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Carrot Rice with Cumin and Bay
For this easy, colorful side, we took inspiration from Indian carrot rice. We shred the carrots on a box grater before cooking to rupture cell walls and release the natural sugars, allowing the vegetable’s sweet flavors to permeate the grains. Whole cumin seeds balance the sweetness with their warm, earthy notes. Indian carrot rice traditionally is made with curry leaves, which impart toasted allium notes with hints of citrus. But they can be difficult to find, so we swapped in bay leaves. Though bay is different in flavor, their nuances of menthol and eucalyptus work nicely in this dish.
4 to 6
Servings
35 minutes
10 active
Ingredients
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2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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2
medium shallots, thinly sliced
Directions
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01In a large saucepan over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin, bay, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and carrot, tossing to coat, then add 2½ cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover, reduce to low and cook without stirring until the rice is tender and the water is mostly absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
Reviews
January 11, 2024
Easy recipe with amazing results!
I used cashews instead of pistachios and a couple of carrots-- turned out great
January 2, 2024
This was delicious, colorful on the plate and was extra special compared to plain rice. We used dates and almonds--yum.
We used dates and almonds because that is what we had on hand--worked like a charm.
April 20, 2026
Nice, but very subtle flavor
If you're looking for a side dish that serves a supporting role, this is the one! I added both golden raisins and pistachios and the texture was nice that way. But, I might try it with chicken broth instead of water, or maybe add a bit of garlic powder next time I try it as the flavor was slightly bland overall. Maybe crushing the cumin seeds before adding would help as well. Very pretty on the plate.
June 6, 2026
Mild but tasty rice dish
This was perfect as part of a meal I made for a sick friend—more interesting than plain white rice but not too “loud” (as my mother used to say). For my husband and me, I kicked the flavor up with extra cumin seeds, crushing them in a mortar first, and squeezing lemon juice over the finished rice, which I made in my Instant Pot. For both, I used chicken broth instead of water.
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