This garlic turmeric rice is an easy side dish that goes well with any meal. It is cooked perfectly on the stove and can be ready in less than 30 minutes. You and your family will become big fans of this turmeric rice.

In this recipe, I will show you how to make turmeric rice perfectly, every single time. The rice will come up tender, fluffy, and aromatic. In addition, this turmeric rice requires minimal ingredients, yet is so flavorful. It's also gluten-free and vegan!

This garlic turmeric rice recipe is inspired by popular saffron rice and Indian-style rice recipes on my site.

Jump to:

What is Turmeric Rice
What is Tumeric Rice made of?
Ingredients for Yellow Rice
How to Make Turmeric Rice on the Stove
Instant Pot Turmeric Rice
Tips to Make the Best Garlic Turmeric Rice
What to Serve with Tumeric Rice
Storage
How to Reheat
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

What is Turmeric Rice

Turmeric Rice is one of the most popular side dishes in the Middle East, South Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. This yellow rice is so versatile and can be served with any type of meat or veggies.

Turmeric rice has different names and uses different ingredients depending on where you go. It's known as Nasi Kuning, or Geelrys in South Africa, and other names across the Middle East.

What is Tumeric Rice made of?

Traditionally, turmeric rice is made of long-grain rice, such as basmati or jasmine.
Turmeric is the essential ingredient used to add color and an earthy flavor to the rice. Depending on the region, yellow rice may include varieties of spices

to add more depth of flavor. These include saffron, lemongrass, bay leaf, cardamom, lemon, lime, and cloves.

Ingredients for Yellow Rice

Now, let's talk about the turmeric rice that you are going to make today. This version of yellow rice uses simple ingredients.

Rice. In this recipe, I used white basmati rice because this type of rice retains its shape well once cooked. If you have no basmati rice on-hand, feel free to use any long-grain rice such as jasmine.
Turmeric. I used ground turmeric to add yellow color to the rice.
Onion. I used this aromatic vegetable as a base for the rice. It adds sweetness and a savory taste to the rice.
Garlic. It's another aromatic vegetable that I used to add umami flavor and fragrance to the rice.

Fat. I used a combination of unsalted butter and olive oil to saute the aromatic vegetables. These fats make the rice taste more buttery and not dry.
Liquid. I cooked the rice in chicken stock, but vegetarian options such as vegetable stock will work as well. Chicken stock helps create a deeper and richer flavor in the rice.
Seasoning. The rice is seasoned lightly with salt. If you like you can use black pepper too.

How to Make Turmeric Rice on the Stove

The preparation and cooking process of this turmeric rice recipe is pretty quick and easy to follow. Here's what you need to do.

Step 1. Soak the Basmati Rice

You may skip this process if you are using many other types of long-grain rice.

In a bowl, put rice and cold water.
Soak the rice for 20 minutes.

Step 2. Rinse and Drain the Rice

Once soaked, transfer the rice to a fine strainer.
Clean the rice under running cold water until the liquid comes out clean.
Drain the rice well.

Cook the onion for 2 minutes, stirring often.

Step 3. Cook the Aromatic Base

In a saucepan, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat.
Cook the onion for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add garlic and cook just until fragrant.

Add turmeric and stir the rice until it is fully coated with turmeric.

Step 3. Saute and Season the Rice

Add the rice to the saucepan and stir for 2 minutes.
Add turmeric and stir the rice until it is fully coated with turmeric.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Quickly scrape off the bottom of the pan.

Step 4. Add Liquid and Boil the Rice

Pour in the chicken stock and bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Quickly scrape off the bottom of the pan.
Continue boiling until you see little holes with steam coming through the rice, and the water volume has reduced to almost the rice level.

Continue boiling until you see little holes with steam coming through the rice, and the water volume has reduced to almost the rice level.

Step 5. Cover and Simmer

Cover the saucepan with a tight lid.
Quickly turn the heat to the low setting.
Simmer the rice for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat source.
Let the rice sit for another 10 minutes, still covered.
Open the lid, and fluff the rice.

Instant Pot Turmeric Rice

In a bowl, put rice and cold water. Soak the rice for 20 minutes then rinse and drain well.
Press the "Sauté" function key. Melt butter and heat oil then cook the onion for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook just until fragrant.
Add turmeric and stir to combine. Turn off the "Sauté" function key.
Pour in the chicken stock and quickly scrape off the bottom of the pan.
Place the lid on, sealed, and set it to manual for "3 minutes" on a high setting
Once the cooking cycle is completed, allow the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.

Tips to Make the Best Garlic Turmeric Rice

Always soak the basmati rice prior to cooking. Soaking basmati rice in water for 20 minutes will help produce softer and fluffier grains.
Always rinse the rice. You should not skip this step. Rinsing rice before cooking is crucial. It helps remove excess starch, reduces a lot of impurities including arsenic, and gets rid of the chemical smell of the rice.
Always drain the rice. The excess liquid contains impurities and makes it hard to toast the rice perfectly. Make sure that you drain the rice really well, removing as much excess liquid as possible.
Customize it. As always, use this recipe as a starting point, then customize it. On that note, I added ¼ teaspoon of salt, but you can always add more salt according to your taste, depending on the type of dish you want to serve it with.
Use a saucepan with a tight lid. This piece of equipment is so helpful for cooking rice. To make this turmeric rice recipe, you can use any 2-3 Quartz saucepans with a lid.

Always rest the rice before fluffing. Once you simmer the rice, remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the rice sit, covered for 10 minutes before fluffing the rice. This step will ensure that the rice will fully absorb all the remaining liquid. As a result, the rice will become softer and fluffier.
Rice to Water Ratio. If you are going to cook with long-grain rice other than Basmati, you need to increase the cooking time and use a 1:2 rice-to-liquid ratio. For basmati rice, use a 1:1.5 rice-to-liquid ratio.
For rice cooker users, I highly recommend that you check the product manual for your rice cooker to find the recommended rice-to-water ratio in order to cook the rice properly. The general ratio for basmati rice is 1:1.5 (1 cup rice + 1½ cups water), or for long-grain rice 1:1.75 ratio (1 cup rice + 1 ¾ cups water).

What to Serve with Tumeric Rice

This turmeric rice goes well with any dish of your choice from stew, grilled meat, roasted vegetables, and more. Here are some ideas for you to try:

Storage

Discard any leftover turmeric rice that has been left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. You can learn more here.

Let the turmeric cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container.
Properly stored, the leftovers can last 3-4 days in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer.

How to Reheat

You can reheat the leftover turmeric rice in a microwave. Here's how:

Place the leftover turmeric rice in a microwave-safe bowl/plate.
Add about a tablespoon of water per cup of rice then stir.
Cover the plate with a microwave-safe lid or wet paper towel.
Microwave for 1 minute or longer until warm through.

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating.