One Pot Rice and Vegetables

If you like rice and vegetables cooked as a one pot dish, this recipe is for you. If you like it a little spicy and don't mind taking some help from packaged foods, then you're really going to be happy. I have never been a successful brown rice cooker, but somehow between Uncle Ben and Thai Kitchen, I've figured this baby out. My Thai inspired rice and veggies first come together with the help of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.


This little 4 ounce jar is packed with flavor and has all the exotic spices you've come to expect when making curried Thai food. But all the work is done. There's no chopping or grinding or figuring out measurements. Sit back and check out this simple recipe.

Thai Inspired Rice and Vegetables

1 T canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 T Thai Red Curry Paste
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (use less if you're not familiar with the heat)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 14.5 oz can of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 T fish sauce (available in the International aisle of your supermarket)
1-1/2 T brown sugar- this sounds like a lot of sugar, but it adds so much to the dish, that I wouldn't cut back on it)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 red pepper sliced
4 oz fresh sugar snap peas
1 can 4 oz baby corn sliced
juice of half a lemon
2 bags Uncle Ben's Boil n Bag brown rice

Heat oil in large pot over medium/low heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic, curry paste, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir to combine and cook about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, brown sugar and black pepper. Stir again until all ingredients seem to be incorporated. Bring liquid to a boil. Add vegetables and 2 packages of rice (remove the rice from the boil-n-bags). Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove cover, add another pinch or 2 of salt, stir and cook uncovered 2 or 3 minutes more. Turn off heat and squeeze lemon juice into the rice mixture. Stir again and serve.

I love this dish. It's delicious served hot, cold or at room temp. And it can be made with different vegetables, or none at all. But what I like most about it, is that it is pretty much fool proof and in 20 minutes you've got a tasty dish to bring to the table. I consider this a lower calorie version of vegetable fried rice and would serve with an egg roll, fried shrimp or chicken fingers from the local take out and call it a meal. A delicious meal!