Rice is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s easy, quick, and goes with just about anything. But sometimes I want something a little… more than just plain rice. And that’s when I make this garlic turmeric rice. It doesn’t take much more effort but it brings an added layer of flavor and interest to whatever else I’m serving. Plus, its bright golden color is just plain pretty!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s more interesting and flavorful than plain white rice without being much more work.
- It’s an easy way to add more turmeric to your diet.
- It goes well with just about anything, making it a perfect side dish for any meal.
- It freezes well, so you can make a big batch and freeze the leftovers.
Making Garlic Turmeric Rice
This recipe does require a bit more effort than plain white rice. But if you’re in the mood for something a bit more flavorful and a lot more visually interesting, this turmeric rice recipe is worth it. All it takes is some chopping and mincing but the results feel a little extra special.
For this recipe, you’ll need…
- Avocado oil
- Finely diced yellow onion
- Minced garlic
- Long grain white rice
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Turmeric
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Finely minced parsley
Start by thoroughly rinsing the rice. I like to place a smallish fine mesh strainer in a medium bowl and place the rice in that. Then I cover the rice with water and use my hand to swirl the rice around until the water gets cloudy. Once it’s cloudy, I just lift the strainer out of the bowl and pour out the water. I repeat this step 2-3 times until the water is fairly clear after swirling it with the rice. Drain the rice well.
This step helps to make sure the end result isn’t a pot of sticky, soggy rice. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
Heat the avocado oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it begins to soften and turn translucent—about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, turmeric, and black pepper and saute until fragrant—about 1 minute.
Add the drained rice and stock. Stir, making sure to scrape up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15-17 minutes. Check the rice at 15 minutes to see if it’s tender. If it’s not quite done and the water is gone, add a couple of tablespoons and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. If the rice is done but there’s still water, you can just drain that off.
Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the salt and minced parsley before serving.
A quick note: I always add salt after the rice cooks because I’ve found that adding salt to the cooking water makes it more likely that the rice will come out crunchy or underdone. I may be the only one who has this problem, though, since it looks like adding salt to the cooking liquid is the accepted best practice. So I’ll leave it to you to do what feels right.
Turmeric Health Benefits
The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.
Turmeric has a slightly-spicy, earthy flavor that’s widely used in Indian cuisine and curries. It’s also become a bit of an herbal superstar lately thanks to its “anti-inflammatory” properties. But, as usual, it offers much more support than that.
- Turmeric isn’t really “anti” inflammatory. More accurately, it helps to modulate inflammation in the body. It doesn’t suppress inflammation in the same way that NSAIDs do. Instead, helps support the body’s ability to address and manage chronic inflammation without inhibiting acute inflammation, which is actually a very important immune system process.
- It supports liver health and function, thereby aiding in proper digestion and detoxification of the body. It can also be helpful in healing inflammatory digestive issues.
- It also supports heart health, can help lower fasting insulin, improves memory, and can help keep the musculoskeletal system healthy
- Note: People with blood-clotting disorders and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should use caution when taking therapeutic doses of turmeric. Therapeutic doses are much higher than the amount used in cooking.
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Golden Turmeric Rice
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup long grain white rice rinsed well
- 1 ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup finely minced parsley
Instructions
- Start by thoroughly rinsing the rice. Place a smallish fine mesh strainer in a medium bowl and place the rice in that. Cover the rice with water and use your hand to swirl the rice around until the water gets cloudy. Once it’s cloudy, lift the strainer out of the bowl and pour out the water. Repeat this step 2-3 times until the water is fairly clear after swirling it with the rice. Drain the rice well.
- Heat the avocado oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it begins to soften and turn translucent—about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, turmeric, and black pepper and saute until fragrant—about 1 minute. (see note)
- Add the drained rice and stock. Stir, making sure to scrape up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15-17 minutes. Check the rice at 15 minutes to see if it’s tender. If it’s not quite done and the water is gone, add a couple tablespoons and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. If the rice is done but there’s still water, you can just drain that off.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the salt and minced parsley before serving.
Notes
