Leftover Rice Recipes: 5 Creative Ideas to Transform Cooked Rice

The variety of rice and cooking methods decide the quality & quantity of the cooked rice. In general, one cup of raw rice yields around three cups of cooked rice. Still, leftover rice is a common sight in households. In the USA, it is common practice to not leave any leftover food. Hence, leftover rice recipes are popular among the Indians residing in the United States of America.

Introduction

In many households, leftover rice is common, which leaves us pondering over the different ways of reusing it. Whether it’s from the excess batch of cooking or last night’s dinner, wasting food is a practice that is best avoided. In the USA households, this practice is common and everyone strives to reuse the leftover cooked rice. It is especially true for the Indians residing in the United States of America. The implementation of ingenuity can transform the leftover rice into assorted delectable dishes that can be either snacks, sweets, or even main courses. 

In this curated collection of leftover rice recipes, you will find a plethora of options to tantalize your taste buds. With these recipes, not only the food wastage will be minimized but also an element of convenience will be added to meal planning.

Here are the Top 5 Best Leftover Rice Recipes You Can Try:

IDLI

Soak leftover lice (2 cups) and urad dal (1 cup) overnight. Make a smooth batter by grinding the dal. Then, add rice to it and grind again. Mix well, and add salt to taste. Allow the batter to ferment for 8-12 hours in a warm place. Then, grease the idli molds, pour batter, & steam for 10-12 minutes. Now, unmold the idlis and serve hot with chutney or sambar.

RICE PAKORA

Mash leftover rice in a bowl. Add chopped onion, spices, gram flour, green chilies, and salt to the mashed rice. Slowly add some water to create a thick batter. Then heat oil and drop spoonfuls of batter. Fry it until the color becomes golden brown. Serve this crispy rice pakora with ketchup or chutney.

RICE CUTLET

Mash leftover rice in a bowl. Add mashed potatoes, veggies, and spices to the mashed rice. Make the shape of patties. Then use cornflour mixture or egg for dipping the patties. Next, coat these with breadcrumbs. Fry these until they become crisp (golden color). Serve these crispy rice cutlets with sauce or chutney.

LEMON RICE

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, peanuts, dal, chilies, and curry leaves. Then, saute this mixture. Thereafter, sprinkle turmeric and add this to the leftover rice. Then, squeeze lemon, add salt & mix. Add toppings of cilantro and enjoy tangy lemon rice.

FRIED RICE

Heat oil in a pan and add onions, ginger, and garlic. Then, saute this mixture. Thereafter, stir it with diced vegetables and cook until it becomes tender. You may or may not add scrambled eggs to the mixture. Now, add rice to this mixture along with soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Keep stirring and heating until all the ingredients get mixed properly. 

Epilogue

The compilation of leftover rice recipes reduces food waste and inspires culinary creativity. You can prepare a quick snack or a hearty meal using the extra rice from last night’s dinner. So, choose your favorite recipe and make the best use of the leftover rice.