One-Pot Podi Rice (South Indian Chili Garlic Peanut Rice)

Podi rice made with a dry chili garlic peanut chutney, is a super flavorful Indian fried rice. One-pot gluten-free meal, nutfree option. It’s packed with garlic, dry chilies, and curry leaves and packs a flavor punch!

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This super flavorful Podi Rice is the Indian fried rice you need in your repertoire! The chili garlic curry leaf (podi) chutney(think dryish curry paste), tossed with veggies, tofu and rice, elevates the entire dish to flavor town! The chutney is often used in South Indian cuisine to serve as a side with idli (that’s steamed rice and lentil cakes) or other sides. You will want to double, triple or quadruple this recipe and keep some dry chutney on hand to serve with other South Indian or Maharashtrian dishes.

Usually the podi ingredients anre dry toasted or lightly cooked before blending to make the chutney. We don’t need to are cook the podi chutney ingredients, because we are going to cook the mix when we make the rice. If you want to keep the podi chutney for longer, you want to saute the garlic a little bit in oil and roast the peanuts, then make the chutney and store. 

Why You’ll Love Podi Rice

• Easy to make, one pot meal
• Packed with flavor
• Gluten-free with soy-free and nut-free options
• Addictive podi chutney that’s delicious in all kinds of dishes!

I use a mix of rice and quinoa here. You can use all rice, all quinoa or brown rice or other cooked grains as well.

More Quick Rice Recipes

• Cajun Dirty Rice
• Indo Chinese Fried Rice
• Baked 1 pan Mushroom Rice
• Instant Pot Teriyaki Fried Rice

Podi Rice (South Indian Chili Garlic Peanut Rice)

5 from 5 votes

By: Vegan Richa

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

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Podi rice made with a dry chili garlic peanut podi chutney, is a super flavorful Indian fried rice. One-pot gluten-free meal, nutfree option

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Equipment

• food processor

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the podi chutney:

• ▢ 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled
• ▢ 2 tablespoons raw peanuts, or roasted unsalted peanuts
• ▢ 10 curry leaves, fresh or frozen or dried
• ▢ 2 dried red chilies, or one large Kashmiri red chili. The Kashmiri chilies are less spicy. Use cayenne or Indian red chilies for hotter.
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sugar

For the rice:

• ▢ 3/4 cup White Indian Basmati rice
• ▢ 1/4 cup quinoa, or use more white basmati rice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups water

For the chutney rice stir fry:

• ▢ 2 teaspoons oil, divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 6 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• ▢ 7 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, red or green or a mix of both
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped carrots and peas
• ▢ 1/2 cup other chopped vegetables that you like, such as cauliflower, green beans or edamame
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce, , use tamari for gluten-free, coconut aminos for soyfree
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice

For garnish:

• ▢ cilantro and more lemon juice

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

Make the podi chutney:

• Add the garlic, peanuts, curry leaves, red chili, salt, and sugar to a food processor and process until the garlic and the peanuts are chopped up into a course meal kind of texture. You want to pulse it or process it for 15 seconds, then scrape the sides and then process again. Depending on the size of the chili, it can get stuck in the food processor, and so can the garlic cloves. I'm using a mini food processor. If your food processor is much larger, and you're having a tough time processing the mixture, you can also use a smaller blender to do this or just double the recipe for your food processor.

Make the rice:

• Wash and drain the rice and quinoa and add to a saucepan with the salt and water and cook it over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until the water is rapidly boiling. Then, reduce the heat to medium low, partly cover the pot, and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the rice and quinoa are cooked to preference. Switch off the heat, fluff really well, and set aside.

Make the podi stir fry:

• Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Once hot add the mustard seeds and let them start to pop or change color significantly. Then add the curry leaves and the tofu and cook until the tofu is golden around the edges. Stir once or twice to get more of the edges of the tofu to turn golden.
• One tofu is cooked, add all of the garlic-chili-peanut podi chutney mix into the pan and mix really well. Add another teaspoon of oil and cook until the garlic does not smell raw. This will take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. Then add in the peppers, vegetables, coriander, turmeric, and salt and mix really well. Add in the soy sauce and mix in and cook until the veggies are tender-crisp to preference, then add in the cooked rice-quinoa mixture and lemon juice and mix really well.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid. Let it steam for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, open the lid, and fluff the rice mixture again.
• Close the lid and let it sit for a few minutes for the podi flavor to meld and get stronger, before serving. Garnish with cilantro and more lemon juice, as needed.

