Rosh Hashanah Sweet Basmati Rice with Carrots & Raisins – This Sweet and fragrant basmati rice with carrots and raisins is the perfect vegetarian side dish for any holiday meal. In our house, this is a Rosh Hashanah Favorite. Vegan and Gluten Free.
I can’t believe the Holidays are here again. Didn’t we just post recipes for Passover? Where did time go?? Crazy how each year goes by faster and faster. Scary, really.
I have to say, as much as we enjoy the Holidays, this year for us they are going to be kind of bittersweet. Our parents won’t be able to spend them with us and I can’t even tell you how difficult that is.
We’ve talked many times about our childhood memories growing up in Barcelona. For me, some of my favorites happened around the table on Rosh Hashana, which we always spent with the entire family.
Our mom used to cook the head of a lamb (unheard of here in America!) as part of our tradition. I remember how every year, our cousin Solly, the only boy in the family, used to grab pieces of meat dangling from the eye socket and chase Ruthy and his sister Vanessa with them. Gross… and hilarious at the same time.
I also remember my dad trying to be all serious doing the prayers, while we all laughed hysterically.
And of course, our mom’s wonderful food, especially this Rosh Hashanah Sweet Basmati Rice with Carrots & Raisins.
This Rosh Hashanah Sweet Basmati Rice with Carrots & Raisins recipe we’re sharing today is one of her “inventions” and happens to be one of my very favorites. And the funny thing is, as delicious as it is, she only made it during the Holidays. Maybe that’s what makes it so special 🙂
Hope you like it as much as I do!
Carrots, onions, raisins and rice. Very simple and easy to find ingredients infused our carrot rice with wonderful warm flavors.
- Sauté onions for 5 minutes until translucent
- Add shredded carrots and continue cooking at medium-low heat for about 7 minutes.
- Add water, salt, and raisins and bring to a boil
- Add rice and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer.
- 5. In a separate skillet, toast slivered almonds
- 6. Uncover the rice and quickly and gently fluff it up with a fork. Put the lid back on and let it sit, off the heat, for 10 minutes.
- 7. Top with almonds before serving
- 8. Do you want more Rosh Hashanah Recipe Ideas? Click HERE for our 18 Fabulous Rosh Hashanah Recipes
- 8. ENJOY! from May I have that Recipe
A Rosh Hashana Family Favorite: Sweet Basmati Rice with Carrots & Raisins
Prep Time: 10 mins- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
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Sweet and fragrant basmati rice with carrots and raisins. The perfect vegetarian side dish for any holiday meal. In our house this is a Rosh Hashanah Favorite. Vegan and Gluten Free.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 cups freshly shredded carrots
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1 1/2 cups white basmati rice
- Topping:
- 5 tbsp raw slivered almonds
- 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a 3 qt sauté pan, heat oil and cook onions at medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes
- Add shredded carrots and continue cooking at medium-low heat for about 7 minutes
- Add water, salt and raisins and bring to a boil
- Add rice and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes
- In a separate skillet, slivered almonds in 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Set aside
- Uncover the rice and quickly and gently fluff it up with a fork. Put the lid back on and let it sit, off the heat, for 10 minutes.
- Top with almonds before serving
- ENJOY! from May I have that Recipe
Notes
IF YOU CANNOT EAT ALMONDS ADD POMEGRANATE SEEDS TO THE RICE BEFORE SERVING. IT WILL GIVE IT A NICE CRUNCH.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 264
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 47
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 0
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Julie Hansen Intuitive says
Looks delish. Shana tova!-Julie
mayihavethatrecipe says
Thank you! Shana Tova to you too!
C.C. says
How much tumeric did you use? About a teaspoon?
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi, there is no turmeric in the rice. The color comes from the carrots. It is important that you shred your own carrots instead to buy them pre-shredded at the store. The color and flavor of the rice will be better. However if you would like to add turmeric, let us know how you like. We would add between 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp of turmeric. If you like a spiced rice, we would recommend this recipe:
https://mayihavethatrecipe.com/2015/08/21/sephardic-jeweled-rosh-hashanah-rice/
Rosa says
The rice in the recipe you linked is beautiful!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much!
Vicky & Ruth says
https://mayihavethatrecipe.com/2015/08/21/sephardic-jeweled-rosh-hashanah-rice/
Jenny @ BAKE says
ooo I love the idea of adding all that yummy carrot to the rice! delicious!
sunidhi says
Hi, This looks very yummy and mouth watering. definitely i will try and let u know. you have described it really good anyone can follow it . thanks for a wonderful recipe.
mayihavethatrecipe says
Thank you. This makes great side dish, our guests love it!
