One pan Coconut Curry Rice Pilaf

I have been really loving "dump" recipes lately. A dump recipe qualifies as one when you mix a bunch of ingredients together in a single bowl and dump them into a large dish to bake- hence the name, dump recipe.

There are so many reasons to love dishes like this. I particularly prefer them for two convenient reasons: 1, how customizable they are, and 2, less dishes to wash, of course. I actually came across a similar recipe to this one on food network, and when I saw it, I could not wait to make it for my family. I added my own garnishes and toppings; this recipe came out so much better than I could have ever hoped. My family absolutely loved it.

While the amount of ingredients in this dish may appear intimidating, many of them can be substituted for other vegetables or garnishes you have in your fridge. Amidst a pandemic, many of us want to avoid taking non-essential trips to the grocery store for supplemental ingredients. On the contrary, some of you may have stocked up for weeks, and are now realizing that the produce you purchased is beginning to spoil. Some examples of additional or alternative ingredients that I think would pair well with the flavors in this recipe include sweet potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, or even pickled cabbage rather than the red onions I used in this one. This recipe is a great opportunity for us to get creative and use what we already have in our refrigerators.


Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: ~ 414 calories per serving

Ingredients:

For coconut curry rice pilaf:

1.5 cups long grain white rice

13.5 oz coconut milk

13.5 oz chicken broth

16 oz garbanzo beans 

3 tbsp black or golden raisins

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cups lightly packed baby spinach

1 tbsp minced garlic or garlic paste

1 tbsp minced ginger or ginger paste

3 tsp curry powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp thai chili pepper seeds (optional)

1 handful chopped cilantro 

For pickled onions:

1/2 diced large red onion

1/2 lime squeezed 

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbs water

For curry yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 lime squeezed

zest of 1/2 lime

2 tsp curry powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place diced onions, lime juice, sugar, white vinegar, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Place pickled onions in refrigerator to cool.

3. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with oil

4. Spread uncooked rice out evenly in greased baking dish.

5. In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, chicken broth, raisins, carrots, baby spinach, garlic, ginger, curry powder, salt and chili flakes. Whisk ingredients together. Set aside chopped cilantro for garnish. 

6. Pour coconut curry mixture over rice being sure to evenly spread out garbanzo beans, carrots, and spinach. Cover tightly with foil and bake covered for 25 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until majority of liquid is absorbed. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes. Fluff up rice lightly with a fork or spoon.

8. While pilaf is cooking, prepare the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, and curry powder. You may need to add water to the sauce until it is a drizzling consistency. 

9. Top rice dish with pickled onions and drizzled yogurt sauce. Finish with cilantro garnish and serve hot.