Spicy Rice with Cod
The curry powder, paprika, and cumin go into the oil with the dry rice for a full minute before any liquid hits the pan. That step turns a simple brown rice base into something spiced from the inside out, every grain golden and fragrant.
A frozen cod fillet gets pan-fried on both sides while the rice simmers in bouillon, and 168 grams of garden peas go in at the very end. One plate: 730 calories, 35g of protein, and 16g of fiber in twenty minutes.
The curry powder, paprika, and cumin go into the oil with the dry rice for a full minute before any liquid hits the pan. That step turns a simple brown rice base into something spiced from the inside out, every grain golden and fragrant.
A frozen cod fillet gets pan-fried on both sides while the rice simmers in bouillon, and 168 grams of garden peas go in at the very end. One plate: 730 calories, 35g of protein, and 16g of fiber in twenty minutes.
Ingredients
- cod fillet (frozen) 1 fillet
- onion 0.5
- garlic 1 clove
- ginger 1 slice
- carrot 1
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- curry powder 1 teaspoon
- paprika (ground spice) 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin 1 pinch
- brown rice 3 ounces
- water 1 cup
- vegetable bouillon 1 cube
- garden peas (frozen) 6 ounces
Method
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Let the cod thaw for a while.
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Finely chop the onion, crush the garlic and mince the ginger. Wash the carrot and slice it into equal rounds.
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Heat half of the oil in a wok pan. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the carrot, spices and rice and cook for a minute. Then add water along with the bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for 12 minutes.
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Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and cook the cod on both sides for 4 minutes. Season with pepper and salt.
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When the rice is almost dry-cooked, add the garden peas to the rice and warm them up a bit more.
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Serve the spicy rice with cod on a plate.
Add the frozen garden peas in the last two minutes, when the rice is nearly dry. Peas dropped into hot rice keep their bright green color and a slight snap instead of turning soft and dull. The residual heat is enough to warm them through without overcooking.
Behind this recipe
Why brown rice instead of white rice?
Brown rice keeps its outer bran layer, which is where most of the fiber lives. This plate delivers 16g of fiber total, and the rice is a significant contributor alongside those 168 grams of garden peas. Research on dietary fiber found that higher fiber intake was linked to accelerated fat loss, independent of calorie restriction. White rice would still work here, but you would lose a chunk of that fiber and the slightly nutty texture that holds up well against the spices.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use fresh cod instead of frozen?
Yes. Fresh cod works fine and you can skip the thawing step entirely. Reduce the pan-frying time by about a minute per side and check that the flesh is opaque all the way through before plating. Frozen cod is called for because it is widely available, affordable, and keeps well.
Is 35 grams of protein enough for one meal?
It is a solid dose. There is a persistent idea that your body can only use 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, and anything beyond that goes to waste. Research on per-meal protein limits found that the body continues to use protein for muscle protein synthesis well beyond that range. This plate spreads its 35g across cod, brown rice, and garden peas, which means multiple amino acid sources arriving together.
Read the full evidence review
