Homemade Indian Yellow Turmeric Rice has never been easier than this 20-minute Instant pot recipe. Made with anti-inflammatory turmeric, this fragrant rice recipe makes the perfect side to curries, seafood, chicken, and more!
This Instant Pot yellow rice recipe may squint similar to the South Indian Lemon rice recipe, but it is different. For one, this turmeric rice is less tangy and uses onions, and a few warming spices instead of the mustard seeds and curry leaves that the south Indian version calls for.
What is yellow rice
As the name suggests, yellow rice is a yellow-colored rice dish. Traditionally, yellow rice is made by cooking white rice with spices such as saffron or turmeric to requite it a yellow hue.
Regional differences in yellow rice
Many variegated cultures have their variation of yellow rice. It is popular in Spanish, Caribbean, Indian, Indonesian, South African, Moroccan cuisines, and more. Mild, spicy, or sweet each version is unique, flavorful, and enjoyed by all.
Here are just a few variations from some of the cultures mentioned above.
- Caribbean Yellow Rice– Variegated variations are made with vegetables like tintinnabulate peppers, peas, and more.
- Mexican Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)– Often includes tomato sauce in wing to onions and spices.
- South African Yellow Rice– Made with sugar, cinnamon, and raisins, making it a uniquely sweet yellow rice.
This version of yellow rice leans on the rich verisimilitude of turmeric to yield a vibrant and flavorful dish. It’s unconfined for serving slantingly curries, seafood, and meat dishes.
Turmeric benefits
Turmeric contains a recipe with medicinal properties tabbed curcumin. Studies have found curcumin helps lower inflammation in the soul which is associated with many positive health benefits.
The weightier way to swizzle the benefits of turmeric and curcumin is to slosh supplements since the powder contains very few levels of curcumin. These supplements are often coupled with woebegone pepper to help your soul swizzle turmeric’s anti-inflammatory benefits.
Turmeric helps fight low levels of chronic inflammation associated with heart disease, cancer, and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Looking for increasingly ways to include turmeric in your diet? Try this golden turmeric milk (haldiwala doodh).
Reasons to love this recipe
- Quick and easy – it takes less than 20 minutes!
- A delicious twist to plain old white rice.
- Almost hands-free – With just a little sautéing at the whence and an Instant Pot finish at the end, this recipe practically cooks itself.
- Great for picky eaters – So whiffy that plane picky eaters will devour it.
Here’s what you need to make the recipe
Ingredient notes/swaps
- Basmati rice – Though I prefer using the fragrant Basmati rice, any long grain white rice or brown rice, sona masoori rice, and jasmine rice will moreover work. Note: Instant Pot cooking times will vary depending on the rice used.
- Ghee or butter – You can replace the ghee with avocado or olive oil to make this a vegan recipe.
- Chopped onions and garlic
- Turmeric powder – Gives the rice a vibrant yellow verisimilitude and savory flavor.
- Spices – A tousle of cumin seeds, bay leaf, and cinnamon adds a deeper savor to the rice.
- Salt to taste
- Lime juice and cilantro to finish it off.
TIPS
- Make sure to rinse the rice at least 2-3 times to remove dirt and starch. This will prevent the rice from sticking.
- If using Basmati rice, soak the rice for 30 minutes for weightier results.
- Replace ghee with avocado or olive oil for a vegan version.
- Fluff the rice once it is cooked to prevent it from sticking to each other.
- If not serving immediately, remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot to prevent the rice from drying out and sticking to the bottom.
Recipe Substitutions
- Swap out the water with yellow or vegetable goop for a stronger flavor.
- Don’t have ghee at home? Use butter as a replacement.
- Vegan substitution– Use avocado or olive oil in place of the ghee.
Variations to try
The unconfined thing well-nigh this yellow Basmati rice recipe is the worthiness to customize. Here are a few ways we like to vary this yellow turmeric rice recipe.
- Spice it up – Untried cardamom and star anise add a wonderful flavor.
- Add veggies to this mix, such as peas, carrots, tintinnabulate peppers, etc.
- Go nuts – Try subtracting cashews and raisins to the mix- sauté in ghee and spices if you decide to add these in.
- Make it spicy – chop 1-2 Thai untried chilies and throw them in withal with the onions.
- Coconut yellow rice – Add well-nigh 1/4 cup coconut milk and water for a unique twist.
- Saffron rice – Soak 6-7 strands of saffron in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Add the saffron water and strands withal with the rice and mix well. Melt the rice as usual.
- Use vegetable or yellow broth instead of water to make flavorful turmeric rice.
