Super simple and so delicious- this easy peanut rice recipe can be the perfect quick lunch or side to whip up when you’re short of time. This slightly spicy rice dish is full of flavors from Southern Indian, and is sure to become your family favorite. Packing in the goodness of peanuts, this dish is actually healthy too!
Scroll down and take a quick look at everything you need to know about making it.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need two sets of ingredients to make the peanut rice recipe from scratch.
For the Peanut powder
- Oil: ½ tbsp
- Chana dal: 2 tbsps
- Peanuts (roasted): ¼ cup
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Dry red chilies: 2
For the Rice
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Hing: A pinch
- Peanuts (roasted): 2 tbsps
- Mustard seeds: 2 tsps
- Onions (chopped): ¼ cup
- Green chilies (chopped): 1 tbsp
- Salt: 1 tbsp
- Rice (cooked): 1.5 cups
- Prepared Peanut powder
How to Make the Peanut Rice
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s the step by step process you’ll need to follow.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the ingredients mentioned under Peanut powder. Saute for 1 or 2 minutes.
Let the mixture cool down and grind it into a fine powder.
Next, heat oil in a pan. Add the hing, peanuts, and mustard seeds. Saute.
Add the chopped onions next and mix well.
Add the prepared peanut powder and mix well.
Add in the salt and chopped green chilies and mix well.
Next, add the rice and mix well.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the peanut rice, it is best to stick to using any long grained rice variety. Basmati rice is a great option, but if you don’t have those, you can stick to regular rice as well.
Just remember that the rice grains need to be fluffy and separate when cooked, and don’t end up clumping together.
The simplicity of the peanut rice is what makes it such a winner. However, if you do have some veggies lying in your refrigerator that you want to put to use, this can be a great recipe to do that.
Green beans, spinach, carrots, peas, corn and potatoes are some classics that can work wonderfully with the flavors of the dish. And of course, for an extra protein kick, you can also add some pan fried tofu or paneer into the mix.
You sure can! The peanut power can be prepared well in advance and stored in the refrigerator for days, if not weeks. Then, all you need to do is cook the rice and follow the rest of the steps as is when you want to make the dish.
Got some leftover peanut rice? Just transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave, and don’t forget to sprinkle a bit of water on the top before you do- this will help keep the rice from drying out. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Peanut Rice
Think you’re ready to give the recipe a shot? Wait up! You might want to keep these few tips and tricks in mind.
- To make the peanut rice more flavorful and nutritious, you can also add some grated coconut and/or sesame seeds into the peanut powder mix.
- Curry leaves can make for an excellent addition to this dish, and can enhance in flavor and also lend it a nice nutritional punch. You can chop up the leaves and add them into the peanut powder.
- Depending on your personal preference, you can either crush the peanut mixture into a fine powder, or leave it a bit coarse, and then add it to the cooked rice.
- This recipe is actually a fantastic way to use up any leftover rice that you may have in your refrigerator.
- If you’re cooking the rice fresh, remember to allow it to cool down completely before you follow the rest of the steps.
- Add some chopped garlic into the peanut powder mixture and let it cook along with it for a few minutes. This will lend the dish a nice aroma and flavor.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Your flavorful and delicious peanut rice tastes incredible when enjoyed on its own, but you can also pair it with your favorite side salad. And of course, you can team it up with a nice Indian curry to make it a complete meal.
Loved how easy it was to whip up the flavorful peanut rice? Looking for some more fun and easy recipes to try out? Here are a few other rice based recipes you need to check out.
📖 Recipe
Peanut Rice
Ingredients
Ingredients For the Peanut powder
- ½ tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Chana dal
- ¼ cup Peanuts , (roasted)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 pcs Dry red chilies
Ingredients For the Rice
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 pinch Hing
- 2 tablespoon Peanuts , (roasted)
- 2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ¼ cup Onions , (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Green chilies , (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1.5 cup Rice , (cooked)
- 1 bowl Prepared Peanut powder
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the ingredients mentioned under Peanut powder. Saute for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool down and grind it into a fine powder.
- Next, heat oil in a pan. Add the hing, peanuts, and mustard seeds. Saute.
- Add the chopped onions next and mix well.
- Add the prepared peanut powder and mix well.
- Add in the salt and chopped green chilies and mix well.
- Next, add the rice and mix well.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
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