Veggie Rice Recipe for Diabetics

Veggie Rice recipe that is healthy and tastes delicious as well. Packed with goodness of veggies and lentils, cooked with healing spices this rice recipe is good for diabetics as well. Only thing you have o refrain is going for the second helpings 🙂

I love rice I am sure most of you too love rice. But often if you are a diabetic you are asked to stop eating rice.I am a borderline diabetic from past 4 years and still haven’t eliminated rice from my everyday meals. In this post I am sharing how I cook rice so that I can enjoy it guilt free whenever I am eating rice in my diabetic meal plans. 

Disclaimer: This post is not intended as a diet advice. I am sharing what works for me, if you have diabetes please consult your health care provider for any specific diet advice. 

Rice is tasty no doubt but also got a bed reputation especially for diabetics as starches in the rice causes sugar spikes easily and quickly. So first thing when you are detected with diabetes is to go off rice. I agree that as a diabetic you can not eat as much rice as you have been before. But if you are a borderline diabetic(pre-diabetic) like me and if rice prepared in right manner and you follow a strict portion control eating rice occasionally is okay.

Again I can’t reiterate that you must consult your health care provider first.

Ingredients for Veggie Rice

• Basmati Rice : Long grain basmati rice rinsed and soaked
• Ghee For Cooking rice. You can substitute ghee with coconut oil for vegan option.
• Spices: cumin, cloves, bay leaf, mace flower, star anise, black peppercorns
• Veggies: onions, carrots, green beans, frozen peas, mixed lentil sprouts, Coriander leaves, Mint leaves
• Seasonings: salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder

How To make Perfect Veggie Rice

• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.
• Add cumin seeds and allow them to crackle a bit.
• Now add whole spices and cook for ½ a minute till the spices are fragrant.
• Now add all the veggies and sprouts.
• Saute the veggies and sprouts for 4-5 minutes.
• Add rinsed and soaked rice and lightly saute them with veggies for 2 minutes.
• Take care to stir them gently so rice does not break.
• Add salt, red chilli,
• Now add 1cup of water, stir everything well and cover with the lid of the pressure cooker.
• Cook the rice for 2 whistles of the pressure cooker.
• Switch off the heat and after 5 minutes release the pressure of the pressure cooker and fluff the rice gently.
• Sprinkle chopped coriander, mint leaves
• Serve hot with curd and papad.

Variety of Rice Suitable for Diabetics

Long grain basmati rice has medium GI value between 50-58 which is lower as compared to many other gluttonous varieties of rice. Other than white basmati rice one can consume wild rice or brown rice occasionally.

Sona masoori rice variety from Southern India is also suitable in this recipe. 

For this veggie pulao I have used long grain white basmati rice. 

Right Way to Cook Rice

1. Cooking method of rice changes the glycemic index of rice. A few things to Keep in mind When cooking rice for diabetics. 
2. Use rice with low glycemic Index. 
3. With a glycemic index between 50 and 58, basmati rice is a low to medium glycemic index food.
4. If you have diabetes or are a prediabetic, small portions of basmati rice can be a part of your healthy diet.
5. Always rinse an d soak rice before cooking for the best results. 
6. Cook rice on slow heat.
7. Before adding water roast rice in a little bit of ghee it helps to bring down the glycemic load of the cooked rice.
8. Be mindful of what you are serving with rice. Add a lot of vegetables for fibre or pair them with protein so that it does not trigger sharp spike in sugar response.
9. Add lentil, legumes and spices like cinnamon and other whole spices. Cinnamon powder helps in better glycemic response of rice and is good for diabetics. 
10. Portion Control is most important while eating rice.

Top Tips

1. Roast rice grains with fat of your choice either ghee or coconut oil
2. Add a generous amount of pinch and whole spices that prevent sharp sugar spikes and helps in maintaining better glycemic control.

Why Should You Include Rice In Diet

• Rice is rich in vitamins and minerals. 
• It is gluten-free. 
• Rice is good for good gut bacteria and helps in maintaining good gut health. 
• Rice contains resistant starch along with copper and magnesium which is good for gut microbiome. 

More Rice Recipes

• Masala Bhat Recipe
• Sambar Sadam
• Lemon Rice Recipe
• Curd Rice
• Tehri Recipe
• Spinach & Moringa Rice
• Delicious & Easy Rice Recipes
• Egg Fried Rice 

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