Shredded Brussels sprouts pilaf made with wild rice blend and topped with dried cranberries is an easy side dish or main course meal to make for any meal. It is hearty and nutritious recipe for the whole family
This recipe was originally posted on August 17th, 2016 and updated on March 2020. Get the version 1 recipe information here
Hate eating whole Brussels sprouts?
(Who DOESN’T!)
Well, here is a trick that just might make you love eating them!
Chop them into strips and make a pilaf with them!
Drool, drool and some more drool!
Tips for making this pilaf
- I hand chopped each of the Brussels sprouts because I have too much time on my hands. 🙂 If you don’t have time, you can use a vegetable shredder to make it easier. The shredder may be fast, but, you get more even shreds when done with hand. Either way, you will get amazing tasting pilaf
- Use wild rice blend with this pilaf. Wild rice alone will not add any flavors or texture to it. Also, wild rice blend is cheaper than getting only wild rice
- Be sure to choose the right type of Brussels sprouts. They should be small and have tightly-packed leaves.
- Don’t over cook the Brussels sprouts. They should remain slightly crunchy. Over-cooked sprouts tend to loose their nutritional value
- During the cooking process, don’t stir it too much and too often. I do it a lot in this recipe’s video and that is not good. In short, do as I say and NOT as I do.
What’s the deal with sprouts?
There are 2 types of people in this world. Those who love Brussels sprouts and those who would rather starve than eat a single leaf of a sprout!
So, what camp are you in?
I used to be the latter, but, now I am a huge sprout lover. I can’t believe I wasted so much time hating them!
So, what’s the deal with Brussels sprouts? Why is it despised so much?
I think the secret is in how it’s prepared. First, they need to be cooked right and then, flavored right.
Once that happens, you get the best Brussels sprouts recipe ever made!
Roasted sprouts brings out all it’s flavors. They get the perfect caramelized texture. Use minimum seasonings because Brussels sprouts don’t need too much flavorings.
This time, I stir-fried them stove top which brings out all their flavors. The best way to stir-fry them is to chop them lengthwise
Another fun thing you can make is a simple Brussels sprouts curry! It’s unbelievably easy to make and it tastes so good. I like to serve it with fried rice and enjoy it with naan too.
Answering common questions
Pilaf is a rice recipe that includes additional ingredients, not just plain rice. Pilaf (AKA pulau) is an Eastern word that is a cooking method. However, over the years, it has also become the name of the dish.
Pilaf means “fluffy” or “filled with air”. The rice is fluffed so that you can see each individual grain of rice. In other words, it is not sticky rice.
Pilaf is a family favorite, especially when made with basmati rice.
Yes, you can absolutely use brown rice instead of wild rice. Long grain brown rice is actually part of the wild rice blend that I used in this recipe.
Brown rice may be harder to flavor, so, you may have to add extra seasonings. Add extra cumin-coriander powder and red chili pepper.
No, don’t freeze this Brussels sprouts pilaf. The Brussels sprouts will loose all their texture and taste. Maybe their nutrition value too!
But, you can refrigerate it and use during the week. I like to put it meal prep containers with a side of pita bread and roasted chickpeas
It’s my idea of the perfect lunch recipe.
Cook the chopped Brussels sprouts for only 8 minutes on low heat. Stir them once or twice only to prevent burnt edges
Be sure to stir it gently while it’s cooking.
How do I cook the wild rice?
- In a pot, add 3/4 cup of wild rice, 1 and 3/4 cup of water and 1 Tbsp of vegan butter
- Bring the contents of the pot to a boil
- Reduce the heat to low and then cover the pot
- Simmer on low for about 30-40min. When all the water has dissipated, the rice is done cooking
- Turn off the heat and use a fork to mix the rice. It will fluff the rice while separating each grain
Chopping Brussels sprouts
Start by cutting the bottom tip of the Brussels sprouts
Cut the sprout into half, lengthwise
Take one half of the sprout and lay it cut side down. Cut thin strips of the sprout, lengthwise
Do the same for the 2nd half of the sprout.
Continue the above steps until you have cut all 13 of the sprouts
If you see big pieces like these, cut them into thinner strips
When done, sit back and admire your hard work! 🙂
How to make Brussels sprouts pilaf
Finely chop the Brussels sprouts first
Use a strong bottom pan to make this pilaf. I used a stainless steel pan for it
Heat the pan for 30 seconds and then add 3 Tbsp spoons of extra virgin olive oil
Add 2 tsp of cumin seeds and roast for 10 seconds
Add ¼ of an red onions (julienned) and stir. Let them cook for about 1 minutes
Add 3 cloves of garlic (minced) and mix well
Add the chopped Brussels sprouts to the pan
Top with 1 Tbsp salt and mix gently
Cook on low for about 8 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts become soft and they have shrunk in the pan. You will notice that there is a lot more space to move around in the pan
Add 1½ cups of cooked wild rice (3/4 cup uncooked)
Add the 1 Tbsp turmeric, 1 Tbsp red chili powder and 1 Tbsp cumin-coriander powder. Adjust the chili powder based on your taste
Gently mix the rice and sprouts mixture
Add the sliced almonds to the pan. I used about 1/4 cup of sliced almonds, but, you can adjust to your taste
Add ¼ cup of dried cranberries to the pan
Mix well and serve.
If you like pilaf recipes, try my barley pilaf recipe. Leftover Cranberries can be so useful in many recipes.
What will you make with left over wild rice? How about adding mushrooms and pesto in it? Or, use them in an acorn stuffing recipe.
Here is a simple way to make roasted Brussels sprouts using Za’atar spice.
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Brussels sprouts pilaf recipe
Equipment
- Large kitchen knife
Ingredients
- 13 Brussels sprouts small and finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ red onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1½ cup wild rice (cooked) 3/4 cup uncooked
- 1 Tbsp turmeric
- 1 Tbsp red chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin-coriander powder
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tsp lime juice
Optional ingredients
- 1 tsp sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbsp pistachios shelled and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Finely chop the Brussels sprouts
- Use a strong bottom pan to make this pilaf. I used a stainless steel pan for it
- Heat the pan for 30 seconds and then extra virgin olive oil
- Add cumin seeds and roast for 10 seconds
- Add red onions and stir. Let them cook for about 1 minutes
- Add garlic and mix well
- Add the chopped Brussels sprouts to the pan
- Top with salt and mix gently
- Cook on low for about 10 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts become soft and they have shrunk in the pan.
- Add cooked wild rice
- Add turmeric, red chili powder and cumin-coriander powder
- Add the sliced almonds and dried cranberries to the pan
- Top with the lime juice and mix well before serving
Video
Notes
- I hand chopped each of the Brussels sprouts because I have too much time on my hands. 🙂 If you don’t have time, you can use a vegetable shredder to make it easier. The shredder may be fast, but, you get more even shreds when done with hand. Either way, you will get amazing tasting pilaf
- Use wild rice blend with this pilaf. Wild rice alone will not add any flavors or texture to it. Also, wild rice blend is cheaper than getting only wild rice
- Be sure to choose the right type of Brussels sprouts. They should be small and have tightly-packed leaves.
- Don’t over cook the Brussels sprouts. They should remain slightly crunchy. Over-cooked sprouts tend to loose their nutritional value
- During the cooking process, don’t stir it too much and too often. I do it a lot in this recipe’s video and that is not good. In short, do as I say and NOT as I do.
Nutrition
Version 1 of this Recipe
From time to time, I will go through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover
This brussels sprouts pilaf recipe was originally published on August 17th, 2016 at 3:25pm. See the original recipe here. As you can see from the version 1 image, this post desperately needed an update!
I kept the recipe the same except for removing the basmati rice and sunflower seeds. Basmati rice made this recipe heavier than necessary. With wild rice, the recipe is lighter and tastes so much better
You can go with the basmati instead of the wild rice blend. But, I don’t recommend using both in this pilaf recipe.
This is an excellent recipe. I used fresh habanero instead of the chili powder, a preserved lime instead of the lime juice and sultanas instead of cranberries. I think the quantities of spices that you recommend are perfect. The recipe would probably be nice without spices too, but the quantities you give are definitely good.
That makes me very happy to hear! Thank you so much, Eugene.
I thought this had way too many seasonings. Too much cumin for sure. I might try again as I think it has potential but will absolutely tone down the cumin, tumeric and red pepper
Cumin is definitely an acquired taste. Try it with a little less cumin and let me know how it works out for you.