We eat a lot of rice in our family. It’s an easy grain to cook, pairs well with a variety of dishes, and crowd pleaser–even for my two picky kids!
I typically pair rice with a protein (meat, chicken, or pork) and a vegetable (fermented cabbage, salad, zucchini, or even sliced tomatoes).
What is turmeric?
Turmeric is in the same family as ginger. It is a rhizome (like a root).
You can find it at some grocery stores in its raw form but I’ve always been able to find it in a powdered form.
It is bright yellow so it’s a great way to add color and depth to any food (I coat my roasted sweet potatoes it in with olive oil and thyme and always add a few shakes to my chicken noodle soup, giving it a beautiful yellow color).
It will stain your fingernails and cuticles for about a day or so, so be careful if that is something that will bother you.
Turmeric is very flavorsome but it is not spicy, making it ideal for dinner guests and kids.
It has an earthy taste, with a slight bitterness if you use too much. It is also musky and peppery.
When used with rice, it gives it a lovely, savory flavor.
There are some health benefits to turmeric such as improve your cardiovascular health.
It is high in antioxidants which can help to prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
It has anti-inflammatory properties which make it good for your gut and can ease the symptoms of arthritis.
It has also been thought to assist with depression.
Stovetop Turmeric Whole Grain Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole grain jasmine rice (can be brown, red, purple, or black varieties)e
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive oil (ideally extra virgin)
- 1/4 cup Diced onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 1/2 cup Chicken broth (ideally bone broth)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice to get rid of the starchy coating on the rice, as well to reduce the levels of arsenic on your rice. (For many reasons, rice may accumulate a significant amount of inorganic arsenic but rinsing it can remove most.)Rinsing also prevents rice being too sticky, which is not the right kind of consistency you want for turmeric rice. You can use a sieve (or just a regular bowl!) to rinse the rice in running water until the water coming out of the bottom of the rice runs clear.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan big enough to hold all the rice over a medium heat until it is melted, then add the onions and garlic. Sauté them until they are nice and soft, about five minutes.
- Add the uncooked rice into the saucepan. Stir the rice to combine it with the onions and the garlic, then add in the turmeric and stir again. Keep the rice moving so it doesn’t stick to the saucepan.
- Add the chicken broth to the saucepan along with a bay leaf.
- Once the broth has been added to the saucepan, turn up the heat and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and let the rice cook for 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid should all be absorbed and the rice should be tender. Keep an eye on the saucepan as the rice could start to stick once the liquid disappears, but avoid stirring the rice until it's ready.
- Remove from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and fluff with a fork. Serve.
The vibrant color of turmeric rice does make it look very appetizing in a bowl on the table, especially with a parsley garnish as the green contrasts the yellow.
