Turmeric Yellow Rice

This turmeric yellow rice is full of aromatic flavors and makes an elegant side dish! Simple to prep in a rice cooker or on the stove top.

One thing is guaranteed at our house: rice will be on the menu, each and every week. Whether we cook a batch of perfect fluffy brown rice, or make egg fried rice, I love that it's easy and versatile.

This golden turmeric rice is not just pretty to look at, it's also infused with savory flavors from the broth, turmeric, ginger, onion and garlic. It's such a simple way to jazz up your rice side dish!

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Recipe video

Want to see exactly how to cook this turmeric rice? Watch this 1-minute video! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Looking for rice recipes? Check out this post with 7 Easy Rice Recipes!

Cultural significance

Yellow rice variations are found across the entire globe, and the ingredients and method of preparation varies greatly depending on the chef and the region.

In South Africa, geelrys is a type of yellow rice made with basmati rice, sugar and topped with raisins (1), whereas in Peru, juane rice is seasoned with turmeric, oregano and cumin, and served topped with boiled eggs and olives (2). There are multiple variations originating in India, the Caribbean, and more. In countries like Spain and Morocco, yellow rice can be made with saffron.

This turmeric yellow rice recipe was in no way inspired by any of the culturally significant recipes listed above; my goal was simply to create a simple and tasty savory yellow rice recipe that you can get on your table quickly.

Ingredient notes

• rice- use long grain white rice; I personally love using basmati as it has a low glycemic index. If you use long grain brown rice, you'll need to change the cook time accordingly.
• oil- I've used coconut oil, which helps soften the rice and make it fluffy. You may swap for butter.
• onion + garlic powder- in order to make this recipe 'no saute', I've skipped fresh onion and garlic in favor of powdered versions. If you have the time, you can sautee half an onion and a few cloves of garlic in the oil before adding the rice and cooking liquid for extra flavor.
• salt- seasons every grain of rice as it cooks; this also helps to enhance the flavors of the onion, garlic and ginger.

Recipe tips

Rinse rice

If you are looking for that perfect, fluffy rice texture, always rinse your rice first. Rinsing the rice helps remove extra starch from the surface of each rice grain, helping to keep them from sticking together and getting gummy.

To rinse your rice, you can put the rice into a fine mesh colander and rinse under the tap. Alternatively, you can add to the pot, cover with water, swirl, and carefully decant. Repeat this process 3-4 times, until the water is clear.

Rest your rice

Another tip for that perfect rice texture is to rest your rice after cooking. Resting the rice allows the moisture to disperse properly through the pot, absorbing into each grain of rice. After cooking, transfer the pot to a cold burner (no peeking), and allow to sit for ten minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, fluff the rice with a fork and enjoy!

If you use a rice cooker, the resting period is built into the program, and you don't need to do this step.

Storage + Reheating

If not handled properly, rice can be at risk of growing harmful bacteria that can make you sick. If you follow the following steps, you will be perfectly fine:

• Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking- do not let it sit at room temperature for too long as this is the temperature at which harmful bacteria can replicate
• Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
• Reheat until steaming hot
• Do not reheat more than once

Freezing

Coconut rice freezes well. You can freeze it in meal prep containers or in freezer bags (I love these re-usable silicone freezer bags!). Some people add a little bit of water when re-heating freeze/thawed rice, as it does end up slightly dryer than fresh rice.

Other tips

Can I cook this recipe in the Instant Pot? I have not tried. I would refer to this recipe for Instant Pot Yellow Rice.

Can I use cauliflower rice? Yes! Check out this Golden Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Recipe!

Serve this rice with

Yellow rice pairs well with many flavors, including Mediterranean, Indian and Asian recipes. Here are some ideas:

• Ginger Lemon Chicken Marinade
• Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Soy Ginger Sauce
• A salad tossed in this 5 Minute Asian Salad Dressing
• This Herb Crusted Broiled Salmon

More rice recipes

• Instant Pot Basmati Rice
• Mexican Rice Recipe
• 7 Easy Rice Recipes
• Herb Lemon Rice Recipe
• Pesto Green Rice
• Saffron Rice
• Easy Mexican Rice

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Turmeric Yellow Rice

4.98 from 37 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

10 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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This turmeric yellow rice is full of aromatic flavors and makes an elegant side dish! Simple to prep in a rice cooker or on the stove top.

4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup basmati rice note 1
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil or unsalted butter
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric note 2
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder note 3
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 2 cups stock chicken or vegetable

Instructions 

• Before cooking, rinse the rice in a colander under the tap, or by covering with water, swirling, and carefully decanting (repeat 2-3 times until water becomes clear).

Stove Top

• In a medium pot, combine the rinsed basmati rice with the coconut oil, turmeric, ground ginger, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and stock.
• Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.

Rice Cooker

• Combine the basmati rice with the coconut oil, turmeric, ground ginger, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and stock.
• Cook using the 'white rice' function (or regular function if there is not a white rice option).
• Once the cook time is up, fluff with a fork and enjoy!

Tips:

1- you may use any long grain or brown rice for this recipe; check the package and adjust the stock and cook time as needed; long grain brown rice will take a significantly longer amount of time to cook.

2- fresh turmeric will probably work in this recipe, but I have not tested; leave us a comment on the post if you give it a try!

3- if you'd like to swap the onion and garlic powder for fresh ingredients, try ½ an onion (finely diced) and 2 cloves of garlic. Sautee in the oil until softened before adding the other ingredients. 

Storage

Get the cooked rice into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking and do not let it sit out at room temperature for extended periods of time.

• store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
• freeze in a meal prep container or bag for up to 3 months
• heat until steaming hot in the microwave; do not reheat more than once

 

 

 

 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 of the batch, Calories: 208kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 618mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 250IU, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

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