Masala Rice Recipe
Masala Rice is a delicious one-pot recipe made with rice, vegetables, and spices. Serve it with plain yogurt or raita for a comforting meal. Here is how to make it.
If you like this recipe, try Lemon Rice, Ghee Rice, Curd Rice, Tendli Bhaat, Black Pepper Rice, Wadi Chawal, and Brown Rice Pulao.
A Quick Look At This Masala Rice Recipe
- Flavor Profile: Spicy, aromatic, and wholesome — a flavorful blend of rice, vegetables, and Indian spices.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes | Soaking Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Course: Main Course / Lunchbox
- Cuisine: Indian
- Skill Level: Easy
- Diet: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free
- Equipment: Kadai or Pan, Spatula, Mixing Bowl
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Table of Contents
One-pot rice dishes are a great option for lunch. Add a simple raita and papad on the side, and you quickly have a wholesome meal ready. Be it Black Pepper Rice, Lemon Rice, or Cabbage Rice, I love making these easy dishes for a wholesome lunch.
This masala rice is one of my favorite rice dishes. I make it when I have little portions of various veggies left over in the refrigerator. It is a great way to finish them all.
About Masala Rice
Masala Rice is a quick and easy one-pot Indian rice dish where basmati rice is cooked with onions, tomatoes, Indian spices, and a variety of vegetables.
Serve it with raita, roasted or fried papad, and lachha onions for a comforting meal. It is also great for packing for an office or school lunchbox.
Ingredients
Rice – I prefer long-grain basmati rice for making vegetable masala rice. You can also make it using short-grain white rice.
You can also make masala chawal using brown rice. The cooking time and liquid-to-rice ratio will be different in this case. Check out my Brown Rice Pulao recipe for guidance.
Vegetables – I like to use carrots, green peas, green beans, corn kernels, and cauliflower in this recipe. You can also use potatoes, green bell pepper (capsicum), broccoli, etc.
Whole Spices – The pulao is mildly flavored with whole spices, including cinnamon sticks (dalchini), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cloves (laung), and bay leaves (tejpatta).
Spice Powders – This recipe utilizes basic spice powders, including Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and Roasted Cumin Powder.
Others – You will also need neutral-flavored cooking oil (such as sunflower oil, canola oil, or light olive oil), cumin seeds, fennel seeds (also known as saunf), onions, ginger-garlic paste, salt, freshly squeezed lime juice, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
You can also add curry leaves and mustard seeds, along with cumin seeds, for a taste change.
How To Make Masala Rice
Step 1: Rinse 1 cup of long-grain basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 20-30 minutes.
Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Step 3: Once the oil is hot, add the following ingredients and fry for 3-4 seconds until fragrant.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms
- 1-2 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
Step 4: Add ½ cup finely chopped onions and cook until they become translucent, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute.
Step 6: Now add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and mushy.
Step 7: Add the following ingredients to the pan.
- 1 cup of mixed vegetables (I used a mix of carrots, green peas, green beans, corn kernels, and cauliflower)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 8: Drain the water from the rice and add the soaked rice to the pan.
Step 9: Add 1 ½ cups of water and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, and stir gently.
Step 10: Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
Step 11: Reduce the heat to low.
Step 12: Cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the water is absorbed.
Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5-10 minutes.
Step 13: Gently fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Serve hot.
Masala Rice FAQs
You can add veg protein-rich ingredients like cooked chickpeas, paneer, tofu, or tempeh.
You can also add sauteed shrimp, chicken, scrambled eggs, etc to this recipe.
Yes, you can adjust the spice level in this recipe according to your preference. Reduce or omit the chili powder entirely if you prefer a milder flavor, or add some fresh green chilies for a spicier taste.
Masala Rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nicely hot before serving.
You can also freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Once ready to eat, thaw at room temperature and reheat thoroughly before serving. If the rice looks dry, then add a splash of water before reheating.
Other Rice Recipes We Recommend
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Masala Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1-2 whole cloves (laung)
- 1 bay leaf (tejpatta)
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup mixed vegetables (I used a mix of carrots, peas, green beans, corn kernels, cauliflower etc.)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, and bay leaf. Fry for 3-4 seconds until fragrant.
- Add onions and cook until they becomes translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute.
- Now add tomatoes and cook until they becomes soft and mushy.
- Add mixed vegetables, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, cumin powder, and salt. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the water from the rice and add the soaked rice to the pan.
- Add 1 and ½ cups of water and lime juice and stir gently.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the water is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.
This is one of fav rice recipes. Do try it!