One Pot Spicy Rice (Peanut Rice)

Quick and easy one pot spicy rice recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Full of day old leftover rice, pan fried peanuts, turmeric, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes and smoked paprika. Enjoy this delicious yellow peanut rice as a main dish or a side dish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: one pot meal, spicy peanut rice

Servings: People

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Abeer Rizvi

Ingredients

4 tablespoon Oil You can use any neutral tasting oil, Divided
4-5 tablespoon Peanuts Raw, Unsalted. I like to add 1 tablespoon peanuts per 1 cup of rice.
¼ cup Onion Finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic Finely minced
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder This has a strong earthy flavor. Add less if you are unsure about it.
½ teaspoon Paprika
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
¼-1/2 teaspoon Red chili flakes Adjust according to your preference
Salt To taste
Pepper To taste
½-1 teaspoon Chicken bouillon paste Low sodium. I use a brand called Better that Bouillon. It's very flavorful and concentrated. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more later, if necessary.
1 tablespoon Water
4-5 cups Leftover boiled basmati rice Day old is best

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat.
Add peanuts and roast them until they are slightly crispy and smell nutty. This takes about 3-5 minutes. Remove from pot and keep aside.
In the same pot, add remaining 2 tablespoon oil.
Add onion and garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrant and onions are partially softened.
Add turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, salt, pepper and mix for 20 seconds to wake up these dried spices.
Mix in chicken bouillon paste and water.
Add leftover boiled basmati rice and mix until combined. You may have to add a couple of splashes of water to ensure that all the spices are sticking to the rice.
Mix in the crispy peanuts you had prepared earlier.
Garnish with some finely chopped cilantro or parsley (if you like) and drizzle some fresh lemon juice on top (if you like). Enjoy.

Notes

Adjust the amount of paprika, cayenne and red chili flakes based on how much spice you can handle.
Sometimes, I like to add ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds with the peanuts when I am pan frying them. It adds such a lovely flavor and aroma.
For a touch of tanginess, drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 small lemon at the end. It will really elevate the flavor and balance the heat and spice.
Please use leftover rice. Day old is best because they don't clump together. They also don't break easily or become mushy when you mix everything together.
You can use a combination of half oil and half butter for additional flavor.
Use low sodium bouillon paste to prevent this meal from becoming too salty.
Instead of peanuts, you can use any other nuts of your choice such as cashews, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts.
Read additional tips and variations above.
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition