Top 10 Rice Dishes

New year, time for another look back at some of the lovely recipes we've been eating.  Rice is fantastically cheap (great for my thrifty 50 challenge - i.e. trying to do all grocery shopping every week for £50) and great nutritionally for babies and kids, a great source of energy for all of that growing.  It sustains half the world as the staple carbohydrate.

Well I'm sure you're wondering how my thrifty £50 is going?  Today I did a small shop at Aldi to stock up on the fresh items and a few other bits and bobs, that came to £28.  We also spent £4 on some fruit at the weekend which all looks pretty good.  Offset the £2.50 I spent on a hot chocolate in a cafe to cheer myself up from the drizzle!  

Even with that, it still leaves me £15.50 left if I need to spend it.  I'm not going to go out of my way to do so though, especially as I sat down and wrote 10 dishes I could make this week from my fridge and store cupboard.  It might be a bit more difficult at the end of the month mind.

So what are my favourite rice dishes or dishes to serve with rice to feed my son or to me?


1.  Spicy 'Kedgeree' Style rice, my newest recipe on this list.  A lovely surprisingly spicy mix of prawns, rice and spice to liven up the coldest winter.

2.  Keema Curry.  This is one of my son's favourite meals.  Mixed in with some basmati, it's the one meal guaranteed to get devoured.

3.  Egg Fried Rice.  A great way to introduce prawns and egg to your child.  Not too high in salt if you limit the amount of soy sauce you include.

4.  Rice pudding.  A great recipe which is quick, easy and with no added sugar.

5.  Risi e Bisi.  Risotto for lazy people.

6.  Spanish Rice.  Easy, vegetarian dish inspired by a hateful 1980's product(!)

7.  Dahl and rice.  Freezes and reheats brilliantly.  Great with Chicken Tikka.

8.  Slow cooker risotto.  Risotto for even lazier people!

9.  Chorizo rice.  Like paella but want to make it cheaper and far too lazy to cook it?  Try this.  I've not tried this with my son yet, I've always been concerned with salt content but I've just bought some more chorizo so this week, unfortunately I think I'm out of paella rice though.

10.  Chicken curry and rice (see photo at top)

Rice is fantastic for babies on the soft lump stage of weaning.  Thicker recipes like risotto are great for kids just learning to use a spoon and it's a great alternative to that pasta rut we often get stuck in as parents!  I hope some of the recipes above encourage you to think more creatively about this fantastic ingredient.