Yellow Rice

Super easy, super tasty yellow rice complements just about any meal. I usually serve it with a salad, any entree or tandoori dishes like paneer tikka or chicken tikka etc, tzatziki and make a platter out of it.

It is very easy to make and can be made in a pressure cooker on the stove top or it can also be made in a rice cooker.

So tasty!!!

What is yellow rice???

Yellow is rice is basically white rice but flavored with spices and ghee or butter. Yellow rice is traditional in Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Cuban and Indonesian dishes. The flavor is mild yet makes a difference and that’s what makes this rice special.

This yellow rice recipe is our favorite. If you are in a rush and do not have time to make this over the stove then you can make it in the rice cooker and this way once you are done sauteing and adding rice and water you don’t have to monitor it anymore.

Yellow rice seriously goes with almost anything. You can keep it plain or spice it up by serving this with other meals. Like the other day I made chole masala and paired it up with this yellow rice and it tasted awesome. So the combinations are endless with this yellow rice.

This recipe is gluten-free and you can even make it vegan by adding oil instead of ghee or butter.

And it is much more fun to serve the rice that is beautifully flavored with spices rather than serving it plain.

Is Rinsing and soaking the rice before cooking needed?

Yes!!! Rinsing the rice until water runs clear and soaking it for no more than 15 minutes is necessary.

This extra step makes the rice fluffier which doesn’t stick together.

This step removes the surface starch from the rice.

Turmeric

Turmeric is what gives this rice a beautiful yellow color and also adds a unique flavor. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory.

Combinations:

Serve this rice with gravylicious curries like chole masala or dal makhani. But my favorite combination is a platter of Paneer Tikka, (or Tandoori chicken tikka) this yellow rice, salad, green chutney, and raita (or tzatziki).

Note: You can make this rice healthier by cooking it with vegetable stock.

Ingredients you will need

Let’s see how to make yellow rice

Print Recipe

Yellow Rice

Easy to make yellow rice complements just about any meal and can be made in a pressure cooker or instapot or in a pot on stove top

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Rice, yellow rice

Servings: 3

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Ghee or clarified butter
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Roasted cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• 1&1/2 cups Basmati rice
• 2 cups Water

Instructions

• In a pressure cooker or pot add 2 tbsp ghee and let it melt.
• After the ghee melts add 1/2 tsp black pepper powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder, and salt to taste. Mix well.
• Now add 1 & 1/2 cups soaked rice, mix well and cook for 4 minutes with spices before adding water.
• Add 2 cups of water or vegetable stock, once the water boils and reduces, close the lid of the pressure cooker, reduce the flame to medium and pressure cook for 3 minutes on medium flame and 4-5 minutes on low flame and then switch off the stove and let the pressure cool off by itself.

  Or. If cooking in a pot, after adding 2 cups of water, mix well and bring the water to a boil, cover and steam cook on low for 15 minutes.
• Once the pressure cools off, open the lid and fluff the rice.
• Fluffy yellow rice is ready.

Video

Notes

Variations

1. You can add peas, carrot, and corn after sauteing spices then add rice and cook as per instructions above.
2. For Indian touch add 2 cloves, 1 cardamom and an inch of cinnamon.

 

Notes: Leftover rice can be refrigerated for upto a week. Reheat in a microwave or heat it in a pot on the stove with little water.

Ingredients

1. Ghee or Clarified butter -- 2 tbsp ( you can use butter instead of ghee)
2. Black pepper powder -- 1/2 tsp
3. Tumeric -- 1/2 tsp
4. Roasted cumin powder -- 1/4 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Basmati rice -- 1 and 1/2 cups ( soaked 15 mins) ( you can use any long grain rice)
7. Water or stock -- 2 cups

Instructions

1. In a pressure cooker or pot add 2 tbsp ghee and let it melt.
2. After the ghee melts add 1/2 tsp black pepper powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder, and salt to taste. Mix well.
3. Now add 1 & 1/2 cups soaked rice, mix well and cook for 4 minutes with spices before adding water.
4. Add 2 cups of water or vegetable stock, once the water boils and reduces, close the lid of the pressure cooker, reduce the flame to medium and pressure cook for 3 minutes on medium flame and 4-5 minutes on low flame and then switch off the stove and let the pressure cool off by itself.
5. Or. If cooking in a pot, after adding 2 cups of water, mix well and bring the water to a boil, cover and steam cook on low for 15 minutes.
6. Once the pressure cools off, open the lid and fluff the rice.
7. Fluffy yellow rice is ready.

Variations

1. You can add peas, carrot, and corn after sauteing spices then add rice and cook as per instructions above.
2. For Indian touch add 2 cloves, 1 cardamom and an inch of cinnamon.

Notes: Leftover rice can be refrigerated for upto a week. Reheat in a microwave or heat it in a pot on the stove with little water.

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To see this recipe in hindi