Aromatic Basmati rice pilaf, filled with sweet dried fruits and crunchy nuts, makes a lovely side dish to serve with curries. Use the optional chile peppers if you’d like this dish to have a little kick, but it’s good without them as well.
Rice variety swaps: In this recipe, I call for brown Basmati, but if you’re not a fan of brown rice, use whatever variety you prefer — white Basmati or your favorite kind of long-grain white rice.
Start with the same amount recommended in the recipe, which should yield 4 cups cooked rice.
What to serve with Basmati Rice Pilaf
- Easy Eggplant and Chickpea Curry (instead of the plain rice suggested)
- Super-Easy Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)
- Quick Indian Lentil and Kidney Bean Curry
About Basmati rice
Basmati is a long-grain rice that originated in northern India. Basmati’s special appeal lies in its exceptionally nutty flavor and enticing fragrance.
The Basmati rice used in traditional Indian cuisine is usually refined, but a whole, unpolished version is available in natural foods stores and well-stocked supermarkets.
California Basmati is labeled, appropriately, Calmati®. This variety of rice is generally available in bulk and is a bit more expensive than ordinary brown rice, but not prohibitively so.
Basmati may be substituted in any recipe calling for long- or medium-grain brown rice.
Explore more …
- Vegan Rice Recipes from Around the World
- Curry-Spiced Cauliflower & Basmati Rice Pilaf
- Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
Basmati Rice Pilaf with Fruits and Nuts
Aromatic Basmati rice pilaf, filled with sweet dried fruits and crunchy nuts makes a lovely side dish with curries.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown Basmati rice (see note)
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 small fresh hot chili peppers, sliced, optional
- 2/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries, or a combination
- 1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground or fresh nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup orange juice, preferably fresh
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews (whole or chopped) or sliced almonds
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the rice with 4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. If the rice isn’t done to your liking, add 1/2 cup water and simmer until absorbed.
- Once the rice is done, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and optional chili peppers sauté over medium heat until golden.
- Stir in the rice and all the remaining ingredients except the nuts, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 8 to 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend.
- Stir in the nuts, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Here are more easy vegan salads & side dishes.
This was good! I had a lot of the ingredients except toasted cashews/sliced almonds, raisins or dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried basil, fresh OJ, agave nectar, lemon or lime juice. So I substituted pineapple slices in lol.
It definitely felt like it was missing something sweet that could add a kick to it but that’s because I didn’t followed the recipe to a T.
I’ll give this another try when I have all the ingredients!
Sophie, I had to smile at your comment since you had all the ingredients except for the really important ones! I hope you get to follow this recipe more closely at some point, as it is really delicious. Glad you found it tasty nevertheless.
when do you add the OJ in? I missed that in the recipe?
Jules, that would be in step 3 where it says to add all the remaining ingredients except for the nuts, salt, and pepper. I hope you figured that out in the time it took me to reply, and I hope you enjoyed the dish!
I don’t have dried apricots. What can I use instead? I have canned mandarin slices. Can that work?
Sure, just make sure they’re well drained. You can also use any other kind of dried fruit you have on hand.