One-Pot Creamy Brown Rice and Vegetables

Name: One-Pot Creamy Brown Rice and Vegetables
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Inspired
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups/270 grams short-grain brown rice; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, coconut oil or butter; 1 garlic clove; Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal; 3 ½ cups water; 9 to 10 ounces fresh or unthawed frozen vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, sweet potato, pumpkin, winter squash or a combination); Plain whole milk yogurt, or crème fraîche; Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling; 8 to 12 roasted seaweed snack sheets or furikake

By Kristina Felix

Updated September 18, 2026

Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

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Ready In: 1 hr
Rating: (0)
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What’s surprising here isn’t just that you can steam your rice and vegetables in one pot; it’s also that topping hearty brown rice with a big dollop of yogurt or crème fraîche takes it from virtuous to truly craveable. Wrapping the lid of your pot with a towel helps to absorb excess moisture from the steaming vegetables so that your brown rice doesn’t get mushy. This recipe is built to adapt to whatever fall or winter vegetables are lurking in your crisper and it’s pretty hands off once you’ve prepped them. Sesame oil brings out the nutty nature of brown rice, and the addition of crumbled seaweed snack sheets or furikake provides a nice umami crunch. When citrus season arrives, try topping your bowl with chopped pieces of mandarin or kumquats.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1 ½ cups/270 grams short-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, coconut oil or butter
1 garlic clove
Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
3 ½ cups water
9 to 10 ounces fresh or unthawed frozen vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, sweet potato, pumpkin, winter squash or a combination)
Plain whole milk yogurt, or crème fraîche
Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
8 to 12 roasted seaweed snack sheets or furikake

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Gather a large (4-quart) pot with a tight fitting lid. Wrap the lid in a clean dish towel, taking care to arrange the towel on top so that it will not fall near your stove’s heat source; tie it in a knot around the handle or use a rubber band to secure it.
Step 2
To the pot, add rice, oil and garlic and stir over medium-high heat until rice is coated in oil and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and immediately cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 35 minutes.
Step 3
While the rice cooks, prep your vegetables: Cut florets into bite-size pieces and dice thicker stems. Remove and discard tough center ribs from greens, then roughly chop into ½ inch wide pieces. Cut sweet potato and squash into ½ inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt.
Step 4
Working quickly so as to minimize steam loss from the pot, remove the lid, add 3 tablespoons water and arrange the cut vegetables on top of the rice in one layer. Replace the lid, cook for 10 minutes more, then turn off the heat and let the pot stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the vegetables into the rice, smashing the garlic into the mixture.
Step 5
To serve, scoop a generous amount of rice and vegetables into a bowl, then top each one with a very generous dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of sesame oil. Garnish with crushed seaweed sheets or a generous sprinkle of furikake.