Easy Spiced Brown Rice and Quinoa - Rice Cooker

Cooked brown rice in a rice cooker with quinoa and spiced with turmeric, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, cinnamon, coriander, and lemon zest. Excellent side dish for the Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, African, and Indian Inspired main dishes and rice or Buddha bowls.

Spicing up Life

This brown rice side dish is super simple; just set it and then forget it. And not only is it straight to the point, but it’s also super delicious. It is an excellent addition to rice bowls or to change a bland side dish. The rice is aromatic with a combination of flavors you wouldn’t think would taste so well with each other, from the cinnamon to the cumin, if you didn’t have it before. It’s a must-try!

What to serve with this rice? How about trying Hot Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers with Asparagus or the popular Curried Chickpeas and Mushrooms with Spiced Brown Basmati Rice?

Ingredients

First, you'll rinse the brown basmati rice to remove any impurities. Next, add the quinoa. Then, you'll season the rice with salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin, crushed red pepper chili flakes, ground cinnamon, and ground coriander. When the rice is done, you'll fluff the rice to remove any excess moisture. Finally, zest the lemon right over the rice and the chopped parsley and combine well.

Substitutions

• Rice - You can use medium-grain brown rice or jasmine brown rice. Medium-grain brown rice refers to regular white medium-grain rice with the brain layer covering the white grain. Jasmine brown rice has a slight floral aroma. It is usually used in South East Asian and Caribbean cuisines.
• Quinoa - If you have no access to quinoa or prefer not to use it, you can omit it and use a ¼ cup of rice.
• Cinnamon Powder- You can use one cinnamon stick.
• Lemon Zest - For every tablespoon, use ¼ teaspoon dried lemon peel.
• Chop Parsley - For every two tablespoons. Use 1 teaspoon dried parsley.

Equipment

• Rice Cooker - This recipe is to be used with a rice cooker. To develop this recipe, I used my Aroma Housewares Digital Rice Cooker.
• Rice Paddle - This is suitable for the rice cooker since it will not scratch the finish of the rice cooker container and helps with fluffing the rice.

Storage

• Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, place in a 2-inch shallow pan to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container.
  The rice will last for up to four days.
• Freezer - First, follow the refrigeration process mentioned above.
  Then you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Recipe

📖 Recipe

Rice Cooker Spiced Brown Rice and Quinoa

Yellow-brown rice and quinoa side dish spiced with turmeric, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, cinnamon, coriander, and lemon zest. Excellent side dish for the Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, African, and Indian Inspired main dishes and rice or Buddha bowls.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Course Sides, Vegetarian

Cuisine African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian

Servings 3

Calories 232.28 kcal

Ingredients

  

• ¾ cup basmati brown rice
• ¼ cup quinoa
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

 

• Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking!
• Rinse the Rice: To rinse the rice, remove the insert from the rice cooker. Pour the rice into the rice cooker’s insert and fill the container halfway with water.
• Mix the rice in the water using the rice paddle to loosen up the starch and other impurities.
• Drain the water from the rice. I like to use a small sieve strainer to catch escaped rice when pouring the water out. Repeat this process two more times.
• Season the Rice: Combine with salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin, crushed red pepper chili flakes, ground cinnamon, and ground coriander in the rice cooker insert except for lemon and chopped parsley and combine using the rice paddle.
• Cook the Rice: Select the "whole grain" or "brown rice" setting on your rice cooker.
• Once the timer goes off for the cooked rice, fluff the rice with a rice paddle (a fork may scratch the non-stick coating) to help evaporate the excess liquid.
• Once the steaming slows down, zest the lemon over the rice, add the chopped parsley, and combine well.

Keyword quick and easy, dinner, meal prep, lunch, bowls, African, Asian, Mediterranean, Middle-Easter, vegetarian, vegetables, diary-free, gluten-free, healthy, rice cooker

quick and easy, dinner, meal prep, lunch, bowls, African, Asian, Mediterranean, Middle-Easter, vegetarian, vegetables, diary-free, gluten-free, healthy, rice cooker

Sides, Vegetarian

African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian

Yield: 3 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author: Maika Frederic

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Rice Cooker Spiced Brown Rice and Quinoa

Yellow-brown rice and quinoa side dish spiced with turmeric, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, cinnamon, coriander, and lemon zest. Excellent side dish for the Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, African, and Indian Inspired main dishes and rice or Buddha bowls.

