A simple one pot aromatic dish made with rice, warming spices & herbs. Serve it with any curry, dal or even with just a raita.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cups aged basmati rice ((or jasmine rice))
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ((or ghee))
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric ((prefer organic))
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (minced or paste)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced or paste)
  • 1½ to 2 cups stock (or water (refer notes))
  • ½ teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste))
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground pepper (or crushed black pepper)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ((I use caraway seeds - shahi jeera))
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 inches cinnamon ((2 pieces))
  • 1 strand mace ((optional))
  • 1 star anise
  • ¼ cup coriander leaves (chopped)
  • ¼ cup nuts & raisins ((optional) (refer notes))

Method

How to make Indian Yellow Rice

  1. Rinse rice well a few times. Soak it for at least 15 mins. Drain the rice and set aside.
  2. On a medium to low flame, heat butter in a pot. Add ginger garlic and saute for 30 to 60 seconds without burning or browning the garlic.
  3. Add all the whole spices or garam masala, pepper and turmeric.
  4. Add drained rice and regulate the flame to high. Fry the rice for about 2 mins stirring occasionally. Avoid stirring often as the rice grains will break.
  5. Pour the stock or water & add salt. Taste test the water and add more salt as required. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
  6. Simmer and cover the pot. Cook on a low heat until the rice is fully cooked.
  7. When done fluff up the turmeric rice with a fork and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with a curry, dal or a raita.

Instant Pot Turmeric Rice

  1. Press saute button and add butter to the steel insert of the instant pot.
  2. When the butter melts, add all the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds.
  3. Saute ginger, garlic, turmeric and pepper for 30 to 60 seconds.
  4. Then add the drained rice & fry for a minute.
  5. Pour 1¼ stock or water along with salt. Stir and check salt.
  6. Press cancel button & secure the instant pot with the lid. Position the steam release handle to sealing.
  7. Press pressure cook button (manual in older Ips) & set the timer to 5 minutes.
  8. When the instant pot beeps, press cancel and let the pressure release naturally 10 mins.
  9. Fluff up the turmeric rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.