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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
06/11/2025
Leftover rice is having a moment, and honestly, it's about time. There are many recipes across India which turn yesterday's plain rice into comfort food that hits differently. Vegetable pulao brings the good vibes, curd rice is basically self-care in a bowl, and vagharelo bhaat serves up that Gujarati comfort food magic. Each dish uses whatever's already hanging out in the kitchen, no special shopping required. These are the recipes that show up when regular lunch options feel too basic and takeout feels too expensive.
Rice is the backbone of desi meals, mostly eaten plain, on a day-to-day basis, but there exist other variations too. From each corner of the country, a handful of rice dishes go beyond sustenance, and they soothe, nourish, and sometimes even rescue you from a bad day. These are the kinds of meals you’d want to eat when you’re too tired to think, when you need something familiar, or when you're celebrating simplicity. Think curd rice, lemon rice, and the glorious one-pot bisi bele bhaat. The rice dishes below barely take much time to prepare and taste like a warm hug, perfect for lunchboxes!
If South India had a comfort food mascot, it would be curd rice. Eaten everywhere from temple kitchens to tiffin boxes, this dish pairs rice and creamy yoghurt with a simple tempering of spices. Its mellow taste makes it grounding, and ideal when your palate (or your mood) needs a reset. The tanginess of the curd, with the tempering adding much-needed flavour, it’s calm on a plate. It’s no wonder that it is often eaten at the end of a meal. That and the fact that it has cooling properties that tie it to hot afternoons or when your stomach needs something mild.
A staple across Indian homes, vegetable pulao is for the biryani lovers short on time and temper. It’s a one-pot meal with lightly spiced rice and seasonal vegetables that is a hit from Delhi to Bengaluru. It's filling without being heavy, and the spices added are just the right amount to pack the whole rice recipe. It’s the kind of meal that holds up on its own but also goes well with chutneys, raita, or a side of papad. Pack it for lunchboxes, lazy dinners, or any time you crave something comforting that has a kick to it.
The pan-Indian poster child for comfort, khichdi is what you crave when nothing in your life feels right. Add washed rice and lentils to a pot and cook them with spices in a mushy, golden, ghee-kissed one-pot meal that’s as forgiving as it is filling. Every state has its take, from the masala-spiked Bengal kichuri to plain salt-and-turmeric khichdi in Gujarat. It’s almost like porridge: soft, warm, and easy on the stomach, it’s the edible equivalent of tucking yourself into bed with a blanket over your head.
Gujarat’s answer to leftover rice is vagharelo bhaat, where yesterday’s rice is revived with a tempering of mustard, cumin, garlic, green chillies, and sometimes a tomato or two. It's a bit spicy and smoky, given the fact that it’s Gujarat’s version of fried rice. It hits the sweet spot between frugal and fabulous. While it is perfect for lunch, it’s often eaten for breakfast or a quick dinner; it has that unmistakable homely energy. Eat vagharelo bhaat with a blob of yoghurt or chhundo, a sweet mango pickle. This dish is not about impressing anyone; it’s about feeding your soul when it's tired.
Big in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, tomato rice (thakkali sadam) brings serious comfort to plain rice. Ripe tomatoes are cooked down with spices, then added to rice for a tangy and subtly spicy meal. It's the cousin of tamarind and lemon rice and packed with flavour with carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and a good dose of vitamins. You can pack it for train rides, school breaks, or lunchboxes, and it's the kind of dish that doesn’t need sides but can be paired with curd.
Straight out of Karnataka, bisi bele bhaat is its comfort rice dish, which is spiced and almost like khichdi, with its mix of rice, lentils, tamarind, and vegetables cooked into one explosive dish. It’s not subtle in its flavours like khichdi; it has a layered taste, and the flavour can be intense because of the red chillies. It’s in the name itself, which means ‘hot lentil rice’, and it’s served just like that, with ghee, boondi, or papad. What makes it comforting is its consistency, which is thicker than sambar rice, softer than pulao and the way the spices hit all flavours.
Lemon makes everything better, just like a glass of lemon sharbat on a hot day. Its light flavour is built for busy days, and lemon rice (chitranna) is a South Indian classic that proves simple doesn’t mean boring. Tempered spices, roasted peanuts, and turmeric-tinted rice meet a squeeze of lemon juice that brings it all to life. Eaten cold or warm, it's perfect for lunchboxes, being travel-friendly and utterly satisfying. The mix of lemon, spice, and crunch from the peanuts makes it a complete meal even without sides. Think of it as the extrovert of comfort food, always bringing the energy to the table.
Comfort food means different things to different people, but rice has a way of making itself everyone’s favourite. Whether it's the cosiness that comes with a bowl of khichdi or the punch that is packed by bisi bele bhaat, each dish has a story. Some bring you back to childhood, some power you through busy weekdays, and others just offer a moment of respite on a trying day. You don’t need an excuse to make these; they are quite literally the celebration that needs a spoon, a bowl, and a quiet corner.