Masala Rice or spiced rice is a medium spicy dish made with leftover rice, onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs. Makes for a hearty meal with some raita or salad.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover rice (or steamed rice - ensure that the cooked rice is completely cooled)
  • ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (- 10 to 12 curry leaves)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 green chili (- chopped)
  • 1 onion (- medium sized, finely chopped)
  • 1 tomato (- medium sized, finely chopped)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing) - optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • ½ teaspoon fennel powder ((ground fennel))
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • salt (as required)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (- optional)

Method

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan or skillet. Fry the mustard seeds on a low heat till they splutter.
  2. Add the cumin seeds and fry till they crackle.
  3. Now, add the onions and sauté stirring often till they soften and become translucent. Sauté onions on a low heat or medium-low heat.
  4. Add the curry leaves, green chili and sauté for 20 to 30 seconds on low heat.
  5. Add the tomatoes and sauté stirring often till they turn mushy.
  6. Now, add all the ground spice powders and asafoetida along with salt. Sauté the masala or spice mixture for a minute on low heat taking care that the ground spices do not burn.
  7. Add the leftover cooked rice. Stir gently and mix well so that the masala coats the rice grains.
  8. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more, continuously stirring the rice gently on a low heat.
  9. Lastly, add coriander leaves and mix with the masala rice or you can even garnish the masala rice with the coriander leaves when serving.
  10. Serve masala rice hot or warm with raita or with a salad, pickle and papad.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.