Indian-Style Rice Salad

Name: Indian-Style Rice Salad
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 cups brown or white basmati rice; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup chopped scallion; 3/4 cup cubed cooked potato; 3/4 cup cooked cauliflower florets; 3/4 cup cooked green peas; 1/2 cup coconut milk, or more as needed; 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, or more to taste; 1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste; 1 jalapeño or other hot fresh chile, stemmed, seeded and minced, or to taste, optional; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of rice
Rating: 4(237)
Notes: Read community notes

In most cases, rice salads can be dressed not only minutes but hours in advance, making them ideal for entertaining or for just cooking ahead. Cook the rice a bit in advance, and dress it before it gets too cold. (While leftover rice — even from Chinese takeout restaurants — is close to ideal for fried rice, it doesn’t work nearly as well as fresh-cooked rice for salads.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 8 servings

1½ to 2cups brown or white basmati rice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼cup chopped scallion
¾cup cubed cooked potato
¾cup cooked cauliflower florets
¾cup cooked green peas
½cup coconut milk, or more as needed
3tablespoons rice wine vinegar, or more to taste
1tablespoon curry powder, or to taste
1jalapeño or other hot fresh chile, stemmed, seeded and minced, or to taste, optional
½cup chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Cook rice in abundant salted water, as you would pasta, until it’s just done; white rice will take 10 to 15 minutes, brown 30 or a little longer. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, then combine with vegetables in a large bowl.
Step 2
Combine black pepper, coconut milk, rice wine vinegar and curry powder in a blender and turn machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add more vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until balance tastes right to you, then add more curry powder, salt, or pepper, if needed.
Step 3
Drizzle vinaigrette over rice and vegetables. Use 2 big forks to combine, fluffing rice and tossing gently to separate grains. Stir in chile, if using, and cilantro, taste, and adjust seasoning or moisten with a little more dressing. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to a day, bringing salad back to room temperature before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5

237 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Rebecca6 years ago

Whether authentically/technically Indian or not (why quibble?) this is a yummy side dish - we gobbled it up. I plan to make a batch for work day lunches with some added protein tossed in - chickpeas or chicken.

Mitch6 years ago

So what!!? It is delicious

Diana6 years ago

This sounds amazing, I know I will love this. I eat rice like a fiend. But I don't see the point of cooking the rice in loads of water, as if it were pasta - just follow the instructions on the bag and it comes out perfect. Then you don't have to drain and rinse. Seriously, why would you create more work for yourself if it's going to taste just the same?

Rabin6 years ago

Read it properly 'Indian-style ' The same way Indians add spices to their lamb chops, pour chilli sauce on their chips etc etc

Asha6 years ago

This is not an Indian salad in any way, shape or form.

petey tonei6 years ago

Coconut milk...curry powder....this is more Singaporean or Thai or South East Asian than Indian style salad. South East Asian cuisine, from Indonesia to Malaysia to Singapore..to Thailand, Kampuchea to Laos..were all influenced by Indian spices and cuisine, at some point in time or the other.

Maria6 years ago

I find it doesn't come out the same- if you cook it in the normal way, it sticks together with starch unless you spend time rinsing it off first. Plus, you have to watch it, depending on your stove- it's harder to get it perfect every time. This is especially true for those of us that have ancient gas burners and use brown rice for literally everything. So if you do it this way, you save rinsing, babysitting, and the risk of scorching or sticking.

Bougeotte1 month ago

For anyone skeptical about cooking rice like pasta, there's an added benefit -- a quick online search on 'arsenic in rice' will fill you in.

Eryn Hales2 years ago

Super delicious and pretty easy to throw together. I did 1.5 cups basmati rice and doubled the emulsion like someone suggested and so glad I did! I paired this with some saag paneer and butter chicken other friends made. However love another person’s idea to make this a lunch + add a protein.

Katherine3 years ago

Caution: don't use Trader Joe's coconut milk! It has no additives like other brands. Nice idea, but apparently that guar gum is essential, as my dressing curdled into a nasty glob in the blender. I dumped it and headed out to the store for a different brand, which worked fine. Very tasty salad!

HEW3 years ago

This was good, hearty side that was something different. Followed exactly but did add more curry

Ali4 years ago

This was a hit pool party side! I roasted the cauliflower and pan-fried yellow potatoes with cumin. It worked really well, but didn't need as much of the dressing. I didn't get hung up on whether this dish was authentically Indian, just really appreciated all of the flavors and textures. It was my first rice salad. So nice!

cmpollard6 years ago

Underwhelming.

kate Fitz6 years ago

2 bags of cauliflower rice
Lots of peas
Double the dressing