Turmeric Rice Recipe (2024)

This vibrant Turmeric Rice Recipe is a fast and easy side dish perfect for brightening up your weeknight dinner.

Hello friends! It’s been quite a while since I posted a new recipe. If you follow me on instagram, you might know that I recently had a baby! So that explains why I haven’t been able to cook or photograph new recipes. Now that my baby is all grown up at the age of 2 months, I’m ready to send him off to college and get back to work. 😆😆😆 Just kidding! But as I start to get the hang of being a mom, I am trying to get back in the swing of things with the blog.

Due to some complications, I spent about a week in the hospital after my baby was born. After eating hospital food for several days, my brother saved us and brought us some “real food” from a local Mediterranean restaurant. It was probably some of the best food we have ever tasted. Influenced by sleep deprivation, stress and 3 days of hospital food, but nevertheless, delicious.

We loved it so much that we got takeout many more times from that restaurant during the first few weeks of our baby’s life. Mr. Briar LOVED the turmeric rice, and asked me if I could recreate it at some point. This Turmeric Rice isn’t exactly what they serve, but it might be even better!

WHAT IS TURMERIC?

Turmeric is a rhizome (a tuber, similar to a root) like ginger – in fact, turmeric and ginger are in the same family! The powder made from the root is bright yellow, and sometimes used to dye foods. It will stain, so be careful when working with it! Turmeric is not spicy, and is often used in curry.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TURMERIC?

The jury is out on exactly how healthy turmeric is. Turmeric containsCurcumin which is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. These are great for many things – boosts brain function, fights heart disease and cancer. However, turmeric only contains 3% curcumin, and the body doesn’t absorb curcumin very well. But whether or not turmeric has miraculous medical powers, you can still feel good about adding it to your food!

HOW TO MAKE TURMERIC RICE

1. Rinse rice until water runs clear, drain.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter.
3. When butter is melted, add onion and garlic, saute until softened.
4. Add rice and turmeric. Stir until combined. Add chicken broth and bay leaf, cover pan. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, allow to simmer 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf, fluff with a fork and serve.