Leslie says
How many does this serve approx.? Thanks…looks so delicious and colorful…..
Vicky & Ruth says
It serves approximately 6-8 people.
Staci S says
Can I use sliced almonds instead of slivered??
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes, you can use sliced almonds. Just watch them carefully when you are toasting them, so they don’t burn.
leah says
I know you said the carrots turn the rice yellow and I used 4 cups of carrots but my rice did not turn yellow its white . if i knew I would have put in a little tumeric.
Vicky & Ruth says
So sorry your rice did not turn yellow. We made this recipe again this year for Rosh Hashanah and the rice turned yellow. Did you use freshly grated carrots? Because that makes a difference. Turmeric is a great addition to this recipe to add color and flavor. We hope you still enjoyed the recipe even though it did not turn yellow for you. 🙁
leah says
thank you for responding. no i did not use freshly grated. I used the shredded from my supermarket. they shred it and put it in plastic containers themselves (it was not like a pkg of dole shredded carrots) would that have made the difference . why would fresh shredded turn it yellow and not shredded carrots sitting for a few days in a container. also I meant saffron not tumeric to add yellow color=is that better. thank you
Vicky & Ruth says
Freshly shredded carrots are very juicy and their juice is what helps color the rice. Saffron will definitely give this rice a beautiful more intense color, I would try it.
leah says
sorry one more quick question . approximately how many carrots would you say you would need to get 4 cups of shredded carrots. thanks so much
Vicky & Ruth says
It will depend on the size of the carrots, but we think at least 10 medium/large size carrots. I would buy at least 12 carrots just to be safe.
leah says
I made the rice again for succos and you are so right. the freshly shredded carrots make the rice yellow and I used craisins instead of raisins-the dish was a big hit and delicious and the red craisins looked so good with the yellow rice. thanks for a great recipe that will go into my favorite recipe book.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you Leah, we are so glad we were able to be part of your holiday table.
Jill says
Can’t wait to try this with brown basmati rice! I just took a cookie sheet full of your Lemon Chia Seed Biscotti out of the oven and they look and smell wonderful!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much for sharing with us and for making our recipes!
Sara says
This looks yummy! Can I make this in advance and reheat? What s the best way to do that? (I don’t leave a big enough flame on chag to cook rice from scratch.)
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Sarah,
Yes, you can prepare this in advance and reheat. Instead of adding the almonds right away, save them and mix them in when you’re ready to serve. Hope this helps!
Be Sultani says
I am not sure if you are aware of this, but rice topped with carrots and raisins is actually a classic in Afghnistan. My mother makes this during special occasion/holidays and not trying to be a rude inconsiderate asshole, but your mother actually made an “Afghan/persian recipe” unknowingly. Depending on the region you go to, variations do exist (on spices e.t.c) but carrots and raisains are always there.
I am sure your mother is a fantastic cook but this is not really an “invention” per se. For her it may be but she actually made food from a diffrent region. Again, if I come across as rude I apologize. My point was to show that your recipe is coincidentally an afghan recipe. This is often eaten with a meat sidedish (lamb/goat/beef) and always comes out good unless you burn the rice.
Again thanks for your time in reading this long paragraph. 🙂
Vicky & Ruth says
Sorry for the delayed response. We actually didn’t know this was an Afghan/Persian recipe. Thank you for letting us know.
Miriam says
Yes!!! I recognized that too… it’s called Kabuli, a traditional Afghan dish. Although I’m Jewish and not Afghan, I grew up eating this because my best friend is Afghan. I also alerted the author to the real name because I knew that she probably didn’t realize it wasn’t a new “invention” but rather a traditional dish of another culture. It may have been accidental but the corrected name and description should be included so the author won’t be accused of cultural appropriation. Important to give credit where credit is due.
Adelman says
Last minute question – Will this be good made the day before and re-heated the next day?? Are there certain things that should be left out while re-heating and then added right before serving, like the raisins??
Thank you!
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi!
Yes, you can reheat it without a problem. Just leave the almond topping out and added it before serving. Let us know if you have any more questions 🙂
Adelman says
Thank you so much!! Excited to try it!
Sheri says
This looks delicious. Quick question, how would you recommend reheating the dish? Stove top? oven? microwave? Thanks!
Vicky & Ruth says
We would either use the microwave or the oven.
