Name: Bengali vegetable fried rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Basmati rice (soaked for 15 minutes); 1 cup carrots (diced); 1 cup French beans (chopped 1 cm in length); 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen); 3-4 fresh gren chillis (slit (optional)); 6-7 cashews; 8-10 raisins; 1 bay leaf; 2-3 pods cardamon; 2 inch cinamon stick; 2-3 cloves; 2 tsp sugar; 2 tsp garam masala; 2 tsp crushed black pepper; 2 tsp salt (or to taste); 2 tbsp ghee

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A light and flavourful rice recipe with vegatable and dry fruits from the Bengali cuisine.

This Bengali vegetable fried rice is one of my favourite rice recipes. And it is a super special one since, it has been passed down from my dida, maternal grandmother, to my mum and me. Dida would make this for us, at least once, whenever we visited my grans, during our summer vacations in Kolkata. And what a joyous day that would be for me and my cousins. We anyways loved this fried rice she made, and along with it would follow, yummy dhokar dalna, bhaja mooger dal and mangsho! What glorious days were those.

Coming back to the recipe, though at a glance, it looks similar to the vegetable pulao, it isn’t. Our fried rice here, also has a touch of sweetness to it. Yes, like most Bengali vegetarian foods, sugar is a crucial ingredient here too, yet it is not overtly sweet. In fact, it is just the right amount to balance all flavours going on in there. This vibrant rice, is a beautiful amalgamation of sweet, spicy and savoury flavours. You will soon find out.

Quick and easy recipe

You are going to be able to cook this gorgeous meal well within 20 minutes. The fried rice sure looks more fancy, for the short time it takes to make it. While I have chopped some fresh vegetables here, you can go ahead with a pre-cut frozen pack, to make it even quicker. You can add any vegetables of your choice. Even though, carrots, beans and peas are the ones generally used, you could also add sweet corn, peppers or cauliflower florets. The choice is completely yours.

There isn’t a lengthy cooking process involved here as well. The recipe has just three simple steps:

cutting the veggies
sautéing them
cooking them with the rice

It is that easy. Therefore, it is one of my go to recipes when I have guests at home and I don’t really want to cook an elaborate meal. I love making this Bengali vegetable fried rice, for family and friends. It is delicious and everybody enjoys it too. Moreover, this vegetable fried rice, is popular with vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Unlike biryanis, where there are fixed preferences, for say either chicken or vegetable, this is a trusted bet. For a vegan meal, you can replace ghee with any regular cooking oil. There recipe otherwise remains the same.

Ghee bhaat

However, even though it is this a quick and easy recipe, don’t underestimate its taste. The fragrance of ghee, the dry fruits, the crunchy and vibrant vegetables along with the flavoured rice, make this a delectable feast. In some Bengali homes, this is also known as ghee bhaat, since the rice (bhaat) is cooked in a generous amount of ghee.

You can team this up with dals and/or curries. They are a yummy meal combination. In fact, I so love the flavours in this Bengali vegetable fried rice, that I can have it as is! This is also the perfect rice prep for the summers. Since, we generally tend to avoid a more oil and spice heavy meal, this light and delicious fried rice is perfect. So, there you have it, another summer recipe for you. Also, don’t the colours on the rice actually depict the season’s feels 🙂

Here are some recipes that will work wonderfully with this fried rice:

Doi maach – Bengali fish curry with yoghurt

Chaenar dalna – Bengali style curried paneer

Bhaja moong dal (Bengali roasted moong dal)

So, do give this lovely, fragrant Bengali vegetable fried rice a shot soon. I will wait for your reviews, on how you liked it 🙂

Eat hearty!