Prep time: 2 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 47 Min

Ingredients US Metric

• ¾ cup basmati brown rice
• ¼ cup quinoa
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking!
2. Rinse the Rice: To rinse the rice, remove the insert from the rice cooker. Pour the rice into the rice cooker’s insert and fill the container halfway with water.
3. Mix the rice in the water using the rice paddle to loosen up the starch and other impurities.
4. Drain the water from the rice. I like to use a small sieve strainer to catch escaped rice when pouring the water out. Repeat this process two more times.
5. Season the Rice: Combine with salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin, crushed red pepper chili flakes, ground cinnamon, and ground coriander in the rice cooker insert except for lemon and chopped parsley and combine using the rice paddle.
6. Cook the Rice: Select the "whole grain" or "brown rice" setting on your rice cooker.
7. Once the timer goes off for the cooked rice, fluff the rice with a rice paddle (a fork may scratch the non-stick coating) to help evaporate the excess liquid.
8. Once the steaming slows down, zest the lemon over the rice, add the chopped parsley, and combine well.

Notes

Fluffing Rice Method

• Fluffing the rice with a fork or a paddle allows the extra moisture to evaporate, leaving you a bowl of lighter, fluffier rice.
• The method involves scooping and mixing the cooked rice within the container to allow steam to escape.

Zest

• Zesting is peeling only the skin of the citrus fruit without the white flesh, referred to as pith. The skin contains aromatic oils and is an excellent addition to recipes to intensify the flavors of a dish. A fine grater is the most convenient way to obtain the zest of the citrus fruit, usually referred to as zester or a Microplane.  

Quicker Zesting

• You can zest the lemon right over the cooked rice instead of zesting it in a separate container to prevent it from sticking. Read notes before for more detail.

Alternative to Brown Basmati Rice

• You can use medium-grain brown rice or jasmine brown rice.
• Medium-grain brown rice refers to regular white medium-grain rice with the brain layer covering the white grain.
• Jasmine brown rice has a slight floral aroma.
• It is usually used in South East Asian and Caribbean cuisines.

Quinoa Variations

• Quinoa can vary in color, and any will do for this recipe
• You can use only red quinoa
• Or a mixed quinoa

Alternative to Cinnamon Powder

• You can use 1 cinnamon stick

Alternative to Lemon Zest

• Try ¼ teaspoon dried lemon peel

Alternative to Fresh Chopped Parsley

• Try 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Storage: Refrigerator

• To store in the refrigerator, place in a 2-inch shallow pan to cool down quickly.
• Then store in an air-tight sealing container.
• The rice will last for up to four days.

Storage: Freezer

• First, follow the refrigeration process mentioned above.
• Then you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Reheat

• Thaw it out entirely in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth.
• Stovetop: I suggest heating it slowly in a saucepan on low heat covered with an ice cube, occasionally stirring to prevent scratching on the bottom of the pan.
• Microwave: Heat one to two cups in a bowl for two minutes with one ice cube and a microwave cover, stirring the dish content every minute until it is hot.

Recommended Products:

Microplane Classic Zester/Grater, Black

Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD Digital Cool-Touch Rice Grain Cooker and Food Steamer, Stainless, Silver, 4-Cup (Uncooked) / 8-Cup (Cooked)

FineDine 24-Piece Superior Glass Food Storage Containers Set - Newly Innovated Hinged Locking lids - 100% Leakproof Glass Meal-Prep Containers, Great On-the-Go & Freezer-to-Oven-Safe Food Containers

Nutrition Facts

Calories

232.28

Fat

2.38 g

Sat. Fat

0.38 g

Carbs

46.94 g

Fiber

3.43 g

Net carbs

43.51 g

Sugar

0.16 g

Protein

5.88 g

Sodium

787.12 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

These are calculations based on search results of the ingredient's nutritional information.

Similar Recipes

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Stove Top Spiced Brown Rice and Quinoa

Curried Chickpeas and Mushrooms with Spiced Brown Basmati Rice

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Food safety

• Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
• Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
• Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
• Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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