Often when my husband travels and I am cooking for one, I look for slow-cooking-one-pot recipes. A.k.a the lazy person’s pot.
Flavorful and easy, they cook up slowly while I can go about doing my business. And when I’m ready to eat, voila- the pot is all mine! This was one such attempt. I wanted to make vegetable brown rice pilaf, and decided to zest it up with a some spices and lots of veggies. I usually find that brown rice takes forever to cook, and never comes out as fluffy as white rice. However, I let the rice cook in all the vegetables such that it soaked up the flavors, and was really light and soft by the time it was done. And I loved that I didn’t require any boullion or stock.
And in an attempt to create rice balls without any baking or frying, I rolled them into little balls and covered it up in some crushed puffed rice- for a delectable crunch and a nicer presentation! After all, just because I am eating alone never means that the food has to look less pretty. 
Depending on how many of these little ones you end up devouring, it can be an appetizer or a main.
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No-Fry Veggie Brown Rice Balls
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
No-bake, No-fry Slow-cooked Brown Rice Balls.
Ingredients
For the rice
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) brown rice
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) chickpeas, boiled
- 1 small potato, cut into cubes
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) grated carrots
- 1 cup (240 ml) baby spinach leaves
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coriander powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp amchoor (dry mango) powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2 cloves, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 green cardamom
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For coating (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) puffed rice or rice crackers, crushed
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep pan and add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, garlic, ginger, onions and cumin seeds and cook till onion turns transparent.
- Add the brown rice and stir till well so that all the grains of rice are coated with oil.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except the amchoor and spinach leaves, along with 3 cups of water.
- Cover and cook on low-medium flame for 40-45 minutes, till the rice is really soft and all the liquid has been absorbed. Add more water in case the rice is not cooked or if required.
- Add the spinach leaves and amchoor and cook for a few minutes on high flame till the spinach just wilts.
- Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf, cardamom and pieces of cloves (if you can find them!) Keep aside to cool. (You’ll be amazed how flavorful the rice is since it cooked in the fresh vegetable broth.)
- Put a tsp of the rice in your palms and roll into small balls. Coat with the crushed rice puffs (optional) and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 310
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is amchoor and why is it added at the end of cooking?
Amchoor is a powder made from dried raw green mangoes that adds a tart, fruity acidity to the dish. The recipe uses 1 tsp and adds it only in the final step — along with the spinach — on high heat for a few minutes. Adding it at the end preserves its brightness; prolonged cooking would mellow the sourness and muddy the flavor.
Does brown rice really cook properly just in the vegetable liquid without stock?
Yes — the article notes that the author was surprised by the result: the rice cooks for 40–45 minutes on low-medium heat covered, absorbing the liquids released by the tomatoes, carrots, chickpeas, potato, and spices along with 3 cups of water. The article says the rice came out “really light and soft” and flavored naturally from the vegetables, with no bouillon or stock needed.
Is the puffed rice coating required to make the balls hold together?
No — the ingredients list and instructions both mark the puffed rice coating as optional. The article says the author added the coating for “a delectable crunch and nicer presentation” rather than structural necessity. The cooked, cooled rice pilaf is sticky enough to roll into balls on its own.
