Rice

This single skillet, weeknight riff on Diana Yen's favorite Thai rotisserie chicken packs coconut milk, lime juice, and fish sauce for plenty of umami.

This simple six-ingredient dessert is vegan and bursting with texture (crispy wild rice crust) and flavor (rehydrated cherries with fresh strawberries for the filling).

Make it for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a special occasion, or just because it's delicious.

Normally we’d cook meat or fish with the rice so the flavors mingle, but because shrimp cook so fast, we like to pan-fry them and toss with the rice at the very end. 

All the flavors of Eastern European cabbage rolls, but without the rolling. 

This is one of those times when just a few ingredients pay out big, resulting in a rice dish that bursts with garlic flavor.

This one-pot meal is cozier than your favorite bathrobe, with fragrant basmati rice, tender chicken, warm spices, and coconut milk.

Grate your tofu on a box-grater (it works!) and the rest of this satisfying lunch bowl is only minutes away.

Good for dinner at home now, great for (eventual) potlucks in the future.

Dry vermicelli is toasted in lots of butter to create extra nutty flavor and richness, a method used in pilaf traditions across communities.

The hands-off, no-stress route to fluffy grains. 

To get the best texture, evenly distribute the rice in your pan and gently press down to flatten it. Don’t touch until you hear it crackle!

Satisfying, unfussy meals. What’s not to love?

Wrapping a whole snapper in banana leaves keeps the fish super moist—and turns the dish into a total showstopper.

Crispy tofu cubes get tossed in a sweet and savory glaze that hits all the umami notes.

Cozy carbs are our readers' flavor of the month.

Meera Sodha’s take on the beloved Indonesian dish nasi goreng uses shredded brussels sprouts two ways: Some are sautéed and incorporated into the rice mixture, while others are marinated and added on top for crunch and zing. Don’t skip the kecap manis—the syrupy Indonesian soy sauce is what gives nasi goreng its caramelization and depth.

Nutty, toasty, and crunchy, this Southeast Asian staple has no substitute.

Apple cider doughnut loaf, cheesy piñon, and more of our readers’ favorite recipes this month.

This tahdig is dressed up with cranberries and woody herbs for a Thanksgiving-y, festive feel.

Lara Lee’s vegetable nasi goreng combines the beloved Indonesian fried rice dish with sambal matah and a citrusy relish fragrant with lemongrass, ginger, and makrut lime leaf.

A classic yakhni pulao is meticulously prepared by simmering basmati rice in an aromatic chicken, lamb, or goat broth. In this version, chicken thighs are simmered in a spiced tomato base along with rice and whole spices like cinnamon and bay leaf. 

My mom was right—pulao just takes practice.

Chitra Agrawal took flavor inspiration for this simple dish from her mother’s home state of Karnataka in South India, where thuppa means “ghee” and anna means “rice” in Kannada, the local language.