Garlic Turmeric Rice

Indian style Garlic Turmeric Rice tastes absolutely amazing! This perfectly soft, delicious, and flavorful rice is so easy to make. It is infused with aromatic Indian spices, garlic, curry leaves, and lime! 

Garlic turmeric rice makes a perfect side to pair with most of the Indian dishes. This aromatic rice bursts with flavors and tastes so delicious. It makes a quick lunch box meal on busy weekdays along with some raita or salad. 

Without a doubt, this garlic turmeric rice will come out so fluffy and flavorful every time. This recipe requires minimal effort and ingredients with amazing results. A dash of turmeric is the essential ingredient to add a beautiful yellow color to the dish. Garlic and curry leaves add exceptional flavors to the dish. 

One of my south Indian friends from Hyderabad taught me this recipe when I was back in India. She used to make one of the best garlic turmeric rice in a jiffy with some leftover rice. I have been making this simple and quick recipe for almost 20 years and it is one of my family’s favorites. 

My friend told me that this rice is very much similar to lemon rice with some garlic. The tempering made with mustard, cumin, urad dal, curry leaves, and garlic add some crunch in the garlic turmeric rice. 

The rice can be made completely vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free. I have added some ghee while cooking the plain basmati rice but not while preparing the tempering. You can add ghee or butter in the tempering for some more rich flavors. You can definitely fry some chana dal, peanuts, or cashew nuts for an added crunchiness in the rice. 

Ingredients

• Basmati rice
• Garlic
• Curry leaves
• Green chillies
• Cilantro
• Lime
• Mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds
• Urad dal
• Turmeric powder
• Asafoetida
• Salt
• Ghee
• Oil

Garlic Turmeric Rice Step By Step Recipe 

Pressure Cooker Rice 

Triple wash the long grain basmati rice in the inner pot of an instant pot or Indian style pressure cooker. 

Add ½ tsp ghee, a pinch of salt, and 1 ¼ cup water.  Add 1 ½ cups of water while making the rice in an Indian pressure cooker. 

Close the lid on your pressure cooker/Instant pot making sure the valve is set to sealing. 

Turn on the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK button (High Pressure) and set the timer to 6 minutes. Close the pressure cooker lid of the Indian pressure cooker and set it to medium heat for 2 whistles.

Turn on the Delay button and set the timer to 10 minutes. This way, the rice will soak for 10 minutes and the cooking process will start after. You can switch on the stove after 10 minutes if using a traditional Indian pressure cooker. 

Let the pressure naturally release (NRP) for 12-15 minutes.

Once the pressure is released, fluff the rice with a fork, and let it sit for 1-2 hours. 

Stovetop Rice 

Triple wash and soak the rice for about 10-15 minutes. 

In a large stock pot, boil 5 cups of water, and ½ tsp salt. Transfer the soaked rice and let it cook for about 12-14 minutes on medium heat or until it turns soft. 

Transfer the cooked rice to a colander and discard all the water. Let it sit in the colander for 1 hour. 

Tempering The Rice 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium high heat. 

Add the mustard seeds, let them crackle, and turn the heat to medium. 

Next, add cumin seeds, urad dal, garlic, and sauté for 20 seconds. 

Add some asafoetida, green chillies, curry leaves, and turmeric powder. 

Transfer the cooked basmati rice, some cilantro, salt, and mix. 

Turn the heat to medium low and cover the pan with a lid. 

Cook the rice for about 5-7 minutes, stirring in between. 

Turn off the heat, add some lime juice, adjust the salt at this point, and serve. 

Tips For Making Garlic Turmeric Rice 

• Use long grain basmati rice, which has perfect texture to keep the rice fluffy and separated, rather than clumped together.
• Let the rice come to room temperature before adding it to the tempering or it might clump together. 
• Chop the garlic into small pieces and fry until it releases the raw aroma from them. 
• If you are using an iron skillet like me, add the lime juice once you switch off the heat. 

Variations

• You can use any regular rice while making this recipe but make sure it has come to a room temperature. 
• Leftover rice can be used for this recipe for a quick meal.
• Use 1-2 tbsp of vegetables like corn, grated carrot, or green peas in the recipe. Make sure not to overdo it with the veggies. 
• Skip adding ghee while cooking the rice and use any kind of oil instead to make it a vegan friendly dish.
• You can use some chana dal, raw peanuts, or cashew nuts. Fry them in some oil and transfer after making the tempering. 
• Skip adding the turmeric powder to keep it white and name the dish “garlic rice” 🙂
• You can add lime or lemon juice in the recipe and adjust the quantity according to your taste. 

How To Store Garlic Turmeric Rice?

Garlic turmeric rice can be stored in a refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Sprinkle 1 tbsp water on it and heat it up in the microwave for a few minutes. 

Reheat the rice on low heat for 10 minutes by covering it with a lid. Stir it well and heat for another 2-3 minutes. 

How To Serve Garlic Turmeric Rice?

Garlic turmeric rice can be served on its own or with any raita – especially cucumber raita, mixed veggie raita, or boondi raita along with some papad. 

Punjabi kadhi or Maharashtrian kadhi goes pretty well with this rice. 

Serve any simple curry as a side dish along with this rice like kanda batata rassa, black eyed peas curry, or kala chana masala with some mango pickle and papad. 

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I will love to hear from you! 

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