pods and cinnamon quill.
4Assembling your rice salad
When the mix is ready, fluff the rice, add the lemon or lime juice, then stir in the raisins, coriander/parsley, sesame seeds and coconut flakes.
Taste and adjust seasonings, you may like
Some tips for non-sticky rice salad
- It is important to soak your brown rice not only because it speeds up the cooking process, but it also removes the phytic acid which impairs the absorption of nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium and may promote mineral deficiencies.
- Make sure you rinse the rice well before cooking.
- Cook your rice in a heavy-based pan as it will cook faster.
- Add plenty of water to your pan 1 cup rice to 12 cups water.
- Once cooked strain your rice in a strainer to remove the starch and allow to stand for at least 3 minutes to make sure that it is completely dry.
Can I make it ahead and meal prep?
- Boil and strain the rice the day before.
- Cut your vegetables (not the onion as it will smell) the day before.
- Prepare your spices and squeeze your lemons or limes the day before.
- Try cooking your rice and vegetables the day before, allow them to come to room temperature (the coconut oil will harden) and then assemble with the herbs and citrus.
- This is most definitely a make-ahead salad and is ideal for large crowds and pot lucks as you can easily make it the day before only add the herbs just before serving.
- This rice salad is a satisfying substantial meal all on its own and is ideal to meal prep for weekday lunches, make it and place it in individual containers but just add the herbs on top so that they don’t discolour.
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Ingredients
For the rice…
- 2 tbsps coconut oil
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 4-6 brown cardamom pods (bruised)
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium zucchini (courgette)
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the salad…
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup coconut flakes
- 2 tbsps sesame seeds (toasted)
- ¼ cup fresh coriander or parsley (chopped)
- 4 tbsps lemon or lime juice
For the garnish…
- Extra parsley/coriander,coconut flakes and sesame seeds to garnish.
Instructions
- Soak brown rice for 15 minutes before boiling and bring a large saucepan of water to the boil add some salt and the brown rice. Once the rice has come to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the rice in a strainer and let stand for a few minutes (at least 3 mins) to drain completely.
- In the meantime, wash and trim your vegetables and cut into small dice.
- Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and tender, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so, add all the spices and cook until aromatic.
- Then stir in the cooked rice, diced zucchini and carrots and let the mix stand covered for approximately 5-10 minutes. Discard the cardamom pods and cinnamon quill.
- When the mix is ready, fluff the rice, add the lemon or lime juice, then stir in the raisins, coriander/parsley, sesame seeds and coconut flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and scatter the extra coconut flakes on top to garnish. Serve when you are ready.
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