Rice with Turmeric - Recipe

You’ve most likely seen yellow rice before, and even tasted it. But maybe you haven’t heard how antioxidant rich it is, or that it’s healthier than plain rice.

This rice goes perfectly with almost any meal. You can eat it with grilled fish, pulled pork, roasted chicken, or use it to fill up your burrito. 

When it comes to which rice to use for this recipe, we recommend using jasmine or basmati. White rice cooks quicker which is really what we want for this meal. 

But why add turmeric to your rice?

Firstly, turmeric is an incredible anti-inflammatory, with properties that help improve digestion and liver function. Making it one of the most effective supplements to date, and it’s all natural. Turmeric’s main active ingredient is curcumin, which holds most of the powerful properties of turmeric. The problem we face with curcumin and turmeric is that our bodies don’t absorb it well, because they have a low bioavailability. This means that in order to properly experience the benefits of turmeric, it needs to be activated.

There are 3 easy ways to activate this golden spice:

Use with healthy fats

Turmeric is a fat soluble, meaning it will dissolve better when mixed with a fat. Healthy fats are foods such as: olive oil, butter, coconut oil, and any type of warmed milk. When turmeric is mixed with a healthy fat it makes our gut very happy because it is easily absorbed.

 Use with black pepper

Black pepper’s active key ingredient is piperine. When used with turmeric, piperine activates the absorption of curcumin and works alongside it in fighting inflammation and bacteria. Piperine slows down the absorption of curcumin, which allows the curcumin to move slowly through the body and to not be excreted quickly.

Heat it

Heating turmeric is a great way to increase its bioavailability, but try to keep the cooking time under 15 minutes because it is sensitive to heat and some of the benefits will likely be destroyed. This is one of the reasons why golden milk is so popular- it’s a quick and effective way to get your daily turmeric in.

In many South Asian homes turmeric rice is a staple, and it’s no wonder- it looks good, smells good and tastes even better!

Brace yourself, because this is about to become a staple meal in your home too.

Ingredients

1 cup jasmine or basmati rice, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped onions

2 teaspoon garlic, minced or finely chopped

1 ½ cups fresh or canned chicken broth

1 dried bay leaf

2 teaspoons turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice until water runs clear, drain. Rinsing removes the starch and makes the rice fluffy.

2. In a medium saucepan add the butter and olive oil, and cook over medium heat.

3. When the butter has melted, add onion and garlic. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent.

4. Add rice, chicken bone broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the turmeric, mix well and then cover.

5. Reduce heat, allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. 

6. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. 

7. Remove bay leaf, fluff with a fork and serve. Garnish with a couple sprigs of cilantro.

8. Serve hot as is, or pair it with a curry or your favorite meat.

Written by Caryn Mackenzie on behalf of Turmeric Zone