Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples

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Embark on a culinary adventure with this unique Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples! Inspired by the aromatic world of Indian cuisine, this dish offers a delightful twist on a classic. The surprising addition of sweet-tart apples and earthy celeriac creates a beautiful harmony of flavors—sweet, savory, and spicy all in one bowl. It's a vibrant, wholesome, and incredibly satisfying meal that proves vegetarian cooking is anything but boring. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it's a simple way to bring exotic flavors to your table.

A bowl of vibrant yellow vegetarian curry rice with apples, ready to be served.

Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples

Cooking: 35 minutes
Quantity: 4 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 290 kcal
Proteins: 5 g
Fats: 5.7 g
Carbohydrates: 52.5 g

Ingredients for Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples

  • 220 g basmati rice
  • 100 g apples
  • 100 g onion
  • 60 g leek
  • 70 g celeriac (celery root)
  • 2 chili peppers
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika flakes
  • 1 tsp ground red pepper
  • a handful of dried curry leaves
  • salt, sugar, olive oil

How to Make Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples

Almost all Indian dishes start with heating spices, and this recipe is no exception. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, then fry the dry curry leaves and coriander for 2 minutes.

Peel the celeriac (celery root) and cut it into thin strips. Finely chop the onion. Slice one or two chili peppers into rings (depending on their heat and your preference). Add the vegetables to the pot and sauté for a few minutes until soft.

Dried curry leaves and coriander seeds sizzling in hot oil in a pot.

Sautéing dried curry leaves and coriander in vegetable oil

Chopped celeriac, onion, and chili peppers being sautéed in a pot.

Sautéing celeriac, onion, and chili pepper

Diced apples and sliced leeks being added to the sautéed vegetables in the pot.

Adding leeks and apple pieces to the pot and cooking for 5 minutes


Slice the leek into thin rings. Dice the sweet-tart apple into small cubes, removing the core. Add the leek and apple pieces to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. It’s best not to leave Indian dishes unattended, as the spices can burn and spoil the flavor.

Dry rice and spices being mixed with vegetables in a pot before adding water.

Lightly frying dry rice in oil, adding spices, and pouring in cold water

Add the dry rice to the pot and stir it with the other ingredients so that the rice absorbs the oil and gets lightly toasted. Next, add the ground turmeric, sweet paprika flakes, ground hot pepper, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Pour cold water into the pot so that it covers the contents by about two fingers’ width. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes without a lid.

The curry rice simmering in a pot as the water is absorbed.

Boiling the rice until the water evaporates

After 10 minutes, cover the pot tightly, reduce the heat to the minimum, and cook the rice for another 15 minutes. Do not open the lid; the rice with apples needs to steam thoroughly to become fluffy but not mushy.

A close-up of the finished vegetarian curry rice with apples in a pot.

Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples

And there you have it—a fragrant and colorful bowl of Vegetarian Curry Rice with Apples, ready to be enjoyed! This dish is wonderful on its own, but for an extra touch of freshness, you can serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt or a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Feel free to adjust the amount of chili to match your preferred spice level. We hope this recipe inspires you to experiment with new flavor combinations and brings a taste of creative, globally-inspired cooking into your home. Enjoy your meal!