Brown rice often gets overlooked as the bland and boring counterpart to white rice, but this rich reservoir of antioxidants and fibre can truly shine with the right ingredients. Its high nutritional content supports digestion, stabilises blood sugar levels, and mitigates the risk of cardiovascular diseases – leading it to become a reliable wholegrain for adults and children alike.
Wondering how you can include this nutritional powerhouse into your meals? From a plate of healthy chicken rice and a steaming bowl super-food loaded fried rice to crunchy seed crackers, here’s our collection of ten enticing recipes boasting this unpolished grain, sure to delight even the most discerning palates – especially those with picky little ones!
1. Chicken Rice & Greens Mega Bowl
This wholesome, well-balanced dish is a testament to the harmonious marriage of protein and greens. Eating healthy has never been so easy, with a carefully laid out bowl of brown rice, grilled chicken, avocado, kale and brussels sprouts!
2. Brown Fried Rice With Carrot, Cabbage & Red Onion
A fried rice recipe that is nourishing, makes use of leftovers, and delicious is a fried rice recipe that checks all the boxes. The medium-grain brown rice used here calls for a moist and tender mouthfeel, which clumps together with a jumble of carrot, cabbage and more to make sure you have all you can get in each bite.
3. Brown Rice Congee With Fried Garlic
Patiently simmered and served with meat, congee is classic savoury Chinese porridge that can be served any time of the day, especially enjoyed as breakfast and paired with dim sum. Our extra wholesome take on the recipe enlists chicken breast fillet, brown rice and toasted sesame seeds – making for a simple but comforting dish that’ll satisfy anybody. Just don’t forget the garlic-infused oil for that fragrant, finishing touch!
4. Teriyaki Poke Bowls
Versatile, wholesome, and perfectly suitable for the lunch box, these fresh and yummy teriyaki poke bowls make for a gorgeous homemade meal packed full of protein, fibre and vitamins. With a little effort put into planning, we guarantee they can save you a little money on the long run, too.
5. Salmon & Brown Rice Salad
This nice, quick and wholesome salad uses only three ingredients, but is sure to fill and fuel you up for the rest of the day. You can even serve with lemon for a little zing, or soy sauce for a bit of savoury goodness.
6. Healthy Nasi Lemak
A regular nasi lemak can get up to nearly 900 calories, especially if you add a piece of fried chicken. If you love nasi lemak but don’t want the calories, try this healthy version by chef Alexandra Prabaharan. This tasty 398-calorie nasi lemak recipe comes with clever substitutions for ingredients and cooking methods (i.e. to use less cooking oil), so you can still have your fragrant rice dish without the added calories.
7. Seed Crackers
Munch on-the-go with these healthy and crunchy gluten-free crackers which also have an excellent shelf life as a bonus. Keep them as large sheets to break up as you choose, or score them on the oven tray into smaller pieces before baking to keep them conveniently bite-sized.
8. Tuna & Edamame Rice Bowl
This recipe is about making the most of what you have time and ingredients-wise. Throwing in frozen edamame, capsicum, celery and more together with your tuna slices, you would find that this rice bowl is competently economic and tasty while requiring very little time.
9. Hearty Slow Cooker Biryani With Succulent Beef Chunks
We know the tender, juicy mouthfeel that slow cookers lend beef, but have you ever wondered how it would taste in the context of biryani? This hearty recipe is substantial and vivid, with flavourful hunks of meat served atop brown rice, yoghurt, cashews and coriander – bringing a completely new dimension to the traditional biryani we know and love.
10. Brown Rice & Roast Pumpkin Salad
Roast pumpkin, maple syrup and soy sauce come together as an unlikely but mind-boggling combination that will absolutely sweep you off your feet. Here’s how to create an appetising and refreshing salad without the regular thousand island, sesame or mayonnaise for dressing.
