Turmeric Garlic Rice
Turmeric garlic rice is easy to make, packed with so much flavor and so fragrant! This healthy garlic turmeric rice is just as easy to make as regular rice and will quickly become one of your families favorite side dishes! Ready in about 20 minutes, this yellow rice is so versatile and pairs with just about any dish!
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy – this turmeric garlic rice only has one additional step (measuring out the spices) than making rice the traditional way, but that one step adds so much flavor and excitement to an otherwise pretty boring dish! Use white jasmine or basmati rice and this dish is ready in under 20 minutes. You can even make it in the instant pot!
- Healthy ingredients that are easy to find – you most likely already have everything you need to make this healthy yellow rice in your kitchen right now. This recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly and pairs with just about anything!
- Better than store-bought prepackaged rice – if you have only ever had store bought yellow rice, you are in for a treat! You won’t believe how easy this is to make and the ingredients are so much better for you. No added preservative, sugars, or unnecessary ingredients.
- Versatile – this garlic turmeric rice goes with almost anything! You can use it in Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Asian dishes and so much more! It’s even great for breakfast.
Ingredients
- Jasmine rice (or basmati rice) – I prefer jasmine or basmati rice for this recipe. They are both so fragrant on their own and cook up so quickly. I recommend using a white jasmine or basmati but you could use brown (you will need more water and more cooking time). If you are going to use brown jasmine or basmati, I recommend using the instant pot for quicker cooking.
- Water – water is used to cook the rice. If you want to add even more flavor, you can replace some or all of the water with vegetable broth or chicken broth/stock.
- Olive oil – olive oil is added to help keep the rice from sticking, clumping when cooking but also to add depth to the dish.
- Spice: Turmeric, garlic powder and salt – the turmeric give the dish it’s bright yellow color and also adds a slightly bitter, earthy flavor. The garlic powder adds the garlic flavor but also gives the dish a deep umami flavor which is really what makes this dish so delicious. Salt helps to elevate all the flavors of the dish.
How to make turmeric garlic rice
Start by rinsing the rice well. White rice (jasmine, basmati, regular) typically has a lot of extra starch on the rice that needs to be rinsed off or you will notice that the rice has a gummy texture after cooking.
After the rice has been rinsed, add it to a large pot with fresh water, olive oil and spices. Stir well.
Put the rice over high heat and cover. Bring to a boil and once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take the pot off the heat and let the rice sit, covered for 3-5 minutes, then take the lid off and fluff the rice with a fork.
Top tips
- Brown jasmine or basmati rice needs more water and cooking time, you will need about 1.75 cups of water for every 1 cup of brown jasmine/basmati rice and let simmer for 25-30 minutes after bringing to a boil (covered).
- Turmeric stains. Be sure to use stainless steel utensils (no wood) as the turmeric will stain wood and linens so be careful with what you choose to stir your rice with.
- Use vegetable broth or chicken broth/stock instead of water for an even more flavorful dish.
- Be sure to rinse the rice well before cooking. This helps to remove the excess starch on the rice.
- Use a large enough pot so that the rice doesn’t boil over when cooking. If you know you won’t be sticking close to the stove while the rice is cooking, I recommend using the instant pot. It’s fool-proof, just set it and forget it.
- For the fluffiest rice, allow the rice to sit, covered for 3-5 minutes (off the heat – move the pot if you have a glass top stove). This lets the rice soak up any extra liquid before fluffing the rice with a fork.
- Use the instant pot for an even more hands-off method to cook the rice.
Other additions
- Spice: Red pepper flakes or pinch of cayenne pepper
- Smokiness: Smoked paprika or cumin
- Veggies: Add 1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies at the end, let sit covered 3-5 minutes to defrost veggies before stirring them in
- Fresh garlic (and onion): sauté garlic and onion in oil, butter or coconut oil for 3-4 minutes before adding spices and rice.
- Fresh herbs: Add after fluffing the rice add the herbs. Green onion, cilantro, mint, chives would all be great.
- Protein: Add black beans, chickpeas, shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, cooked tofu
- Crunch: Add sliced almonds or chopped cashews
What to serve with garlic turmeric rice
This turmeric garlic rice can be used pretty much anywhere you would normally use rice (it pairs great with Indian, Middle Eastern or Asian Dishes). Here are some unexpected ways to use it:
- Mexican – serve with spiced black beans and Mexican veggies, alongside of Mexican shredded chicken tacos or Mexican black bean burgers
- Mediterranean – use this turmeric garlic rice as a base for grain bowls with hummus and veggies or on the side of Greek Chicken and Vegetables
- Asian – serve alongside teriyaki chicken or teriyaki salmon and veggies for a fun twist
- Cajun – serve with Cajun chicken and veggies or cajun spiced shrimp in lettuce wraps
- Italian – Serve with balsamic chicken, balsamic beef or balsamic tofu and the best broccoli
How to make garlic turmeric rice in the instant pot
- Rinse the rice well.
- Add the rice, water, olive oil and spices to the instant pot and stir well. Note: In the instant pot, the water does not have a chance to evaporate like on the stove, so you need less water in the instant pot than on the stove.
- For white jasmine rice (or white basmati rice): you need 1.25 cups of water in the instant pot and 1.5 cups water on the stove for each 1 cup of rice.
- For brown jasmine rice (or brown basmati rice) you need 1.5 cups of water in the instant pot and 1.75 cups of water on the stove for each 1 cup of brown jasmine rice.
- Put the lid on, make sure it’s sealed and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes for white jasmine/basmati rice or 7 minutes for brown jasmine or basmati rice.
- Let the rice naturally release pressure 5 minutes before manually releasing pressure.
