This quick-to-make turmeric rice is a perfectly flavorful and aromatic side dish for your curry, stew, kabab, grilled veggies or meat.
To make this instant pot turmeric rice you’ll need 10 ingredients and it gets ready in under 30 minutes.
Turmeric rice is made in many countries and all have different versions of making it by adding aromatic whole spices, herbs, onion, garlic, broth, etc. Today I am sharing Indian style yellow rice recipe.
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❤️About This Recipe
- Taste & Flavor: Mild yet flavorful rice infused with whole spices with a very unique aroma.
- Texture: Soft, fluffy, non-sticky texture with separate rice grains.
Yellow turmeric rice can be a healthy alternative to plain, simple basmati rice. Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, improves heart health and boosts immunity. Try this turmeric milk for similar health benefits.
Quick & Easy: Instant pot makes the process super easy. Plus, rice gets ready in under 30 minutes (with just 10 minutes of active time).
Customizable: In this turmeric rice recipe, I have sauteed whole spices, onion and garlic in ghee. This adds a nice aroma and flavor to the rice. As per your liking or availability of ingredients, you can add or skip some of these ingredients.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make a delicious instant pot turmeric rice recipe.
- Basmati rice: Because this is Indian-style yellow turmeric rice, I have used basmati rice here and mentioned cook time and water amount are for basmati rice only. If you are using other types of rice then you should adjust the cooking time and water amount accordingly.
- Ghee: It adds a nice rich flavor to turmeric rice. Instead, you can use unsalted butter or oil (for a vegan dish).
- Whole spices: When the spices are added to the hot ghee, you’ll notice a nice aroma of toasted spices. It infuses the dish with its flavor and gives a nice, unique aroma to the dish.
- Always add spices to the hot ghee (not warm or not cold).
- Onion: I always have red onion on hand for my Indian cooking hence I have used red onion. But yellow or white onion also works.
- You can skip the onion here and still, rice tastes good.
- Garlic: It adds a nice aroma and flavor to the rice. I do not recommend skipping it.
- Turmeric powder (aka ground turmeric): This is the key ingredient here. Keep in mind that, a little goes a long way when it comes to this spice, turmeric.
- If you have added more amount than mentioned accidentally then your turmeric rice may stain your plates, spoons, your tongue and counter or table if your spill it.
🎥Watch The Recipe Video
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
Rinse: Take basmati rice in a bowl and add water. Massage the rice gently using your finger and the water will become cloudy. Drain this water and repeat the rinsing process 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore.
- Alternately, you can take rice in a colander and rinse under running tap water until water runs clear.
1) Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Once hot add ghee.
2) Once the ghee is hot, add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms and bay leaf). Saute for 30-40 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
3) Add chopped onion and garlic. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt to speed up the onion cooking process.
4) Stir and saute for 2-3 minutes or until onions start to become light brown and soft.
5) Add turmeric powder and stir.
6) Immediately add rinsed rice and the remaining salt.
7) Mix and saute the rice for 1-2 minutes.
8) Add water and stir.
9) Cover the instant pot with a lid and keep the valve in a sealing position. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 4 minutes. Then QPR after 5 minutes (quick pressure release by positioning the valve from sealing to venting).
10) Once the pin drops, open the lid. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes then fluff turmeric rice up using a fork.
💭Expert Tips
- Rinsing the rice is a must step. This step removes dirt, impurities and polishing material (if it is used). And also reduces the starch and makes cooked rice grains separated from each other (that means less sticky).
- Resting the rice for 5 minutes after opening the lid is a must. During this resting time rice grains will firm up and grains don’t break or mush while fluffing or mixing. If you stir the piping hot rice, it will break as they are super soft.
- To make vegan turmeric rice, use oil instead of ghee.
- Variation: Replace the rice with quinoa, couscous, millet, brown rice, etc. If so adjust the water amount and cook time accordingly.
- Storage: Turmeric rice stays good for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Rice to Water ratio (for instant pot method only):
- For soft yet firm rice grains, you’ll need 1 ¼ cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.
- For al dente meaning with some bite in the rice grains, you’ll need 1 cup of water for 1 cup of rice.
Stovetop method:
Follow the same steps in a saucepan with the below changes.
- Rice to water ratio is 1:2 for the stovetop method. Meaning you will need 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.
- After adding water, turn the heat on high and let the water come to a boil.
- As soon as it starts boiling, lower the heat to the lowest possible and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook covered on low for exactly 18 minutes and then turn off the stove. Do not open the lid.
- Let it rest covered for 5-10 minutes then open the lid and fluff up the rice.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- This turmeric rice goes well with any curry (e.g. matar paneer, aloo matar, paneer butter masala, veg korma) or any lentil dish (moong dal, toor dal, dal makhani, dal fry, dal tadka, etc).
- A serving of raita, papad, Indian salad and a pickle on the side makes a complete meal.
- It can be served with a side of meat stew or kebabs along with salad on the side.
Check Out Other Rice Recipes
- Jeera rice
- Peas pulao
- Kuska (Plain biryani)
- Coconut milk rice
Did you try this instant pot turmeric rice recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Turmeric Rice (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter) or use oil or butter
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 3 Cloves
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ cup Red onion finely chopped
- 1 clove Garlic minced or finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 ¼ cups Water
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Instructions
- Rinse: Take basmati rice in a bowl and add water. Massage the rice gently using your finger and the water will become cloudy. Drain this water and repeat the rinsing process again 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore. Alternately, you can take rice in a colander and rinse under running tap water until water runs clear.
- Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Once hot add ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms and bay leaf). Saute for 30-40 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
- Add chopped onion and garlic. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt to speed up the onion cooking process. Stir and saute for 2-3 minutes or until onions start to become light brown and soft.
- Add turmeric powder and stir. Immediately add rinsed rice and the remaining salt.
- Mix and saute the rice for 1-2 minutes. Add water and stir.
- Cover the instant pot with a lid and keep the valve in a sealing position. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 4 minutes. Then QPR after 5 minutes (quick pressure release by positioning the valve from sealing to venting)
- Once the pin drops, open the lid. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes then fluff it up using a fork.
Notes
- Rinsing the rice is a must step. This step removes dirt, impurities and polishing material (if it is used). And also reduces the starch and makes cooked rice grains separated from each other (that means less sticky).
- Resting the rice for 5 minutes after opening the lid is a must. During this resting time rice grains will firm up and grains don’t break or mush while fluffing or mixing. If you stir the piping hot rice, it will break as they are super soft.
- To make vegan turmeric rice, use oil instead of ghee.
- For soft yet firm rice grains, you’ll need 1 ¼ cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.
- For al dente meaning with some bite in the rice grains, you’ll need 1 cup of water for 1 cup of rice.
- Rice to water ratio is 1:2 for the stovetop method. Meaning you will need 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.
- After adding water, turn the heat on high and let the water come to a boil.
- As soon as it starts boiling, lower the heat to the lowest possible and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook covered on low for exactly 18 minutes and then turn off the stove. Do not open the lid.
- Let it rest covered for 5-10 minutes then open the lid and fluff up the rice.
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