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This garlic turmeric rice is soft, fluffy and easy to make. It’s aromatic and absolutely delicious. All you need is some garlic, onion, and butter to form the base of this delectable flavor palate. It’s a one-pot Middle Eastern rice extravaganza! Perhaps best of all, you’ll only need about 20 minutes on the stovetop to get this yellow rice together!
What Is Turmeric Rice?
Turmeric rice, often found in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, gets its color and earthy flavor from ground turmeric. Just a teaspoon adds depth, blending perfectly with garlic, butter, and onion in this flavorful rice dish.
Garlic Turmeric Rice Recipe
With garlic, aromatics, and chicken stock, this rice is full of rich flavor and pairs well with bold dishes. Best of all, it’s a one-pot recipe that’s ready in just 20 minutes—simple, quick, and delicious!
This turmeric rice is really versatile. It pairs well with pretty much any dish, but especially so with any Indian or Middle Eastern style dishes. Our recommendation is a marinated chicken kebab or Air Fryer Chicken Legs. It goes really well with tofu, veggies, Sautéed Mushrooms, and really any dish you can think of.
What Do I Need To Make Turmeric Rice?
The best part of this recipe is how well it uses simple kitchen staples to make something truly special.
- We’re using ghee or butter to add flavor to the rice. It also helps us to achieve that perfectly soft, fluffy texture we all love about rice. We believe unsalted butter works best in this recipe, but you can use salted butter if you’re happy to reduce the amount of salt you’re using to taste.
- Our key aromatics are onion and garlic. We’re sauteeing these pantry classics in butter to maximize their flavor and aroma before we add them to the rice.
- We’re also using turmeric powder, a pungent, yellow powder that is responsible for this rice dish’s flavor and color. This is a key ingredient in the recipe, and you could use saffron if you prefer. Saffron is far more expensive than turmeric, however.
- Chicken stock (or vegetable stock) ensure that every grain of rice is imbued with plenty of flavor. It makes a huge difference to your end result.
- Salt and pepper are here to season the rice to your personal preference.
- Lemon juice really helps to add more flavor.
How to Make Turmeric Rice
- In a medium saucepan or pot, melt butter or ghee over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Then, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add turmeric powder and stir to combine. Mix in the rice and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute or until lightly toasted.
- Add the stock, salt and pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro leaves.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the rice prior to cooking. So many cooks forget to rinse their rice! This helps remove any extra starch from the rice grains. This starch can cause your rice to stick together and become claggy rather than fluffy.
- To rinse your rice, use either a bowl or a colander. The colander method requires you to put your uncooked rice in a colander and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear, or at least less cloudy.
- The bowl method requires you to put your uncooked rice in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover all the rice, stir it, and pour out the water. Do this until your water runs clear or less cloudy, drain in a colander, and your rice is good to go.
- You should saute your vegetables before adding them. Sauteeing your garlic and onion in butter really helps to bring out all the aromatic goodness. You want to be able to smell the heavenly aroma of cooking garlic and onion. An easier method of doing this is to use powdered alternatives, but we strongly recommend that you use fresh garlic and onion. You won’t be able to do this with a rice cooker, but it’s worth the effort!
- Cook your rice in a stainless steel sauté pan and taste the difference for yourself.
- Be sure to let your rice rest for five minutes before fluffing with a fork. What you’re going to do is, when your timer goes off, remove your rice from heat and leave covered for about five minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork. This allows your rice grains to absorb any residual moisture rather than leaving the moisture on the outside of the rice. This helps it get softer and fluffier.
- Resting is a really important step in cooking the perfect rice dinner. In fact, rice cookers build a resting period into their cooking process! That’s why rice from the cooker often tastes so fluffy and delicious.
Storage
- Fridge: Store this yellow rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: This turmeric rice freezes well in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
More Delicious Rice Recipes
- Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
- Hibachi Shrimp Fried Rice
- Mushroom Fried Rice
- Basmati Rice in Instant Pot
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- How to Cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot
- Tofu Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
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Garlic Turmeric Rice
This garlic turmeric rice is soft, fluffy and easy to make. It’s aromatic and absolutely delicious. All you need is some garlic, onion, and butter to form the base of this delectable flavor palate. It’s a one-pot Middle Eastern rice extravaganza!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
- 1 medium onion, finely diced ( about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 cups 370 g basmati rice or any long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Fresh parsley or cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan or pot, melt butter or ghee over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Then, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add turmeric powder and stir to combine. Mix in the rice and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute or until lightly toasted.
- Add the stock, salt and pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro leaves.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Rinse the rice prior to cooking. This helps remove any extra starch from the rice grains. This starch can cause your rice to stick together and become claggy rather than fluffy. To rinse your rice, use either a bowl or a colander. The colander method requires you to put your uncooked rice in a colander and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear, or at least less cloudy. The bowl method requires you to put your uncooked rice in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover all the rice, stir it, and pour out the water. Do this until your water runs clear or less cloudy, drain in a colander, and your rice is good to go.
You should sauté your vegetables before adding them. Sautéing your garlic and onion in butter really helps to bring out all the aromatic goodness. You want to be able to smell the heavenly aroma of cooking garlic and onion.
Cook your rice in a stainless steel sauté pan and taste the difference for yourself.
Be sure to let your rice rest for five minutes before fluffing with a fork. What you’re going to do is, when your timer goes off, remove your rice from heat and leave covered for about five minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork. This allows your rice grains to absorb any residual moisture rather than leaving the moisture on the outside of the rice. This helps it get softer and fluffier.
Resting is a really important step in cooking the perfect rice dinner. In fact, rice cookers build a resting period into their cooking process! That’s why rice from the cooker often tastes so fluffy and delicious.
Storing & Reheating
Fridge: Store this yellow rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: This turmeric rice freezes well in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 121g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 691mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Wow. Just wow. It’s crazy how something so simple can be so dimensional in flavor, but this is. I used vegan chicken stock, but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. It did not disappoint and rather exceeded expectations! The turmeric creates an aromatic base and the onions and garlic subtly complement it. Will be making this again 🙂
Wow, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m glad to hear that the recipe not only met but exceeded your expectations, even with the vegan chicken stock substitution. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and plan to make it again. Your support means a lot! 😊🌟👩🍳