Vegetarian Serbian Rice Pilaf

Sorry for the long break dear foodies! I had lots of exams recently and no time for cooking. I made this recipe especially for those of you who are always on the run and want something healthy to eat. This recipe is ready really fast and feeds 8 people!  

What other ingredients do you use for rice pilafs? I love rice and I'd like to try different recipes as well.

Tips for cooking rice pilafs: How do you know how much water you need to add? Easy! 3 times the amount of rice.  It’s a 1:3 ratio. Also, boil the rice only for a couple of minutes then remove from heat and cover with a lid. This way it will absorb all the water and you’ll never have to worry again about burning the rice.

Ingredients for 6-8 servings:

1 cup rice (I used white rice. You can use round brown rice, it’s healthier)

3 cups water

1 big onion, diced

1 medium carrot, grated

1 big red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp sweet paprika (optional - it gives a lovely reddish color)

sea salt, to taste

¼ tsp ground pepper

3 tbsp unrefined oil (I used sunflower oil, you can use any type of oil you like as long as it doesn’t have a very strong flavor; unrefined cold-pressed oils are healthier)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add grated carrot and diced pepper.

Add the rice along with 3 cups of water. Stir until all ingredients are evenly spread. Add paprika, salt and pepper.

Let it boil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let it rest until all water is absorbed by the rice (10-15 minutes).

Garnish with fresh herbs and serve!