Nancy Cohen says
Can this be frozen?
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Nancy,
Yes, this dish can be frozen. The rice will not be as tasty when frozen, but it can be done. Another option is to cook the onions, carrots ahead of time and freeze them. Then the day you want to serve the rice defrost the carrot mixture and make the rice. We hope that helps.
Anna says
Any chance you can double or triple this recipe? Have you tried?
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Anna, rice can be tricky when you double or triple the recipe. If you need a larger quantity we would recommend that you make 2 or 3 separate batches instead. It will come out much better that way.
Leslie says
Can this be made a day ahead and reheated?
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes, you can reheated or serve it at room temperature. Juts make sure you use a gentle heat when re-heating. However, it is always better when made fresh.
Vic says
Nice but seems kind of bland Needs an herb, like chopped fresh sage, dash of freshly ground black/cayenne pepper.
★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Vic,
Thank you for your comment. We are sorry you found this dish to be bland. We have been eating it since we were kids and always loved it. We always encourage our readers to experiment and make our recipes their own. If you try again adding herbs or anything else, please let us know!
leah says
so not bland at all. so tasty the best rosh hashona dish
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much Leah. We also love this rice.
lauren margolin says
For a large group, i’ll need to double. Should I do that in one really large pan, or make the single recipe in two different pans.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Lauren,
We recommend making the single recipe in two different pans. Hope you enjoy it!
Robin says
I am planning to make this recipe for the holiday but a couple of guest do not like raisins. Do you have any substitute suggestions?
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Robin,
You can replace the raisins for dried cranberries or diced dried figs. You can also replace them for chopped dates, but just add the chopped dates to the rice, once is cooked and cooled.
Claire says
Do you use American basmati or Indian basmati? The cooking instructions on the box is different for each. Thanks!
Vicky & Ruth says
We use American Basmati. We usually find that the cooking instructions on the rice package use too much water and the rice tends to come out mushy. Try our rice / water ratio, and tell us what you think.
Leah Goldman says
on the 9/4/13 recipe for this you called for two cups of water, when you left message about water rice ratio I checked and see that now it says 2 1/4 cups of water. did you change the ratio since 2013 and why
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Leah,
Thank you for your comment. We must have adjusted the water for this recipe after further testing. We know you have made this recipe, so if it worked for you with 2 cups of water, you can continue using that amount of water. Sometimes, people get different results depending on their stovetop.
Leah Goldman says
Im surprised you didnt post the change so people would know. I think it could use the extra 1/4 cup of water.
Vicky & Ruth says
It is hard to reach everyone with changes.
Dylan Wittman says
This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing
Miriam says
Yes, I love this dish… I believe it’s name is “Kabuli” and it’s traditionally an Afghan dish. My best friend is Afghan so I grew up eating this at her home. Lol, so it’s definitely not anyone’s new “invention”!! What a great idea to add it to a Rosh Hashanah dinner though 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe.
★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Miriam, our mom is not familiar in Afghani cuisine, so it is very interesting that she came out with a similar dish. We will let her know. Thank you for letting us know.
Shab says
This recipe caught my eye. I am from Afghanistan and rice with carrots and raisins is one of our staples. We cook it usually in a meat broth (using lots of browned onion). We use cardamom and cumin to spice up the rice. Anyway, it is just wonderful to see how small this big world really is.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Shab, thank you for your comment. The world is small… we will have to tell her about the Afghani rice you are mentioning. The addition of Cardamom and cumin sound wonderful in this dish.
Amira Foods says
Wow! this is a simple and great recipe.
★★★★★
Patty Mitter says
Have you tried serving this cold? Looking for a make-ahead recipe. thanks!
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Patty, we usually serve this rice at room temperature, so it can be made ahead.
Mimi says
Can this rice recipe be prepared a day ahead and reheated?
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes! Absolutely. You can also serve the rice at room temperature, just take it out of the fridge 2-3 hours before your meal.
Ellen says
I made this recipe tonight, the colors were so vibrant, I should’ve taken a picture…but instead we just gobbled it up. It will be part of our holiday table from now on!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
LOL. Thank you so much! We are so happy you enjoyed it!
Amina says
This is an afghan dish called “qabli palao”
Vicky & Ruth says
Cool cultural cross over, thank you for sharing!
Fatana Olomi says
Omg! I’m afghan and we make this rice with lamb! We call it Kabuli Palow or palou. I’m so excited seeing others make similar things.