Fragrant Lime and Cashew Vegan Rice Pilaf

This light, fragrant lime and cashew vegan rice pilaf is a lovely side dish, inspired by the flavors of India.

The lime, turmeric, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper are as surprising as they are delicious, and the cashews and mustard seeds give the dish a satisfying texture.

Rice is SO Nice!

We eat a lot of rice in our house and build meals around leftover rice all the time, usually brown rice. However, this recipe came about when a good friend gave me about 10 pounds of white Basmati rice. You know that many of my recipes come from someone giving me an unexpected quantity of any given ingredient – it is a challenge that I rarely can resist!

The Basmati Rice Challenge

I love Basmati rice and usually associate it with eating out at our favorite Indian restaurants, so naturally, it inspired me to explore a dish with those rich flavors. Even though I almost always order coconut rice, I wanted a bigger challenge! I’m super happy with the result and I love that it actually tastes just as good (if not a little better) as a leftover. And, I love how pretty it is!

But, What About Brown Rice?

There is no question that brown rice has more nutritional density than white, but I do not recommend substituting here. That is hard for me to write because I almost always want people to use what is on hand and not be too fussy about recipes. This time I suggest sticking with the white Basmati rice.

Easy To Find Ingredients for Your Vegan Rice Pilaf

If you have made Indian food before, I am sure you are familiar with a long list of spices, some of which can be hard to find outside an Indian market. While they are totally worth the investment for some serious cooking, this recipe is made with ingredients that you can easily find in any grocery store.

Fragrant Lime and Cashew Vegan Rice Pilaf

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• Author: Georgia @ fullofbeans.us
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 3 cups 1x
• Category: side dish
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This light, fragrant lime and cashew vegan rice pilaf is a lovely side dish, inspired by the flavors of India. The lime, turmeric, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper are as surprising as they are delicious, and the cashews and mustard seeds give the dish a satisfying texture.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup white Basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 Tbs neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2–3 Tbs coarsely chopped cashews
• 3 Tbs lime juice
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp numeric
• 1/2 tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Put the rice in a medium saucepan with enough water to generously cover. Swish it around with a spoon or your fingers until the water becomes cloudy. Drain. Repeat this a few times until the water remains clear. After the last draining, cover the rice with the 1 1/2 cups cold water and let it sit and soak for about 30 minutes.
2. Bring the rice and water to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 5-6 minutes. Most of the liquid will have evaporated from the surface. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, cover the skillet until the popping stops. Reduce the heat and add the cashews, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, turmeric, and salt.
4. Add the skillet ingredients to the rice and mix well.
5. Serve and enjoy!

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