20-Minute Garlic Turmeric Rice
This super easy 20 minute garlic turmeric rice is something I make all the time. Pair it with your favorite protein and you have a quick weeknight dinner. In this blog post, learn how to make this easy side dish recipe. Included are instructions to make this on the stove and in a rice cooker!
Growing up, we always had a ton of rice or rice derived products at every meal. I was basically bred and raised on rice, but as I got older, I wanted to mix it up a bit! I still wanted to have rice, but I wanted it to be more interesting and more flavorful. So I thought what about white rice made with turmeric?! That’s how I ended up making this garlic turmeric rice. It was just something I whipped up from time to time when I was tired of normal white rice. I shared it on my Instagram recently and asked if people wanted the recipe, thinking not that many people would want it, but to my surprise, a good number of people did! So here I am sharing this recipe!
How I developed this turmeric rice recipe
I honestly don’t remember exactly how I developed this recipe since I’ve been making it for a few years. The first thing I thought of when I wanted to up my rice game was something a friend’s mom said to me years ago. She is Argentinian and her rice is some of the best rice I’ve ever had, so I asked her how she made it. She said she didn’t really remember the exact ingredients (I know classic mom answer LOL), but that she sautéed the rice grains with shallots before cooking it. That stuck with me. So for this turmeric rice recipe, I decided to employ the same technique but saute the rice grains with turmeric, garlic, and shallots. All the good stuff to add more flavor to the rice. I tweaked the turmeric powder a few times, testing both 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp and eventually landed on 1/2 tsp because it made the rice the perfect shade of yellow without affecting the flavor.
Some notes about the ingredients you’ll need
- Jasmine rice – I used jasmine rice for this recipe, but I have also made this recipe with basmati and Japanese sushi rice. All work well with this recipe. I think jasmine rice is the best choice because it’s the perfect size and perfect texture.
- Turmeric powder – I used turmeric powder to color the rice yellow. As mentioned, I tested this recipe with 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder. Both amounts work for this recipe, but I prefer 1/2 tsp slightly more since it makes the rice more yellow. Feel free to use 1/4 tsp if you want less color or more than 1/2 tsp if you want more yellow color.
- Chicken broth – In later iterations of this recipe, I started using chicken broth to further flavor the rice. I would be very careful with adding chicken broth because some brands are saltier than others. That’s why I use chicken broth and water to cook the rice. (I buy low sodium chicken broth for my recipe.) Additionally, if you don’t have chicken broth, it’s perfectly okay to use all water. You can also use all chicken broth, but like I said, make sure it’s low sodium.
How to make my turmeric shallot rice
What if I want to make this in a rice cooker?
I have made this turmeric rice in a rice cooker as well. To make this in a rice cooker, simply saute the rice grains with the aromatics, turmeric, and salt, then pour it into a rice cooker. Pour the chicken stock and water on top and cook until done! I would recommend making a test batch since all rice cookers require different amounts of water to cook rice. See my rice cooking guide for more detailed instructions!
How do you eat garlic turmeric rice?
This turmeric rice is a great substitute for white rice. Recently, I’ve been eating this with Greek chicken, fresh veggies, tzatziki, and feta (see picture above). A little bit of a Greek chicken bowl. I’ve also eaten this with my turmeric chicken recipe.
Did you make this dish?
If you made this dish, I would love to see!
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Get the Recipe:
20-Minute Garlic Turmeric Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup of jasmine rice until the water runs clear. Fill the bowl with water, swish around the rice until the water becomes cloudy, and drain the water. Repeat until the water runs clear (5-6 times). Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and 1 minced shallot. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute until both are tender and shiny.
- Add ½ tsp of turmeric powder and ¼ tsp of salt. Mix and cook for 15 seconds. Make sure the rice is coated in the turmeric.
- Lastly, pour ½ cup of chicken stock and ¾ cup of water over the rice. Bring to a simmer and then lower the heat to low.
- Cover and let the rice cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
Notes
