Cooking With Leftovers: How To Re-Use Cooked Rice: 5 East Tips

One of the biggest struggles with leftovers? Nobody really loves eating the exact same thing twice. Sound familiar? Picture this: a table full of picky eaters refusing to touch yesterday's dal or curry that's made a comeback at dinner. "Every meal should be freshly made. Food is enjoyed best when there is variety in every meal," says one of my friends, who's all about keeping things fresh and exciting on the plate. But here's the thing - wasting food isn't just bad; it's heartbreaking when so many go without. So, why not give your leftovers a makeover? Add a pinch of creativity and turn yesterday's rice into something so delicious, it'll disappear before you know it. This guide is all about taking your leftover rice and making it the star of the meal.

Why Rice Deserves A Second Chance In Your Kitchen

Rice is quite a tricky ingredient. You let it sit in the refrigerator for too long and you'll have a clumpy rice cake. Interestingly, leftover rice, especially the plain, boiled version can be put to a range of uses. While I just like mixing it with lemon juice, achaar, chutney or some leftover dal, my roommate works wonders with leftover rice by cooking lemon rice, curd rice, tomato or tamarind rice in a jiffy. These are extremely easy to put together and require no Cordon Bleu cooking skills or fancy ingredients.

Here Are 5 Clever Ways to Use Leftover Rice:

1. Use Them To Make Idlis And More

South India enjoys a long-lasting, celebrated affair with rice. No meal in South India would ever pass muster without a generous helping of rice. If one has to learn how to put leftover rice to use, it is a good idea to ask a South Indian friend. One of my dear friends shared his mother's ingenious use of leftover rice to make idlis and even fried snacks. All you need is to blend rice into a paste and use it in the batter while making idlis, dosas, crepes, pakoras, cutlets or pancakes.

2. Make Karnataka's Favourite - Akki Roti

People in Karnataka can't get enough of akki roti. The flat roti-like bread is Karnataka's take on the usual chappati minus wheat flour cooked with rice flour and other flavourings instead. To incorporate cooked rice into the preparation, make a paste out of boiled rice, mix it with rice flour to make a dough and throw in some chopped onions, grated coconut, and finely chopped coriander leaves. These are cooked like regular rotis with a drizzle of oil.
 

3. Turn Them Into Steaming Fried Rice

Those who aren't fond of cooking can quickly work leftover rice into a delectable fried version. I usually add leftover curry to a wok with a bit of water, let it simmer and add rice to it. One option is to heat oil in a pan, add ingredients for tempering (cumin, saunf, mustard seeds) onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chillies, salt, soy sauce - and sauté. Add rice, let it cook and serve. You can also add in eggs to arrive at egg-fried rice.

4. Bake It, Stuff It, Or Crisp It

Leftover rice can easily be teamed with masalas, fried and stuffed in other veggies to be baked to perfection. One of the best uses of leftover rice would be to replace sticky or Arborio rice with arancini. With experiments like these, not only will you wow your guests and family with your creativity but also put leftovers to use, curbing food wastage.

5. Turn Leftover Rice Into Sweet Treats

Next comes one of my favourites - when you've got cooked rice left, why not make kheer out of it? Yes, not surprisingly, one of the easiest ways to re-use cooked rice is to use the goodness of milk, dunk in some nuts, cardamom and other friends and cook till it is nice, creamy and aromatic.

Here Are 4 Quick Leftover Rice Recipes That'll Save Your Day:

1. Chitraana - South India's favourite, ready in just 20 minutes. 
2. Vaghrela Chawal - Straight from Gujarat comes this classic with an addition of onions, cardamom and cinnamon.
3. Leftover Chicken Curry Pulao - This is what needs to be done with the leftover chicken and rice. Combine the two and that makes for a meal for two!
4. Raw Mango Pulao - Cooked rice, raw mango pieces and spices come together to create this exquisite pulao.

If you happen to have an innovative way to cook up something sensational with leftover rice, share it with us in the comment box below. Happy cooking!

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