Healthy Brown Rice Recipes

From a delicious pilaf to a divine pudding, appease your taste buds with healthy recipes.

Brown rice is loaded with dietary fiber that makes it healthier than white rice. Brown rice also contains γ-oryzanoli , vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. When cooked right, brown rice tastes delicious. Here are some healthy brown rice recipes that you can try, including vegetarian and vegan options, to enjoy rice without worrying about consuming too many carbs (as brown rice has only the outer layer (husk) removed, unlike white rice, whose husk, bran, and germ are removed).

Cooking brown rice may take longer, and it may have a chewy texture. But that shouldn’t concern you – as we will show you how to cook brown rice to ensure it tastes yummy and melts in your mouth. Continue reading to know more.

How To Cook Brown Rice

Brown rice has a higher fiber content than white rice (brown rice: 1.8 g, white rice 0.4 g/100g). Hence, it takes longer to cook. Pre­-soak brown rice for 15-20 minutes before cooking. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Brown Rice To Water Ratio – The water should be double the amount of rice as brown rice absorbs more water due to multiple layers. Water and brown rice ratio should be 2:1 (two parts water and one part rice).

• Draining Method – Cook brown rice in a pot of water with a teaspoon of oil. When cooked, drain the excess water.

• Open Flame – Bring two cups of water to a boil and add one cup of brown rice and simmer.

• How Long To Cook Brown Rice – The milling process reduces the cooking time. But brown rice takes almost 30-45 minutes to cook.

Alanna Kellogg, a food blogger, shared that while she generally loves cooking brown rice in the oven, she prefers the stove-top method during the summer. She explains, “It’s dead simple and takes only an hour to get to the table, 15 minutes faster than the Oven-Baked Brown Rice, that’s not a lot but still. This technique yields moist, nutty cooked brown rice.”

How To Cook Brown Rice In A Rice Cooker

Cooking brown rice in a rice cooker can definitely save time, but you should know the correct ratio of water and rice. Your fluffy brown rice can be ready in three steps:

• Soak rice for 15-20 minutes and put it in a rice cooker.

• Add vinegar, a little salt, and water and brown rice in a 2:1 ratio.

• Press the ‘ON’ button and let it cook.

• Once cooking is done, let the rice rest for 10-15 minutes.

Healthy Brown Rice Recipes

1. Brown Rice Pilaf

Prep Time: 30 min; Cooking Time: 40 min; Total Time: 70 min; Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked and drained brown rice
• 1 ¼ cups chopped mixed vegetables
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 3 slit green chilies
• 2 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons clarified butter
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 cloves
• 3 cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, minced

How To Prepare

• Grind ginger, garlic, and cinnamon with a little water to make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
• Heat oil and clarified butter in a deep pan on medium to high heat.
• Add bay leaf, cloves, and crushed cardamom and sauté for a couple of minutes.
• Mix in the ground paste and sauté until the raw flavor fades away.
• Add onions and green chilies and sauté until the onions turn golden brown.
• Mix in the chopped veggies.
• Add the drained rice and give a quick mix.
• Add water and salt and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Cover and cook on low to medium heat, stirring intermittently, until the rice is soft, the vegetables are crispy tender, and the water is completely absorbed.
• Serve hot with onion raita.

2. Brown Rice Salad

Prep Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 5 min; Total Time: 25 min; Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup fresh peas
• A handful of basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

How To Prepare

• Add Dijon mustard with salt, oil, lemon juice, black pepper powder, and red paprika flakes in a small mixing bowl. Whisk well to ensure even blending.
• Mix in the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss slowly to ensure even coating.
• Chill and serve.

3. Sweet Brown Rice Recipe (Puliyogare)

Prep Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 15 min; Total Time: 35 min; Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup tamarind
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon grated jaggery
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons peanuts
• 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
• 2 teaspoon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chana dal
• 4 roughly broken red chilies
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• ¼ cup sesame oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons chana dal
• 4 red chilies
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

How To Prepare

• Heat one teaspoon of oil in a sautéing pan placed on medium to high heat and roast the ingredients until they turn golden. Wait until the mixture cools down. Finely powder the ingredients and keep it aside.
• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 40 minutes. Extract the pulp and discard the fiber. Keep it aside.
• Place a heavy-bottomed, wide-mouthed frying pan on medium to high heat.
• Add the rest of the sesame seed oil and heat it.
• Add the seasoning and fry for about 3 minutes.
• Mix in the extracted tamarind and cook for 20 minutes or until the pulp loses the raw aroma and becomes half.
• Mix in powdered ingredients and grated jaggery and salt to the mixture and keep stirring until the mixture thickens.
• Remove from fire and keep aside.
• Place a sautéing pan on medium to high heat and roast the peanuts until crispy.
• Mix in the puliyogare gravy and keep aside. Store it and use it when desired.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked rice.
• Mix in 2 tablespoons of the gravy, and using a flat back spoon, mix carefully without breaking and mashing the rice.
• Serve hot with deep-fried appalam (fried papad) or curd.

Read Also: Boost Your Metabolism with These Top Foods

4. Chicken Brown Rice Soup

Prep Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Total Time: 50 min; Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 finely chopped red onion
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 finely chopped Celery stalks
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 oz chicken breast
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch, stems discarded, leaves finely chopped collard greens

How To Prepare

• Place a large pot filled with half a cup of chicken broth on medium to high heat. Simmer for a while.
• Add in the bay leaf, onions, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring now and then until the onions turn translucent.
• Mix in the rice, chicken breast pieces, water, and the rest of the broth.
• Let the mixture come to a boil.
• Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture simmer for about 40 minutes or until chicken is soft, and the rice is tender.
• Discard the bay leaves and mix in collard greens.
• Simmer for about 5 more minutes or until collard greens wilt and turn tender.
• Turn off the heat.
• Spoon into soup bowls and sprinkle a little pepper powder and serve hot.

5. Thai Red Curry With Vegetables And Brown Rice

Prep Time: 10 min; Cook Time: 30 min; Total Time: 40 min; Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups brown jasmine rice or long-grain brown rice, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of ginger)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
• 1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups thinly sliced kale (tough ribs removed first), preferably the Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur variety
• 1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
• Garnishes/sides: A handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, red pepper flakes, sriracha, or chili garlic sauce

How To Prepare

• Cook brown rice in a pot, and just before serving, season it with salt.
• To make the curry, add onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and turns translucent. This will take about 5 minutes.
• Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring continuously.
• Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the bell peppers are fork-tender, for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk, water, kale, and sugar, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
• Add salt (add ¼ teaspoon for optimal flavor) to taste. If the curry needs a little more punch, add ½ teaspoon tamari, or for more acidity, add ½ teaspoon rice vinegar.