Easy Turmeric Rice makes perfect side dish to any curry. This Indian yellow rice recipe is aromatic, vibrant, delicious & ready in under 30 min. It is vegan & naturally gluten-free too.
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I don't know about you but we eat a lot of curries in our house hence we eat a lot of rice too (mainly as a side dish). This beautifully vibrant (and really fragrant) recipe for Turmeric Rice couldn't be easier or quicker to make. This delicious yellow rice recipe requires just one pan, handful of ingredients and less than half an hour. Your reward will be a side dish you'll want to eat straight from the pan.
What is turmeric?
Turmeric is a spice used commonly in Asian cooking and mostly known in its dried yellow powder form although it's also available fresh (it's appearance is very similar to ginger root only orange inside). Turmeric with its active compound Curcumin has been used not only as a spice but also for its medicinal properties. Curcumin is also responsible for beautiful bright yellow colour that turmeric gives to our rice.
Health benefits of turmeric
Turmeric is believed to be a powerful anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant. It is said to improve the mood, digestion, act as a pain killer and more. If you'd like to study turmeric more you can check out some more information here but we shall now go back to our delicious turmeric rice dish instead.
Tips for cooking turmeric rice.
As you might remember from my recipe for Easy Indian Rice I'm a huge fan of using absorption method when cooking rice. This recipe for turmeric rice is no different. Couple of things to bare in mind:
- I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to rinse your rice well under running water. Pop it on a large enough sieve* and hold it under the cold tap until you see the water underneath the sieve is running clear. If you've got some time you can even soak your rice in a bowl filled with cold water for half an hour and then rinse. This will ensure that you get rid of as much starch as possible and your rice will be fluffy and grains separated as opposed to stuck together in stodgy clumps.
- Once lid is on don't be tempted to give your rice a stir. It will do the job on its own, promise.
What can you serve this yellow rice with?
As already mentioned this Easy Turmeric Rice goes really well with any curry. I'm sure you all have your favourite tried and tested curries that you cook at home but in case you need some inspiration here are some of the recipes you will find on my blog:
Easy Cauliflower & Lentil Curry (Vegan)
Celeriac & Chard Vegetable Curry (Vegan)
Tarka Dhal with Spinach (Vegan)
To complete your curry feast you might want to consider these alongside your yellow turmeric rice:
Vegan Vegetable Fritters (Gluten-Free)
Storing & freezing turmeric rice
Cooked rice of any kind including this yellow turmeric rice should be consumed as soon as possible after cooking. If you are left with any leftovers make sure to cool them as soon as possible (ideally within an hour) and transfer to the fridge where it can be stored for up to one day. When reheating make sure it is piping hot and that you reheat it only once.
You could use this rice as a base for cold salad as long as it's been cooled and stored as per above and eaten within a day!
If you're not sure whether you'll be able to eat it you can always freeze your leftovers instead. Cool your rice as per above and transfer it in portions to freezer safe bags or containers, label with portion size and a date and pop in the freezer for up to 1 month for maximum flavour.
Defrost your rice overnight and eat it within 24 hours heating up only once and until it's piping hot. You could also pop it in the microwave straight from the freezer and heat it up on high, shaking the container up every now and then until rice has defrosted. Give it a mix to ensure it's been heated up all the way through and it's piping hot. Once reheated, serve immediately.
How to make turmeric rice?
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Rinse basmati rice by placing it in a sieve and running under the cold tap until water runs clear. Set aside.
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Heat up the oil in a medium size lidded pan/saucepan. Add chopped onion and fry it gently until softened (5-8min).
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Add minced garlic, bay leaf, mustard seeds and turmeric. Give it all a good mix and fry for couple more minutes until fragrant.
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Add basmati rice and give it a good stir to make sure it is well mixed with the onion and spices.
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Pour in the stock and give it all a good mix. Bring it back to boil and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to minimum and let the rice simmer for approx. 10 min at which point lift the lid and check whether all the liquid has been absorbed.
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Take the pan off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Put the lid back on and let the rice stand approx. 5 min.
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Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
📋 Recipe
Easy Turmeric Rice (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 300 g white Basmati rice rinsed well
- 2 tablespoon rapeseed/olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves (or 1 large one) minced or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 600 ml vegetable stock from cube is fine
- salt to taste
- fresh coriander/cilantro to serve
Instructions
- Rinse basmati rice by placing it in a sieve and running under the cold tap until water runs clear. Set aside.
- Heat up the oil in a medium size lidded pan/saucepan. Add chopped onion and fry it gently until softened (5-8min).
- Add minced garlic, bay leaf, mustard seeds and turmeric. Give it all a good mix and fry for couple more minutes until fragrant.
- Add basmati rice and give it a good stir to make sure it is well mixed with the onion and spices.
- Pour in the stock and give it all a good mix. Bring it back to boil and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to minimum and let the rice simmer for approx. 10 min at which point lift the lid and check whether all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Take the pan off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Put the lid back on and let the rice stand approx. 5 min.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 4 large servings) and should be treated as a guideline only.
- This recipe yields 4 large or 6 small servings (depending on your appetite).
- Leftover turmeric rice should be cooled as soon as possible & can be stored in the fridge for up to a day or frozen for up to a month. Make sure to reheat the rice only once and until it's piping hot.
Nutrition
Some more delicious side dishes you might want to try:
Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico De Gallo)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan & Garlic
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Diana Coleiro says
This was excellent, thank you. Made it exactly as stated.
joskitchenlarder says
So pleased to hear you've enjoyed it Diana. Thank you! 😊
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
Yum - I do rice like this all the time - it's so good! My kids love it too - they call it 'mummy's yellow rice' - so great with curries etc. Eb x
joskitchenlarder says
Lol, my two call it yellow rice as well as they decided that turmeric is too much of a tongue twister to bother pronouncing lol. We love it. x
Chloe Edges says
Looks gorgeous, I'm a huge fan of flavouring rice, especially with tumeric. 😍
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Chloe! I love that colour, it's like sunshine rice and flavour is amazing too!
mohan kumar says
Amazing recipe....and so healthy too.Definitely giving it a try.
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you! I hope you like it!