Video

Notes

Store: store in a closed container refrigerated for upto 3 days.

Serve: You can serve this rice on its own, as it is very flavorful with all of the garlic, or you can also serve it with some coconut chutney, sambar, or any dal or raita or just plain, non-dairy yogurt spiced with salt and cumin.

Brown rice. Just cook your brown rice however you like and add 2 cups of the cooked rice into the pan when the veggies are done cooking, mix well. Add a bit more salt, if needed.

To make this soy-free omit the tofu or use soy-free tofu, such as pumpkin seed tofu or mychickpea tofu.. You can also use a cup of cooked chickpeas instead.

To make this peanut-free, use other nuts, such as cashews or almond slivers. To make it completely nut free, use sunflower seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 613mg, Potassium: 378mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2616IU, Vitamin C: 147mg, Calcium: 129mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• podi chutney – This is a flavorful mix of garlic, raw peanuts (aka green peanuts), curry leaves, dried red chilies, salt, and sugar. Use other nuts or sunflower seeds in place of the peanuts, if needed.
• rice and quinoa – The mixture of rice and quinoa gives this dish move texture, flavor, fiber, and protein than rice on its own. You can also use brown rice, if you prefer.
• mustard seeds and curry leaves – These whole spices give the stir fry an amazing flavor! Use fresh or frozen curry leaves.
• tofu – Tofu brings the protein. You can use soy-free tofu like pumpkin seed tofu or my chickpea tofu. A cup of cooked chickpeas will also work in place of the tofu in this recipe.
• veggies – Bell pepper and peas and carrots bring flavor and texture to this podi rice stir fry. You’ll also add extra veggies of your choice, like cauliflower or edamame.
• salt and dried spices – These boost the flavor of the stir fry even more!
• lemon juice – Lemon adds acidity to brighten up all of the gorgeous flavors in this dish.

Tips

• To make it completely nut free, use sunflower seeds.
• Do press your tofu. You can prep all of the veggies while it presses, and it makes the texture so much better.
• Don’t skimp on cooking the tofu! Take the time to let it turn golden on the edges for the best texture and flavor.
• Make sure you fluff the rice well after cooking for the best texture.

How to Make Podi Chutney Rice

Add the garlic, peanuts, curry leaves, red chili, salt, and sugar to a food processor and process until the garlic and the peanuts are chopped up into a course meal kind of texture. You want to pulse it or process it for 15 seconds, then scrape the sides and then process again.

Depending on the size of the chili, it can get stuck in the food processor, and so can the garlic cloves.

I’m using a small, 3 cup food processor. If your food processor is much larger, and you’re having a tough time processing it, you can also use a smaller blender to do this or just double the recipe for your food processor.

Wash and drain the rice and quinoa and add to a saucepan with the salt and water and cook it over medium heat for six to seven minutes or until the water is rapidly boiling.

Then, reduce the heat to medium low, partly cover the pot, and cook for another eight to 10 minutes or until the rice and quinoa are cooked to preference.

Switch off the heat, fluff really well, and set aside.

Heat a teaspoon oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and let them start to pop or change color significantly.

Add the curry leaves and the tofu and cook until the tofu is golden around the edges. Stir once or twice to get more of the edges of the tofu to turn golden.

One tofu is cooked, add all of the garlic-chili-peanut podi chutney mix into the pan and mix really well.

Add another teaspoon of oil and cook until the garlic does not smell raw. This will take anywhere from three to five minutes.

Now, add in the peppers, vegetables, coriander, turmeric, and salt and mix really well. Stir in the soy sauce and and cook until the veggies are tender-crisp to preference, then add in the cooked rice-quinoa mixture and lemon juice and mix really well. 

Reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid. Let it steam for two minutes, then turn off the heat, open the lid, and fluff the rice mixture again.

Close the lid and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and more lemon juice, as needed. 

Frequently Asked Questions