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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Easy Turmeric Rice

    Published: Apr 13, 2020 · Modified: May 25, 2022 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments

    286 shares
    • 44
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Gluten Free / Low Fat / Vegan
    Easy Turmeric Rice with a text title overlay.

    Colourful Turmeric Rice (or yellow rice as it is also known) is a quick and easy side dish that will bring extra flavour to any curry or grilled chicken. Bursting with all the health benefits of turmeric, this vibrant side will mean that rice never has to be boring again.

    A bowl of yellow turmeric rice next to a blue towel.

    Rice is such an easy side dish, and goes with so many different meals. However, if you are just serving up plain boiled rice, then it can get boring pretty quickly. Adding some turmeric to the pan when cooking not only adds flavour and colour, but so many health benefits too. 

    Made with just a few store cupboard ingredients, this yellow rice is a versatile side dish. If you are looking for some other flavoured rice recipes, then why not try our Easy Coconut Rice, Mediterranean Rice Salad, Easy Greek Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice or The Best Spanish Rice.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • How to make turmeric rice - Step by step
    • What is turmeric?
    • Health benefits of turmeric
    • Extra tips and variations
    • What to serve with turmeric rice
    • Storage
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More rice recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • A colourful side dish - Rice can get a little bit boring, but adding turmeric really livens it up.
    • Uses store cupboard ingredients - Just 4 ingredients go in to this turmeric rice and you probably already have them in your kitchen.
    • Delicious with curry - The perfect side dish with a homemade curry.
    • Anti-inflammatory - Turmeric has loads of health benefits, so you can feel really good about eating it.
    • Quick and easy - So easy to make and cooks in just 15 minutes.

    Ingredients needed

    • Rice - You need a long grain rice for this recipe and we prefer to use basmati. Any long grain rice will work though. You could also use brown rice, which has a wonderful nutty flavour, but that would take longer to cook.
    • Turmeric - We use dried ground turmeric for this recipe. Make sure that your turmeric hasn't been open for longer than 6 months, otherwise it will lose its flavour. You can grate fresh turmeric and add it to the rice.
    • Stock - This is what the rice is cooked in. You could use just water though. We used vegetable stock, to keep it vegan, however you could use chicken stock which would give a richer flavour.
    • Garlic - This is optional, but it adds a nice extra flavour.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    How to make turmeric rice - Step by step

    One: Put the rice, turmeric and garlic powder in a saucepan.

    A stainless steel saucepan with uncooked rice and ground turmeric in it.

    Two: Add the vegetable stock and stir. Bring to the boil and then put a lid on it and turn down to a low simmer for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and leave for 10 minutes before fluffing up.

    A stainless steel saucepan containing a yellow coloured liquid.

    What is turmeric?

    Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) and is part of the ginger family. Turmeric is used predominantly in Asian cuisine to give flavour and a strong yellow colour to dishes.

    The vivid yellow colour of turmeric comes from a chemical called curcumin, which is often used to colour foods as well as some cosmetics. Turmeric is widely used for its healthy benefits.

    Health benefits of turmeric

    1. The main active ingredient in turmeric is Curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and a strong antioxidant. However, curcumin is not well absorbed by the body, so pair it with some black pepper. This contains piperine, a natural substance that can increase the absorption of curcumin by up to 20 times!
    2. A decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth hormone that functions in the brain, can result in depression and Alzheimer's disease. Curcumin can help to increase levels of this hormone.
    3. Studies have shown that curcumin may help reverse many steps in the development of heart disease.
    4. Curcumin has been studied in cancer treatment and has been found to affect cancer growth, development and spread at a molecular level.
    5. The great anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin means it can help relive the suffering of arthritis.

    You can read more in-depth details about the health benefits of turmeric here.

    Chopped green herbs on top of bright yellow rice.
    heart icon

    Extra tips and variations

    • Make sure to rinse the rice really well, to remove the excess starch.
    • You could cook some finely diced shallots and fresh garlic to add in to this rice.
    • Add some vegetables to it with some frozen peas and sweetcorn or finely diced carrot. These can be added 5 minutes before the end of cooking time.
    • Add some spice with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes before serving.
    • This rice is best cooked fresh, however it can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container for 2 days.

    What to serve with turmeric rice

    This rice is the perfect side to a curry and we have some delicious curry recipes for you to try:

    • Three Bean Curry
    • Paneer Curry
    • Lamb Korma
    • Cauliflower and Potato Curry
    • 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry
    • Cod Curry
    • Easy Lentil Curry
    • Slow Cooker Beef Curry
    • Salmon Curry
    • Mushroom Curry
    • Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
    • Halloumi Curry (shown below)
    Halloumi and Spinach curry in a bowl with yellow rice.

    You need something to scoop up all that delicious curry and rice with, so why not make some bread sides? Try our Homemade Flatbread, Easy Naan or Peshwari Naan.

    Storage

    Store: We always think that it's best to cook any kind of rice dish fresh. However, if you have leftovers of this then you can store it in the fridge for 2 days. Make sure the rice cools quickly and then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Freeze: You can freeze this for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge.