Note: If you are using an 8 qt instant pot, you will need to make at least 2 cups of white jasmine rice (dry) to cook rice properly (or you can get a burn notice from not having enough liquid in the pot to bring it up to pressure properly). 8 qt instant pots require at least 2 cups of liquid to come up to pressure).
Common questions
What does turmeric taste like?
Turmeric has a slightly bitter, earthy flavor that when paired with garlic powder creates the most incredible meal.
Turmeric is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, although the small amount in this dish is not enough to make a substantial impact on your day.
To get the most out of turmeric, it’s recommended that you pair it with black pepper, so give your rice a sprinkle of black pepper before serving it.
What is the best kind of rice to use
For this recipe, I recommend jasmine rice or basmati rice. You can use white or brown rice but the cooking time and water requirements will be slightly different (white rice cooks quicker and needs less water because the outer hull has been removed).
You can use whatever rice you have on hand though, just know that the cooking time and water requirements will likely differ. Essentially, make your rice however you usually make it, just add the olive oil and spices to the pot before turning it on.
Note: if you typically boil your rice like pasta instead of cooking it with the lid on, cook your rice, drain it then add the spices and let sit with the lid on for 5 or so minutes to fluff up.
How to rinse rice
White rice is known to have excess starch on the outside, which when cooked can create a mushy, gummy texture. Because of this, I recommend that you always rinse your rice (white or brown rice) before cooking with it.
There are 2 ways to rinse rice:
- Use cool water, fill the pot with water and stir with your hands or a spoon. The water will become cloudy. Repeat this 3-4 times (pour out the water into a colander) until the water no longer gets cloudy during rinsing.
- Put the rice directly in a colander and rinse it a few times with cool water. This gets a lot of the starch off but isn’t as effective as washing it in water with your hands or a spoon.
Can you use fresh turmeric for this recipe?
I have not tried this recipe with fresh turmeric. Typically, you need 3 times the amount of fresh herb to dried, so you would need 1 tablespoon peeled, grated turmeric for every teaspoon in this recipe. Note that the rice may not be evenly colored since it will be more difficult to disperse the grated turmeric easily.
Be sure to wear gloves, as fresh turmeric does stain your fingers.
Storing leftover yellow rice
Fridge: Store leftover turmeric garlic rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftover jasmine or basmati rice reheats well (it doesn’t turn into a brick and dry out like white or brown rice).
Freezer: Rice freezes well and can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I like to freeze rice in individual servings using Soupercubes. Once frozen solid, transfer the rice from the Soupercubes to a freezer safe bag or container. Be sure to label the bag with the name, date and use by date.
Substitutions
- Rice – you can also make this recipe with quinoa (use 1.25 cups of water for every cup of quinoa) or even make it with cauliflower rice (no water is needed). Every 1 cup of rice will equal 1 16 oz. bag cauliflower rice, sauté the rice in oil until cooked through. Add the spices and cook 1-2 more minutes.
- Water – use vegetable broth, chicken broth or stock or even bone broth in place of water to add even more flavor.
- Olive oil – use whatever oil or healthy fat you have on hand. Avocado oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee would also work well in this recipe.
- Spices – The spices are pretty important for the flavor of this dish. If you cannot tolerate garlic, use garlic infused olive oil instead.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Beans
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Turmeric Garlic Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice then add the rice to a large pot.
- Add the turmeric, garlic powder, salt, olive oil and water to the pot with the rice and stir well.
- Turn the heat to high and cover the pot. Once the water is boiling, turn down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, take the rice off the heat (covered) and let it sit for 3-5 minutes then fluff with a fork.
Notes
- Brown jasmine or basmati rice needs more water and cooking time, you will need about 1.75 cups of water for every 1 cup of brown jasmine/basmati rice and let simmer for 25-30 minutes after bringing to a boil (covered).
- Turmeric stains. Be sure to use stainless steel utensils (no wood) as the turmeric will stain wood and linens so be careful with what you choose to stir your rice with.
- Use vegetable broth or chicken broth/stock instead of water for an even more flavorful dish.
- Be sure to rinse the rice well before cooking. This helps to remove the excess starch on the rice.
- Use a large enough pot so that the rice doesn’t boil over when cooking. If you know you won’t be sticking close to the stove while the rice is cooking, I recommend using the instant pot. It’s fool-proof, just set it and forget it.
- Allow the rice to sit, covered for 3-5 minutes (off the heat – move the pot if you have a glass top stove) to let the rice soak up any extra liquid before fluffing the rice with a fork.
- Use the instant pot for an even more hands-off method to cook the rice.
-
- For white jasmine rice (or white basmati rice): you need 1.25 cups of water in the instant pot and 1.5 cups water on the stove for each 1 cup of rice.
- For brown jasmine rice (or brown basmati rice) you need 1.5 cups of water in the instant pot and 1.75 cups of water on the stove for each 1 cup of brown jasmine rice.
- Rinse the rice well.
- Add the rice, water, olive oil and spices to the instant pot and stir well.
- Put the lid on, make sure it’s sealed and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes for white jasmine/basmati rice or 7 minutes for brown jasmine or basmati rice.
- Let the rice naturally release pressure 5 minutes before manually releasing pressure
- Fridge: Store leftover turmeric garlic rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftover jasmine or basmati rice reheats well (it doesn’t turn into a brick and dry out like white or brown rice).
- Freezer: Rice freezes well and can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I like to freeze rice in individual servings using Soupercubes. Once frozen solid, transfer the rice from the Soupercubes to a freezer safe bag or container. Be sure to label the bag with the name, date and use by date.
Can you use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder?
Hey Carol, yes you can use fresh garlic. Be sure to saute it for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients so that it doesn’t taste like raw garlic.
I love garlic and this is my number one side dish for so many meals. Thank you.
Gina thank you for letting me know and giving a rating. I love hearing you enjoyed this dish!