Vegan Masala Basmati Casserole

September 23, 2012 by Leanne Vogel August 21, 2017

One pot Indian meal filled with the flavors of biryani – fresh vegetables, masala, tender basmati rice, but with minimal prep work.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
• 1 cup red onion
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
• 3 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• 1.5 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• pinch of chili (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ cup brown basmati rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 medium sweet potato, diced (yield 1 cup)
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1 medium yellow or orange bell pepper, diced (yield 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup raisins – I used red flame raisins
• large pinch saffron

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and lightly oil a deep 2 liter casserole dish with half the coconut oil.
2. Heat remaining coconut oil over medium-high heat and saute onions for 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add the onion mix and remaining ingredients to the prepared casserole dish.
4. Cover and place in the preheated oven for 75-80 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
5. Allow to sit with the lid tight for 5-10 minutes to allow the rice to continue to soften.
6. Serve alongside additional protein, if required. Can be packaged in air-tight containers and frozen for up to 2 months.

Notes

Pump up the protein by adding in cooked lentils or chickpeas before or after cooking. For a non-vegan protein idea, try adding slices of hard boiled egg after the casserole comes out of the oven.

Nutrition Information Per Serving