I am happy to share my all-time favorite variety rice today. It is the Onion Rice or Vengaya Saadam as we say in Tamil. A simple rice recipe prepared with onion and flavored with fennel seeds and garam masala.
Easy Rice Recipe
I want to thank my mom for sharing this easy peasy rice recipe. I remember carrying it on my lunch box, and now the onion rice saga continues. And I still take it on my lunch box so does my husband and my son. We all love this simple rice that it needs only minimal spices and ingredients.
The fennel seeds add all the magic and flavor to this rice. We need 2 tbsps of fennel for 1 cup of uncooked rice. I might sound a lot, but please do not skip that. I am sure you will love the flavor. But care should be taken while frying the fennel seeds. If the oil is too hot and if you cook for a long time, it might taste bitter. So always temper fennel seeds over medium-low heat.
You can use leftover rice for this recipe, but I went with freshly made for today. Ensure the rice is cooled down completely. If I am packing for lunch, I make the rice overnight and allow it to cool. And in the morning I prepare the simple onion masala and mix the rice. That’s it.
This onion rice is perfect for any day. When you are running out of vegetables or when the time is pressing, you can prepare this rice quickly. I made a quick video also. As the video had some external noise (still learning video), I had to make it as a tasty-style video. Here is my onion rice recipe under the variety rice meal plan. Please do subscribe to my channel and share your feedback.
Onion Rice | Vengaya Saadam Recipe
Ingredients:
- Raw Rice – 1 cup
- Water – 2 cups
- Onion – 1 (chopped length-wise)
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp
- Green chilies – 2
- Bay Leaf – 1 (optional)
- Garam Masala – 1 tsp heaped
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Salt – 1.5 tsp
- Chopped Cilantro – 1 tbsp
Steps:
- Cook the rice by adding two cups of water in your preferred way. You can use leftover rice also.
- Heat the pan and add oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Saute for a minute and then add the chopped green chilies and the bay leaf.
- Fry for 30 seconds and then add the onion, followed by garam masala and turmeric powder.
- Mix well and then add the salt.
- Cook this over low heat until the onion turns soft and translucent. (It takes approximately 5 minutes)
- Turn off the heat and add the rice. Mix thoroughly without any lumps.
- Then add the chopped cilantro. Mix well and serve it hot with onion raita or your favorite raita.
Notes:
- You can use any rice variety, be it sona masoori or basmati.
- Also, adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
Onion Rice | Vengaya Saadam
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw Rice
- 2 cups Water
- 1 Onion chopped length-wise
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp Fennel seeds
- 2 Green chilies
- 1 Bay Leaf optional
- 1 tsp Garam Masala heaped
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the rice by adding two cups of water in your preferred way. You can use leftover rice also.
- Heat the pan and add oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Saute for a minute and then add the chopped green chilies and the bay leaf.
- Fry for 30 seconds and then add the onion, followed by garam masala and turmeric powder.
- Mix well and then add the salt.
- Cook this over low heat until the onion turns soft and translucent. (It takes approximately 5 minutes)
- Turn off the heat and add the rice. Mix thoroughly without any lumps.
- Then add the chopped cilantro. Mix well and serve it hot with onion raita or your favorite raita.
Video
Notes
- You can use any rice variety, be it sona masoori or basmati.
- Also, adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
P.S. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!
Can this be tried with Brown rice or Quinoa?
Definitely. I have tried it with brown rice and millet so why not with quinoa?
So is it the same procedure.. We cook millet/quinoa and then mix it like how you’ve said in the recipe?
Yes, that’s correct.
I had a question. R u using the thick fennel seeds? Not the flavored ones which you get in shops right?
Yes, the green ones. Not the flavored ones. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DP8QEDG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Vc0yDbZ6K8EAN