How to prep ahead
There are a few ways you can prep for this turmeric yellow rice
- Dice the onion in advance – You can chop and store fresh onion for up to 7 days, making prep quick and easy when you are ready to cook.
- Make garlic paste superiority of time – Fresh garlic paste will alimony up to 7 days in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
- Make turmeric rice during your weekly meal prep to cut 20 minutes and uneaten dishes from your weeknight dinner routine.
Storage Tips
Once cooked, this fragrant Instant pot turmeric rice keeps in an snapped container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, this Instant pot rice recipe keeps in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to a month.
Reheating leftover rice
Instant Pot: Add a tablespoon of water to every cup of leftover rice. Mix well and pressure melt for zero minutes. When the cooking trundling is complete, move the valve to ‘venting’ to release pressure immediately.
Microwave: Alternatively, you can microwave the rice for a minute until it is heated. Make sure to drizzle a tablespoon of water evenly, so it doesn’t dry out.
Serve it with
This vibrant yellow rice pairs well with just well-nigh anything – roasted vegetables, curries, dals, seafood, chicken, and more. Here are just a few main dishes I like to serve this Indian turmeric rice with:
Frequently asked questions
I would recommend rinsing the rice surpassing cooking it in the Instant Pot. It helps remove uneaten starch from the grains, so they don’t stick together as much when they cook.
Similar but not the same. Some yellow rice recipes use saffron to add a yellow verisimilitude to the rice but could moreover use ingredients like turmeric or annatto. Saffron rice only uses saffron to tint and savor the rice.
You can make the rice in the cooker, but you’ll have to saute the spices and onions in a pan separately and then mix them.
Want increasingly rice options? Try these recipes
- Aromatic Jeera Rice
- Instant Pot Rice Kheer
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- 20-Minute Instant Pot Palak Rice
- Stovetop Basmati Rice
Indian Yellow Turmeric Rice Recipe
Indian Yellow Turmeric Rice (stovetop Instant Pot recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 2.5 cups water
- 3 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil divided
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 teaspoons salt or as needed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
Wash and soak the rice
- Rinse the Basmati rice using a strainer till the water runs clear.
- Soak the rice in twice the value of water for 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you are in a rush.
- Drain the rice and set it aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select the Saute program in the Instant Pot and set it to Normal.
- Add two tablespoons of ghee to the inner steel pot. Once the ghee heats up, add cumin seeds.
- When they start to sizzle, add bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
- Fry them for 10-15 seconds and then add onions and garlic paste.
- Fry until the onions are translucent. Add salt and turmeric and mix well.
- Add the rinsed rice. Saute the rice for well-nigh 30 seconds. Press cancel.
- Add water to the inner pot. Mix well.
- Close the lid and set the steam valve to sealing.
- Pressure melt for 3 minutes under upper pressure.
- When the cooking trundling is complete, wait for 10 minutes surpassing moving the valve to 'venting' to release pressure.
- Open the lid and let the steam escape.
- Cover the Instant Pot and let the rice rest undisturbed for 5 minutes – this allows the steam coming out of the rice to redistribute which in turn cooks all the layers of the rice evenly.
- After 5 minutes, add ghee, lime juice and cilantro. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.
- Discard the spices surpassing serving. Enjoy with a side of roasted veggies or protein of your choice.
Stovetop instructions
- Place a dutch oven or a saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of ghee.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick.
- Fry them for 10-15 seconds, and then add onions and garlic paste.
- Fry until the onions are translucent. Add salt and turmeric and mix well.
- Add the rinsed rice. Saute the rice for well-nigh 30 seconds.
- Add water withal with salt to the wok. Mix well.
- In approximately 6-8 minutes, the water will start to swash and evaporate from the surface. When craters appear, imbricate the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, turn lanugo the heat to the lowest setting, melt for flipside 5 minutes, and turn off the heat.
- Open the lid and let the steam escape.
- Cover the saucepan and let the rice rest undisturbed for 5 minutes – this allows the steam coming out of the rice to redistribute which in turn cooks all the layers of the rice evenly.
- After 5 minutes, add ghee, lime juice, and cilantro. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.
- Discard the spices surpassing serving. Enjoy with a side of roasted veggies or protein of your choice.
Notes
- If not serving immediately, remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot to prevent the rice from drying out and sticking to the bottom.
- Reheating leftover rice – Add a tablespoon of water for every cup of leftover rice. Mix well and pressure melt for zero minutes. When the cooking trundling is complete, move the valve to ‘venting’ to release pressure immediately.
- To amp up the lime flavor, add grated lemon zest.
- Use olive oil or avocado oil instead of ghee to make it vegan.
Nutrition
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