This is a great way to change up a regular rice recipe. This easy yellow rice has rice, turmeric, vegetable broth, and some flavorful seasonings.
A few things about yellow rice:
I always thought yellow rice was a fancy dish that was difficult to make. All of that changed when I was watching a cooking show and saw a simple spice turn the color of the rice yellow. So I decided to try it out and ended up liking it! I mixed turmeric with olive oil and garlic and then sautéed the rice for a little bit.
I find that any foreign dish adds a fresh element to a meal and since yellow rice is originally South African it does the trick! There are so many different ways to make yellow rice and flavor it, but what all the dishes have in common is the beautiful yellow color.
A couple basics when it comes to rice:
- I like to use basmati rice: it’s a long-grain high-quality rice that always comes out good.
- Rinsing the rice with water before using it helps get rid of the extra starch which then makes the rice very light and airy. You can use a mesh strainer or just rinse the rice in a bowl and spill out the extra water.
- Generally, add double the amount of liquid to the amount of rice. If you like when your rice is a little stickier then use 1/4 cup less of liquid.
The turmeric stain…
Turmeric is one of those things that can stain pretty intensely. I learned this the hard way when I used white dishes to serve the rice. A couple of tips to avoid this:
- Bake the rice in an aluminum pan. Add all the ingredients to the pan and bake on 375 degrees for around 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
- Avoid white dishes if you can and use glass or metal dishes. Those don’t stain and if they do, they are easier to clean.
- Wash your dishes right away so that any yellow color gets out.
- Soak any stained dishes in equal parts hot water and vinegar for a few hours or until the stain comes out.
Some ideas to try with this rice:
Savory: dice up some onions and peppers, sauté them, and add them to the rice once it’s cooked. This will add color, flavor, and texture to the rice and make it a fancier dish.
Sweet: to sweeten it up you can add some cinnamon and honey to the pot when you add the oil in and add some dried fruit and nuts once it’s finished cooking. This almost makes it into a sweet rice salad which is a real delicacy.
What to serve yellow rice with:
- This rice goes well with our flavorful chicken patties or soft and juicy top of the rib.
- Moroccan dishes like beef stew or braised beef.
- Anything on the grill like steak or chicken.
- Fish like salmon, flounder, or seabass.
- Top it with beans for an easy rice and bean dish.
- Add roasted veggies or a salad to complete the meal!
Easy Yellow Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons cilantro or any herbs (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil and turmeric in a saucepan over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add rice and mix well until the rice is yellow. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and mix well. Cook for another minute.
- Add broth and water and bring to a boil.
- Cover, lower the heat to a very low simmer, and cook for around 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
- Add herbs (if using) and fluff the rice.
