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Curried brown rice salad

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This easy one-pot cold curried brown rice salad with bright citrus notes and raisins, nuts and cilantro folded in makes a very flavorful side dish.Fluffy brown rice salad served in a white bowl

The smell of curry seems so much like home to me. Which is strange because my mom never made curry and probably never used the spice when I was younger.

Our next-door neighbors growing up, however, were Indian and I could always smell the wafts of curry spilling out of their house.

Their grandmother lived with them and besides her early evening walks, always dressed in the most beautiful saris, I imagined she was inside cooking these magnificent smelling meals all day long.

My older brother was not a fan of the smell of curry. At all. Still isn’t. #lovehimanyway

Curried brown rice with raisins and parsley served in a white bowl with a fork tucked in

We moved in high school and he possibly hasn’t smelled curry again. (OK, OK, he did a couple short stints in New York City, so surely it made a return to his life at some point.)

But in college for me at Northwestern, I lived with two Indian roommates and once again had the sweet perfume of curry in my life.

And I crave it still. So I’ve taken to making it in my own kitchen, like with today’s recipe.

Curried brown rice salad

This flavorful curried rice has an entire tablespoon of curry powder that blooms in the oil, onion and garlic mixture, then coats each kernel of rice while they cook up to plumped, tender, fluffy perfection.

I mean, really, swoon!

A serving platter of curried rice with raisins and parsley sprinkled on top

(If you love these flavors like me, you should also check out my curried wild rice salad. So addictive!)

The curried rice has a serious citrus kick underlying it and I fold in sweet raisins, salty chopped nuts and fresh cilantro for a side dish that will seriously wow your taste buds. 

So many great flavors and textured mingled together here.

But note, this is best served cold. I’ve tried it hot before — couldn’t wait! — and the citrus flavor was a bit overpowering.

Cold curried rice salad served in a bowl with parsley sprinkled on top

Once the rice salad has cooled, the citrus soaks in and brings a bright fresh taste without dominating the other flavors. Cooled, the curry flavor really shines through, as it should.

Bring the beautiful color, aroma and flavor of curry to your table with this easy curried brown rice salad.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Yield: 4 servings

Curried brown rice salad

Curried brown rice salad

An easy one-pot cold curried brown rice salad with bright citrus notes and raisins, nuts and cilantro folded in.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or sub chicken broth or water)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice (I like both ways!)
  • extra kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup raisins (regular or golden)
  • 1/3 cup chopped nuts (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or sub parsley)

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent and tender, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds.
  2. Add curry powder and ground cumin to pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. This helps “bloom” the spices, or bring out their flavor.
  3. Add the brown rice and stir to coat with curry powder and oils. Add chicken or vegetable broth, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper (if using). Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 30-35 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
  4. Let stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes.
  5. Stir in lemon or lime juice and remaining one tablespoon olive oil. Let the rice cool slightly then refrigerate until completely cool, about an hour.
  6. When ready to serve, fluff the rice then stir in raisins, cilantro or parsley and nuts. Taste and adjust seasonings: sometimes I add a little extra lemon or lime juice, salt or pepper.

Notes

I usually use chopped walnuts or peanuts here because it’s what I always have on hand. However, slivered almonds or chopped cashews would also be great!

This curried rice is best served chilled, so please plan accordingly to allow it to cool down and spend at least an hour or so in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 995mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 5g
© Kathryn Doherty
Cuisine: American / Category: Side dishes

Curried brown rice salad photos in a collage with a text box in the middle

Comments

  4. Dawn says

    I love curry too and this recipe looks delicious! Love everything in there. Great combo with the nuts, cilantro and raisins. I always knew I loved curry, but when I started to blog I realized just how much I love it and how often I use it. I bet this is even better the next day! Looking forward to trying this one, Kathryn 🙂

    Reply

  6. Brie says

    Pure Yum! I love curry anything and with the nuts and raisins, this one’s gonna be a favorite in our house. Toss in roasted chickpeas and veggis and this would make a great dinner too!

    Reply

  7. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    So your saying your brother is crazy? Lol, I know the feeling because my sister is nuts and hates tomatoes. Who hates tomatoes, right? Especially heirlooms! Anyways, I am loving this rice, Kathryn! I bet it smells and tasted delicious! Love love love that you added raisins and nuts in here! Im craving a big ole bowl of this for lunch! Pinned! Cheers, dear!

    Reply

  10. marcie says

    I grew up on rice, but it was boring old white rice. Now I know better! I love brown rice, and adding curry to it sounds like an amazing idea! Pinning to try. 🙂

    Reply

  11. [email protected] says

    We love Indian food in my household and I make it at least twice a month. The only problem is it takes me all day because I make so many different dishes and condiments. Loving your curried rice salad because it’s way easier to make and I can have Indian anytime! The one pot deal is pretty awesome too 😉

    Reply

  15. Carlee says

    How interesting! I have been loving grain salads lately and this sounds amazing, maybe with some yogurt marinated grilled chicken?! Thanks so much for sharing at Throwback Thursday!

    Reply

  16. Christine at Must Love Home says

    Loved it!! Your rice looks delicious…It is hard to photograph rice and make it look good, but you did it beautifully! Thank you for sharing your wonderful creativity with us at Friday Favorites! I hope you will join us again this week! Hugs- Christine at Must Love Home

    Reply

  17. CakePants says

    While curry doesn’t necessarily remind me of home, I do certainly consider it a comforting smell. This rice dish looks delicious, and I’m intrigued by the combination of curry and citrus. I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait for it to cool to sample it, but I’ll try 😉

    Reply

  18. vicki gordon says

    I had a similar recipe that had white meat, cooked & marinated (in Italian dressing), chicken strips on top, garnished with sliced green onions. I may try that with this and see if it is as good as I remember. But, it sounds wonderful as is.

    Reply

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