    Reheat: You can reheat it by adding a little water to it and heating it through in a pan. Make sure rice is piping hot if reheating.

    A bowl of yellow rice in front of a blue towel.

    Frequently asked questions

    What does turmeric rice taste like?

    Turmeric has a really earthy and bitter, almost musky taste, with a bit of peppery spice, so the rice takes on all those flavours. The deep rich flavour you get in most curry powders is turmeric.

    How much turmeric do you need to add to rice?

    You only need a teaspoon in this, as it has a really strong flavour. You will need to adjust that if you are making more or less rice of course.

    Do I need to rinse the rice first?

    Yes, we would recommend rinsing your rice first, because it removes excess starch from each rice grain and stops it sticking together.

    Is turmeric rice vegan?

    Yes, this is a vegan recipe.

    Is turmeric rice gluten free?

    As long as you use a gluten free stock and make sure that there is no cross contamination, then this can be gluten free.

    More rice recipes

    • Cilantro Lime Rice
    • Easy Greek Rice
    • The BEST Easy Spanish Rice
    • Healthy Egg Fried Rice

    If you’ve tried this turmeric rice recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A blue bowl full of turmeric rice topped with chopped herbs.

    Turmeric Rice

    Turmeric Rice is a quick and easy side dish that will bring extra flavour to any curry. This vibrant side will mean that rice never has to be boring again.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
    Vegan
    4.90 from 28 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 1 minute
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Standing time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 26 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 157kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 180 g Basmati rice
    • 500 ml Vegetable stock
    • 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
    • 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder

    Instructions

    • Put the rice, turmeric and garlic powder in a saucepan.
      180 g Basmati rice, 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric, 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
    • Add the vegetable stock and stir. Bring to the boil and then put a lid on it and turn down to a low simmer for 15 minutes.
      500 ml Vegetable stock
    • Turn heat off and leave for 10 minutes before fluffing up.

    Notes

    • Make sure to rinse the rice really well, to remove the excess starch.
    • You could cook some finely diced shallots and fresh garlic to add in to this rice.
    • Add some vegetables to it with some frozen peas and sweetcorn or finely diced carrot. These can be added 5 minutes before the end of cooking time.
    • Add some spice with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes before serving.
    • This rice is best cooked fresh, however it can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container for 2 days.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sadie Fletcher

      June 11, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      I use this recipe every time I want rice - tasty -foolproof - wonderful!

      Reply
    2. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness

      April 14, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      I have been making rice so often lately, so this version would be a nice change in my normal simple white rice. Bookmarked for later, thanks for the recipe :)

      Reply
    3. Anita

      April 14, 2020 at 5:57 pm

      5 stars
      The color of the rice is so lovely, and it's perfect side dish for so many different meals.

      Reply
    4. Jacqueline Meldrum

      April 14, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      I use turmeric a lot in my cooking but I've never added it to rice. I definitely will next time. Thanks Dannii :)

      Reply
    5. Romina

      April 14, 2020 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      This Tumeric rice is perfect. I love it with a simple curry and vegetables!

      Reply
    6. Scarlet

      April 14, 2020 at 5:15 pm

      I am trying to add more turmeric to my diet. It is so good for you! Thanks for the turmeric rice recipe. Sounds great.

      Reply
    7. Pam

      April 14, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and oh so beautiful! I can't wait to try this.

      Reply
    8. Erika

      April 14, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      This rice is so good! I had all the ingredients on hand too, so it was perfect!

      Reply
    9. Heidy M

      April 14, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      5 stars
      I made this the other day for my husband and me and was very impressed with the flavor. I will be saving this recipe for the future to make again.

      Reply
    10. Farah Maizar

      April 14, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      We make this so often in the Middle East, but the addition of garlic powder is one I haven't seen before. Genius! I'll definitely try that next time!

      Reply
    11. Veena Azmanov

      April 14, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Simple Rice but full of flavor and the healthy benefits of Turmeric. Comfort meal option.

      Reply
    12. Jenn

      April 14, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      I love turmeric - the flavor, the color - and am always looking for new recipes to use it. This looks like an easy enough dish for weeknight dinners. Fabulous!

      Reply
    13. Fran

      April 14, 2020 at 7:43 am

      5 stars
      I made this with your rogan josh and it was perfect. Just as good as any takeaway meal I have had.

      Reply
    14. Andrea Metlika

      April 13, 2020 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      This is a perfect side dish and really like the idea of having it with curry. Yum!

      Reply
    15. Laura

      April 13, 2020 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      I'm happy to have another rice recipe in my rotation. I make a lot of cilantro rice, but it gets boring. This turmeric rice is great and goes with everything.

      Reply
    16. Cookilicious

      April 13, 2020 at 6:22 pm

      5 stars
      Turmeric rice is so flavorful. We make this all the time.

      Reply
    17. Michelle

      April 13, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      I'm seriously craving this right now! That colour is stunning! We're having curry tonight, definitely making this rice to go with it.

      Reply
    18. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

      April 13, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      I make a version of this turmeric rice at home and it's one of my family's favorites. Can't wait to try your recipe -- and isn't that color glorious?

      Reply

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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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