7 Recipes To Spice Up Leftover Rice

When it comes to meals in Indian homes, you will never find a shortage of food in the kitchen. A staple food item, rice is cooked almost every day in an Indian household. So, it comes as no surprise when you find leftover rice in the fridge. Instead of tossing away the old rice, open up your creative windows and whip up a new dish using leftover rice. Luckily, you need not fret too much with leftover rice dishes as the main part of the cooking is done. All you need to do is add a new ingredient and you can reimagine your leftover rice into a lip-smacking new dish that you will want to eat again.

So, if you are wondering what to do with leftover rice, here are 7 recipes that will take the humble grain and turn it into something extraordinary.

1. Appam

With roots in South India, Appam is a quintessential Indian pancake made from a batter of rice, grated coconut and coconut milk. One of the best leftover rice recipes, mix your boiled rice with soaked raw rice for softer and fluffier Appams. Cook it in a greased pan till you achieve a spongy center and crispy edges.

This is one of the easiest leftover rice breakfast recipes. Serve your Appams with chutney in the morning and curries for lunch.

2. Bisi bele bath

A one-pot spicy rice dish from Karnataka, Bisi Bele Bath is South India’s take on the more popular khichdi. Made using pigeon pea lentils, rice, vegetables and spices, Bisi Bele Bath is a wholesome meal that is as healthy as easy to make. One of the lesser-tried dishes made from rice, swap your leftover rice in the recipe with soaked rice to achieve the same flavour.

Temper the dish with homemade ghee and curry leaves for a reinvented leftover rice dish. 

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3. Chicken biryani

Looking for leftover rice recipes to make something Indian? What could be better than turning day-old rice into a mouthwatering biryani? A dish loved in every non-vegetarian household; biryani recipes typically use 75 per cent cooked rice. The rice is then layered with chicken and sealed for ‘dum’ where it is cooked completely. With your leftover rice, layer as instructed but reduce the time duration of dum for a delightfully delicious dish. 

4. Kathal biryani

We love leftover rice recipes that transport us to gastronomic heaven. One such appetising recipe is the Kathal (jackfruit) biryani. A texture similar to chunks of meat or chicken, kathal is a popular Indian vegetable that can add character to any dish. Cook it with rice, whole spices and powdered masalas for a succulent meal. Instead of cooking your rice separately, use your leftover rice as layers in the biryani. 

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5. Awadhi mutton biryani

Leftover rice dishes that are spruced up with tender pieces of mutton, whole spices and authentic masalas are always crowd-pleasers. This Awadhi Mutton Biryani is cooked in an open pot till the rice and mutton absorb the delicious Persian flavours used in the dish. Instead of cooking new rice, douse the old rice in flavoured water and prepare the biryani as per the original recipe.

Sprinkle fried onions, coriander and chopped nuts for a remodified rice recipe. 

6. Gatte ke chawal

A flavourful Rajasthani dish popularly made in Marwari households, Gatte ke Chawal will revive your old rice into a scrumptious meal. Made on auspicious and traditional occasions, Gatte is boiled and deep-fried besan balls that are doused in a spicy curry with cooked rice. For an easy way to ensure your leftover rice does not go to waste, use it to prepare this dish instead of making a fresh batch. 

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7. Poda pitha

One of the most decadent dessert dishes made from rice, Poda Pitha has its native roots in Orissa. Believed to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite food, Poda Pitha is often made as a prasad that is then enjoyed as an after-meal palette enhancer. A batter of urad dal, rice, jaggery and freshly desiccated coconut is fermented and then baked on a slow flame to give the dish an elevated flavour. Instead of soaking and grinding new rice, use the leftover rice with dal to make a fluffy batter for Poda Pitha. 

Bringing to you a variety of leftover rice recipes, these 7 dishes are surprisingly delicious remakes of yesterday’s classic food item.