Cashew studded vegan rice pilaf, fragrant with both mellow cooked lime and the fresh sharpness of lime zest and juice added just before serving.

A black bowl containing rice pilaf, with cashew nuts, coriander (cilantro) and lime segments visible.

My home came with well established citrus trees that gift us more than we can handle, every year.

Limes are the most well used – they're so versatile in both sweet and savoury dishes, and even just a cheeky squeeze can give a lift where it’s needed most.

I use limes to dress salads, add sharpness to curry, make cheesecake, and of course, add to drinks. Try freezing excess limes, pre-chopped, to add to next summer’s drinks.

Aside from being delicious, another very good reason to use more lime in your cooking is the beneficial dose of Vitamin C it brings. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from your meal, which is important for vegetarians and vegans.

Lime and coriander rice

Think of this pilaf style rice dish as an upgrade on regular rice. It doesn't take much longer to make than plain rice, but is such an easy way to make a simple weeknight meal a little bit more special.

This basmati rice is fragrant with the mellow flavour of cooked lime and a touch of garlic and ginger. Fresh lime zest and juice added just before serving bring back some sharpness, and a handful of roasted cashews and chopped coriander (cilantro) complete the deal.

Try it as a side with curry, stir fried vegetables or marinated tofu, or just add a few steamed greens and call it a simple meal. My vegetarian children love this for dinner with some broccoli and a fried egg on top. Easy.

Other rice dishes you might like:

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Lime, cashew and coriander rice

Cashew studded vegan rice pilaf, fragrant with both mellow cooked lime and the fresh sharpness of lime zest and juice added just before serving.

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Prep time: 10

Cook time: 25

Rest time: 10

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Main meals, Side Dish, Snacks and sides

Cuisine: Gluten free, New Zealand, Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Quite Good Food

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 ½ cups basmati rice
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 lime washed and quartered
2 cloves garlic crushed or finely grated
5mm slice fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt

To serve:

½ cup roasted cashews
½ cup coriander (cilantro) chopped
Zest and juice of a lime + more lime for squeezing

INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan that has a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned.
Wash rice by rinsing well in a sieve, then add to the saucepan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to coat the grains of rice with oil and to prevent sticking.
Add the stock, water, quartered lime, garlic, ginger and salt. Turn heat up and bring to a simmer, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes undisturbed, then turn the heat off and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
To serve, remove and discard the lime segments and slice of ginger. Gently fluff the rice and stir through the cashews, coriander, and zest and juice of a lime. Serve with extra lime segments for squeezing, if you like.

RECIPE NOTES

Nutrition information is based on four servings, but this recipe can easily serve six as a side dish.
First published in the Winter 2021 issue of Nourish Magazine.