23 Rice Dishes From Around The World
Discover 23 incredible rice dishes from congees to risottos. Elevate your meals with global flavors and creative cooking techniques!
Rice is a beloved staple in cuisines across the globe, with endless ways to prepare and enjoy it. No matter how many rice recipes I explore, I’m always amazed by the unique flavors and techniques each dish brings. From fragrant biryanis to comforting risottos and perfectly seasoned fried rice, this versatile grain is the foundation of so many incredible meals. In this guide, I’ve rounded up 23 of the best rice dishes I’ve featured on the show (so far)! Whether you’re planning a special dinner or just looking for creative ways to cook the rice sitting in your pantry, these recipes will take your meals to the next level. Get ready to discover new favorites and bring the flavors of the world to your kitchen!
INDIA
“Rasam Rice is a tangy, spicy tomato and lentil soup served over steamed rice and ghee. I especially love it when it’s a cold or rainy day or when I’m feeling a little under the weather. To me, it’s like a hug in a bowl.”
Submitted By: Anu
How To Make It:
INDONESIA
“It is sweet and savory at the same time. The porridge is from black glutinous rice. It is a very simple dessert, but it has a very taste and texture.”
Submitted By: Ratri
How To Make It:
THAILAND
“Khao Mun Gai kind of translates to ‘rice with chicken fat’. The dish is made of poached chicken and the stock you use to poach the chicken is then used to make rice.”
Submitted By: Siri
How To Make It:
HAITI
“The djondjon mushroom is found in northern Haiti and grows during the rainy season. The mushrooms are used to give the rice its iconic black color. It’s a dish that all Haitians know and love. Djondjon is a rare delicacy and is therefore usually reserved for parties and celebrations.”
Submitted By: Nayika
How To Make It:
IRAN
“It’s the perfect marriage of sweet and sour and it’s very delicious. It’s a totally unexpected taste from the red vibrancy of the cherries.”
Submitted By: Nina
How To Make It:
SINGAPORE
“It’s not the most aesthetic-looking dish, but it’s perfect for a quick, lazy meal and it’s what I think of when it comes to comfort food.”
Submitted By: Shareffa
How To Make It:
Nasi Kicap Telur
Ingredients:
White Rice
Eggs
Green Onions
Sweet Soy Sauce (Kecap Manis)
Directions:
Cook your rice in a rice cooker. Fry your eggs sunny side up. Top the hot rice with the fried eggs, a drizzle of the sweet soy sauce, and some chopped green onions.
INDONESIA
“You can use any kind of fried chicken you like. The idea is to absorb the fried chicken flavor into the rice. It’s super easy to make!”
Submitted By: Frida
How To Make It:
Fried Chicken Rice
Ingredients:
White Rice
Fried Chicken
Green Onions
Soy Sauce
Directions:
Add your rice and water to the rice cooker. Place the fried chicken pieces on top. Add a few stalks of green onions and a splash of soy sauce. Cook according to your rice cooker. When the rice is cooked, shred the chicken from the bones (remove bones) and mix everything together. Serve right away!
CHINA
“It looks like a regular mango smoothie, but the twist here is that is has cooked glutinous rice. It is a street-style dessert found in the Southwestern province.”
Submitted By: Alex
How To Make It:
CYPRUS
“It’s this super lovely lentil stew with rice. A gray, dull day is the day for me to enjoy a bowl of fagi. It has a lovely citrus-y feel from the lemon juice. It has a richness from the olive oil, but also those earthy notes from the lentils.”
Submitted By: Ed
How To Make It:
VIETNAM
“What happens is when the tomato is cooked with the rice, it turns really plump. Then you get a paddle and smash the tomato in with the rice and you end up with a sort of tomato sauce that coats the rice. It’s so delicious.”
Submitted By: Mai
How To Make It:
GREECE
“It basically translates to ‘spinach and rice’. Spanakorizo represents the historical, agricultural, and dietary practices of the Greeks dating back centuries and is a symbol of Greek identity, representing the rich history and love of food.”
Submitted By: Joanna
How To Make It:
LAOS
“Crispy rice salad. This dish can be served by itself, but it’s typically served as a lettuce wrap. It’s savory, spicy, sweet, crispy, tangy. Rice is an important part of the Lao culture.”
Submitted By: Leslie
How To Make It:
AFGHANISTAN
“What I love most is its richness in flavor. It’s hearty, it’s filling, and it can easily stand on its own as a complete meal. Rice plays an important part in Afghan cuisine, where a meal is never complete without it.”
Submitted By: Morwarid
How To Make It:
THE PHILIPPINES
“It’s a sweet chocolate porridge. The experience is not complete without fried tuyo; a sun-dried, salt-cured herring. This is one of those recipes that’s stood the test of time.”
Submitted By: Christian
How To Make It:
VENEZUELA
“Chicha is basically a cereal smoothie that you serve very cold. The ingredients are pineapple peels, rice, sugar, and some spices. It’s very hard to mess up. Give it a try, I don’t think you’re going to regret it.”
Submitted By: Rafaela
How To Make It:
INDIA
“Pidi is not a very common dish across Kerala, it’s not a very famous dish. The rice undergoes such a vigorous process of powdering, wetting, roasting, kneading, and finally being cooked in coconut milk, which makes it extremely tasty.”
Submitted By: Nihal
How To Make It:
ITALY
“The key ingredient for risotto is the rice. Risotto is a rice cooking technique that originates in Northern Italy, but nowadays it’s common in the whole country. This specific variety of risotto has very humble origins and roots in the rural tradition.”
Submitted By: Cristian
How To Make It:
PUERTO RICO
“It’s the national dish of Puerto Rico and a staple in many Puerto Rican homes. It is characterized by its golden yellow color. I like this dish because it represents Puerto Rico’s unique blend of influences. The ingredients don’t overpower one another. They work together beautifully to create a comforting and memorable meal.”
Submitted By: Debilee
How To Make It:
VIETNAM
“Sticky rice with black beans. It is both a savory and a sweet dish. It has a lot of fun textural elements that all come together at the end. I love the crunchiness of the toppings, but also the richness that the coconut lends to the sticky rice.”
Submitted By: Thi
How To Make It:
SOUTH KOREA
“It’s this hearty, wholesome bowl of rice porridge. It just melts on your tongue. This is the perfect dish for when you need some warm comfort or if you’re hit with a seasonal cold. Rice porridge is the go-to food to regain your strength.”
Submitted By: Vi-Nha
How To Make It:
USA/JAPAN
“It’s delicious. What makes it is the rice you have to use sticky rice.”
Submitted By: Sydney & Katie
How To Make It:
MONGOLIA
“Milk tea with rice. Our suutei tsai is on the saltier side. Tea culture is pretty big in Mongolia. When you visit a nomad family, they’ll always offer you suutei tsai.”
Submitted By: Uyanga
How To Make It:
PUERTO RICO
“Rice with cuttlefish in its ink. When I was a kid my mom would make it. We would poke fun at it because the ink would turn the rice black. It has a wonderful seafood-y flavor.”
Submitted By: Giselle
How To Make It:
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Discover 23 incredible rice dishes from congees to risottos. Elevate your meals with global flavors and creative cooking techniques!
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