Mediterranean Yellow Rice Recipe (with Turmeric)

Mediterranean yellow rice in a pot garnished with pine nuts and fresh parsley.

5 from 1 vote

Mediterranean Yellow Rice Recipe (with Turmeric)

Level up with this Mediterranean Yellow Rice Recipe. It's easy to make, incredibly flavorful and pairs beautifully with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or even a simple fresh salad. It gets its gorgeous golden color from ground turmeric.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Levantine, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings: servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Ingredients

1½ cups Long-grain Basmati rice - See note
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Medium onion (finely chopped)
1-2 Garlic cloves (finely minced)
1 tsp Ground turmeric
½ tsp Ground cumin
½ tsp Ground coriander
½ tsp Kosher salt
2¼ cups Chicken or vegetable broth
Chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Rinse the Rice. Start by rinsing 1½ cups Long-grain Basmati rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and helps prevent the rice from becoming sticky. Let it drain over a bowl.
Sauté the Aromatics. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 Medium onion (finely chopped), 1-2 Garlic cloves (finely minced), 1 tsp Ground turmeric, ½ tsp Ground cumin, ½ tsp Ground coriander and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. If the bottom of the pan starts to brown too quickly, turn down the heat.
Add the Rice. Stir the rinsed and drained rice into the saucepan, coating it with the aromatic mixture.
Add the Broth. Pour in 2¼ cups Chicken or vegetable broth. Give the saucepan a good stir.
Boil and Simmer. Bring the saucepan to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer and steam for 20 minutes. Avoid opening the lid to trap the steam inside.
Fluff and Serve. Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Then, fluff the rice with a fork and serve immediately. You can serve the cooked rice directly in the saucepan or transfer it to a serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted nuts.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient Notes:

Rice: Basmati rice all the way! It’s the best choice for this dish due to its fluffy texture. You can use jasmine rice or long grain white rice as an alternative.

Spices: For that distinctive vibrant yellow color, you will need ground turmeric powder. I also like to add some ground cumin and ground coriander for added flavor along with the earthy turmeric.

Liquid. My preference is to cook this rice with vegetable broth or chicken stock. I will typically use packaged low sodium broth, but you can totally make your own broth as well.

Nuts. It wouldn’t be an Eastern Mediterranean rice recipe without the addition of toasted nuts! You can totally skip this by the way.

Pair it with kofta kebabs, chicken shish tawook or even Greek chicken souvlaki.

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