Try this fragrant turmeric rice recipe, also known as yellow rice, for a quick and easy side dish that adds a burst of flavour to any meal.
The best part? You only need a few pantry staples to whip up this delicious recipe in less than 20 minutes, making it the perfect choice for those busy weeknights when you want something tasty and satisfying on the table quickly. You might also like my homemade pilau rice!
Turmeric rice is a delicious and healthy side dish that can be served with a variety of main dishes such as curries, stews, grilled meats or vegetables. It’s easy to make, budget-friendly and versatile, making it a great addition to mealtimes.
👩🍳 Did you know the traditional accompaniment of South African Bobotie is yellow rice?
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Health benefits: Turmeric is known to be a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that can boost your immune system and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
- Easy to make: This turmeric rice recipe is simple and easy to make, requiring just a few ingredients and minimal preparation time. It's a perfect side dish for any meal and can be made in large batches.
- Versatile: The dish can be served with a variety of meals, including curries, stews, and roasted vegetables. It can also be used as a base for rice bowls, salads, and wraps.
- Delicious flavour: It has a warm, nutty flavour that everyone will love.
- Affordable: It's an affordable and budget-friendly dish that can be made with basic pantry staples such as rice, turmeric, and spices. It's a great way to add variety and flavour to your meals without breaking the bank.
🥘 Ingredients
- Basmati Rice - fragrant basmati rice is the best rice to use for turmeric rice, although you could substitute it for long-grain rice.
- Turmeric - One teaspoon of turmeric gives the dish a vibrant yellow colour and aromatic flavour.
- Bay Leaf - adds a depth of the flavour to the dish.
- Garlic Powder - for a subtle garlic taste.
- Onion Salt - an optional extra that adds savoury flavour.
- Chicken Stock - made with a stockpot or stock cube. You can also use vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Sea Salt - for seasoning.
🔪 How to make turmeric rice
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
- Rinse the rice in cold water (place it in a sieve over the sink to do this) then put the rice in a large saucepan with turmeric, garlic powder, onion salt (if using), and the bay leaf.
- Place on the hob and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
- Immediately turn down the heat to low and place a lid on the saucepan.
- Cook for 12-14 minutes until the stock has been absorbed. Fluff the grains up with a fork, season with salt and serve!
💭 Top tips
- Rinse the rice before cooking to remove excess starch and prevent it from becoming too sticky.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid to cook the rice evenly and prevent it from burning.
- Let the rice rest for a few minutes after cooking before fluffing it with a fork to allow it to absorb any remaining moisture.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste and add more salt, or other spices if desired.
- If you prefer, you can use water instead of stock for a lighter, vegan option.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Turmeric rice is a great side dish for curries such as lamb balti, mild chicken curry, chickpea and spinach curry, and beef keema.
It also goes well with grilled meat, chicken (especially air fryer chicken breast), fish (like air fryer salmon), and vegetables.
Or, why not mix it with some beans and salsa for a quick and easy vegetarian burrito filling?
📖 Variations
- Make spicy turmeric rice and add a pinch of chilli powder.
- Garnish with chopped coriander to add beautiful colour contrast.
- Add a handful of frozen peas and sweetcorn for the last 5 minutes of cooking to make yellow vegetable rice.
- Add some diced vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, or peppers to the rice for a colourful and nutritious vegetable turmeric rice.
- Use coconut milk instead of chicken stock to make a creamy and fragrant coconut rice.
- Add some lemon zest and juice to the rice for a tangy and refreshing lemon rice.
- Sprinkle the yellow rice with nuts and raisins before serving for sweetness and crunch.
🥡 Storage
Store - Rice can be at risk of growing harmful bacteria if not stored correctly. Make sure you put any leftover rice in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat - Until piping hot and do not reheat more than once.
Freeze - The rice can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating in the microwave.
❓ FAQS
Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric plant. It is commonly used in Indian food such as curries. It's one of the main spices in curry powder and has a warm, bitter taste and bright yellow colour.
Curcumin is a pigment found in turmeric that not only gives it its characteristically bright yellow colour, but also has a range of health benefits too. These include antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Because of these wide-ranging functions, turmeric has been studied in relation to arthritis, eye conditions, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Turmeric has an earthy bitter taste and is popular in Asian cuisine. It is considered mildly aromatic rather than spicy.
You can use brown rice instead of basmati rice, but the cooking time will be longer, and the texture will be different. Brown rice is also more nutritious than white rice and has a nuttier flavour.
Yes, you can make turmeric rice in a rice cooker. Simply add the rice, turmeric, bay leaf, garlic powder, onion salt, chicken stock, and sea salt to the rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.
😋Related recipes
More delicious side dishes to try!
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Recipe
Easy Turmeric Rice
Equipment
- Measuring Spoons
- Kitchen Scales
- Measuring Jug
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 200 g Basmati Rice
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Salt optional
- 550 ml Chicken Stock or use vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in cold water (place it in a sieve over the sink to do this) then put the rice in a large lidded saucepan with turmeric, garlic powder, onion salt (if using), and the bay leaf.200 g Basmati Rice, 1 teaspoon Turmeric, 1 Bay Leaf, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ¼ teaspoon Onion Salt
- Place on the hob and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.550 ml Chicken Stock
- Immediately turn down the heat to low and place a lid on the saucepan.
- Cook for 12-14 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Fluff the grains up with a fork, season with salt, and serve!½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Notes
- Make spicy turmeric rice and add a pinch of chilli powder.
- Garnish with chopped coriander to add beautiful colour contrast.
- Add a handful of frozen peas and sweetcorn for the last 5 minutes of cooking to make yellow vegetable rice.
- Add some diced vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, or peppers to the rice for a colourful and nutritious vegetable turmeric rice.
- Use coconut milk instead of chicken stock to make a creamy and fragrant coconut turmeric rice.
- Add some lemon zest and juice to the rice for a tangy and refreshing lemon turmeric rice.
Jess
Less than 20 minutes to enjoy this yummy side dish?! Yes please!
Alisa Infanti
This rice is so easy and has great flavour. Plus I love the pop of colour. Definitely making again.
Jen
The bright yellow color of this rice is so pretty when it's done! I love it with coriander on top.
Beth
This is perfect to go with our dinner tonight! So excited to make this. Looks so yummy and easy too!
Toni
Such an amazing side dish! Everyone at my house loved it!