Turmeric Rice Recipe
Easy and delicious, this Turmeric Rice is the perfect dish to accompany a spicy curry or stew. Turmeric sauteed with curry leaves in coconut oil adds a brilliant pop of fragrance, flavor, color and health. Fresh turmeric root is preferred for this recipe, although you can substitute with the ground spice, and you can make this with white or brown rice. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 134kcal
Equipment
- Large saucepan with tight lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves (roughly chopped. Use 2 tablespoon cilantro as a substitute)
- 1-2 green chili peppers (like serrano or jalapeno. Deseed for less heat. Use red pepper flakes as a substitute)
- ¼ cup turmeric root (grated. Measure after grating. Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon turmeric powder)
- 2 cups basmati rice (or other long-grain rice, washed in running water. Drain out any remaining water.)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and when they sputter, add the curry leaves and green chili peppers. Saute a few seconds. (Make sure your exhaust fan is on)
- Add the grated turneric or turmeric powder. If you are using the grated turmeric, saute a couple of minutes. If using the powder, saute for just about 30 seconds. Sauteing lightly in oil will help the turmeric bloom and take away the astringency, but any longer and the ground turmeric could burn.
- Add the washed, drained rice to the pot. Stir to mix and continue sauteing for a couple of minutes until the rice grains start to turn opaque.
- Add salt and ground black pepper to taste, then add 4 cups water. Mix well. If using brown rice, add 6 cups water.
- Let the rice cook until the water comes to a boil. Let it continue cooking until most of the water has evaporated. At this point stir the rice once more, then cover with a tight lid and let it cook over the lowest heat setting on your stove for 15 minutes. If using brown rice, cover once the water comes to a boil, turn heat to low, and cook 45 minutes or until tender.
- Let the rice stand 10 minutes at least, without uncovering, after turning off the heat. Then take the lid off and stir in the coconut and cilantro using the tines of a fork to mix them in and fluff the rice.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Coconut oil has a unique flavor that pairs beautifully with turmeric, so try and use it here. If you can't, for any reason, use another flavorless vegetable oil. Olive oil is not an appropriate ingredient and should never be used in Indian cooking, both because its distinct flavor will not marry well with spices and also because Indian foods (especially the tadka) require higher temperatures, which olive oil, a fat with a low smoke point, cannot withstand.
- Curry leaves are amazing in this dish, but if you do not have access to them, use cilantro instead. Two tablespoons of chopped cilantro, added at the same time that the curry leaves would go into the pot, will add tons of flavor.
- If using turmeric root, use ¼th of a packed cup of grated turmeric (measured after grating) for two cups of uncooked rice. You don't need to peel the turmeric. If using ground turmeric, use no more than a teaspoon.
- Add a dash of ground black pepper to the rice. In addition to creating more amazing flavor, piperine, a compound in pepper, helps enhance the effects of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric that makes this spice so good for you.
- Use a long-grained rice like basmati or jasmine. You can also use brown rice, although it will need a longer cooking time. Wash the rice, you don't need to soak it, to get the excess starch out, before adding it to the pot.
- I use water to cook the rice, although vegetable stock is a nice addition too, if you have it on hand. Add rice and water in a 1:2 proportion--in other words, for every cup of rice, add two cups of water or stock. For brown rice, add 3 cups water for each cup of rice.
- For white rice, you will need to set the timer for 15 minutes after the water and rice come to a boil. For brown rice, you will need to allow 45 minutes or more until the rice is tender.
- Always use a pot with a tight-fitting lid to cook rice. And wait at least 10 minutes, after the rice has finished cooking, to open the pot because the rice will continue to steam and cook after you turn off the heat.
- To amp up the coconut flavor, I like finishing the rice with a shower of shredded or grated coconut to the rice. Stir in some cilantro as well at this point.
- Once the rice is cooked, use a gentle touch when serving it so it won't mash. Running the tines of a fork through the rice is a great way to loosen the grains and keep them fluffy.
- You can also make this dish with cauliflower rice. If using cauliflower rice, add it at the same time as you would the rice. Do not add any water. Cover and let the cauliflower rice steam for eight minutes before turning off and letting it stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg