Zero Oil Rice, Khichdi and Biryani Recipes, Indian Veg No Oil Recipes

Pulao and Biryani are traditionally royal foods made using lots of oil, ghee, dry fruits, rich gravies, cream, coconut, curds, Paneer etc. Even simple delicacies like khichdi, though cooked in very little oil/ ghee are served with ghee poured over them! We have modified traditional recipes to a zero-oil form as well as developed a few new recipes to suit the Indian palate.

But it is no easy task either! Cooking with zero oil doesn’t mean only elimination fat, it also involves careful selection of ingredients (like Brown rice or bulgur wheat instead of white rice), tweaking the proportions accordingly and using appropriate cooking methods too!

In making pulao and biryani the first step is to substitute the white polished with brown rice. Learn how to make Brown Rice in a Pressure Cooker.

The glycemic index of brown rice is slightly lower than white rice and hence it is considered as a substitute to white rice. Once you have mastered the art of making brown rice, tossing other rice recipes is easy.

Paneer Mutter Biryani is a classic example of this. It’s a shahi treat to indulge into. The interplay of brown rice and low fat paneer with many Indian spices makes it a show-stealer. The green peas further add on fiber. Ensure to use fresh tomato pulp and not readymade tomato puree. The suggested serving size of this biryani is ½ serving.

Paneer Mutter Biryani

Why only Indian recipes? Mexican cooking too can be made healthy by the use of brown rice. Use less of brown rice and more of colourful veggies like we have done in the recipe of Zero Oil Mexican Rice. Here we have not added any fat and further added double the quantity of veggies than brown rice. This helps to reduce its calorie and fat count, while increasing its fiber count.

Mexican  Rice (Zero Oil)

Moreover, the more the veggies, the more the intake of antioxidants. These are compounds which help to reduce inflammation in the body and help use fight diseases by building a strong immune system. The rajma adds on to the protein intake and helps boost your metabolism, which aids in weight loss.

Masoor Biryani is yet another burst of flavours. But this recipe though zero oil, has slightly more brown rice than veggies. Hence we would suggest to include a very small portion of this rice delicacy absolutely on festivals.

 Masoor Biryani ( Zero Oil Dal-chawal Recipe)

Healthy Zero Oil Indian Khichdi Recipes

Khichdi is the most comforting food and preferred as a light dinner by many of us.

Nobody will even guess that this Bohri Khichdi is made with brown rice. It has a layer of shahi white gravy but minus the fat laden ghee and cashews. The taste is by addition of onions and curd cooked with garam masala. Try it out.

 Bohri Khichdi

Masala stuffed veggies with brown rice can be combined to make a slightly nourishing option – Stuffed Brinjal and Onion Khichdi. This zero oil Indian khichdi recipe is a perfect combination of loads of veggies with less brown rice. This khichdi is flavoured with a host of garam masalas, which can be relished with kadhi.

 Stuffed Brinjal and Onion Khichdi ( Zero Oil Recipe)

Another healthy way and the best way is to replace the rice completely.

While the above brown recipes have been attempted to make slightly healthy, this Fada ni Khichdi is what we would suggest if you are aiming at weight loss. Made with broken wheat and no rice along with moong and veggies like tomatoes and green peas, it is fiber and protein laden too.

Fada ni Khichdi

If you notice all it requires is a little modification to the traditional recipes, to make a super tasty but healthy and oil-free rice recipe. Really, this collection of your favourite recipes cooked without oil is sure to bring a smile to your face and encourage you to put on your chef’s cap and treat yourself and your family to more joyous, healthier, tastier meals!

But remember to make these brown rice recipes a part of your diet as an occasional treat only. Even brown rice has carbs and these carbs should be balanced by more fiber and protein in diet.

We hope you enjoy our other Oil Free Sections listed below.

Zero Oil recipes
Zero Oil Rotis and Parathas Recipes
Zero Oil Dals, Kadhis Recipes
Zero Oil International Recipes
Zero Oil Salads Recipes
Zero Oil Snacks Recipes
Zero Oil Soups Recipes
Zero Oil Subzis Recipes