A delicious and easy side dish: Instant Pot Turmeric Rice! A yellow rice recipe that can be made in a pressure cooker. Easier than cooking rice on the stove top. And faster! Turmeric powder adds a beautiful yellow hue plus many health benefits. Add kale for color and freshness. And a coconut gremolata for crunch. Or serve plain — it’s delicious either way! A great side dish with grilled meat or vegetables.
What is Instant Pot Turmeric Rice?
Instant Pot Turmeric Rice is a yellow rice recipe made quickly and easily in the Instant Pot. Usually, yellow rice takes a long time to cook. The rice needs to be washed and soaked. And the cooking times can take up to 30-40 minutes to achieve a perfectly fluffy texture. In the Instant Pot, it only takes 15 minutes. All the same flavor but in a fraction of the time!
Turmeric Rice is an easy rice dish with Middle Eastern origins. Also called Golden Rice or Yellow Rice, it’s a flavorful side dish that tastes good with everything. Better than plain rice, the addition of ground turmeric powder adds flavor, multiple health benefits, and a vibrant yellow color. It’s full of dusky, earthy flavor that makes regular rice extra special.
Inspired by New York Times Cooking, I adapted their recipe to make it Instant Pot-friendly. To make Instant Pot Yellow Rice, first use the Saute mode to cook the aromatics and spices in oil. Then, the Pressure Cook mode is used to cook the rice into fluffy, perfectly al dente rice grains. The final step is to add the kale. As the rice rests, the kale will wilt and steam. Easy and fast! I will never cook yellow turmeric rice on the stove top again!
Creamy coconut milk, vibrant turmeric powder, and tender kale leaves makes this side dish packed with flavor and nutrition. Instant Pot Yellow Rice is a great side dish for weeknight dinners, potlucks, and extended family meals. A delicious rice recipe that is so good and so easy!
More recipes with turmeric: Golden Milk Turmeric Tea, Creamy Turmeric Chicken, Turmeric Fried Veggie Rice.
Ingredients:
- Basmati rice. Long grain rice, such as Basmati, works well in this recipe. Aromatic and fragrant, the individual grains cook into long and fluffy rice grains.
- Turmeric. Adds that vibrant yellow color! Full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Saffron. Optional but adds extra depth and complexity.
- Coconut Milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk works best. *Can be swapped with chicken stock, vegetable broth, or water.
- Onion + Garlic. The aromatic base of any flavored rice!
- Coconut Oil. Subtly aromatic. You can sub with butter or olive oil if you don’t have it.
- Kale. Roughly chopped kale adds texture, nutrition, and color. For a hearty yellow rice!
- Coconut Gremolata. A sprinkle on the top, right before serving, makes this dish truly special!
How to make Instant Pot Turmeric Rice:
- Make Gremolata. *Optional.* Use the saute function to toast the coconut flakes + sesame seeds. Adds crunch, flavor, and color to the final dish.
- Rinse rice. Wash the rice with cold water to remove the extra starch. Use a fine mesh sieve to make it easier.
- Saute aromatics. Use the saute function and cook down the onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add turmeric, rinsed rice, salt, pepper, and saffron (if using.)
- Cook rice. Add rice and liquid. Lock the lid into place and pressure cook (high pressure) for 4 minutes. *Make sure to turn off “Keep Warm” function.* When the timer beeps, Natural Release for 5 minutes.
- Add kale. Manual release or quick pressure release the remaining steam. Open the lid and add kale evenly over the rice. Drape a clean dish towel over the top. Gently place the lid on top. Let the residual heat “steam” the kale until wilted but still vibrantly green – about 10 minutes.
- Serve. Fluff with a fork. Make sure to serve the Coconut Gremolata on the side or sprinkle it on top.
Serve with
Turmeric Rice is the perfect side dish. Serve in place of plain white rice. The mild flavor and bright yellow color makes it a great accompaniment to grilled meat, fish, veggies, and kebabs.
Or serve as a main dish with other various salads: Greek Salad, Arugula Quinoa Salad, or Fattoush. All would complement the flavors beautifully.
FYI Turmeric Yellow Rice makes a large portion and tastes great at room temperature. A great dish for potlucks, barbecues, and any party or extended family gathering.
FAQ:
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, making sure to fluff before serving.
More recipes:
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Korean Purple Rice
- Instant Pot Ginger Chicken Soup
- Kale Apple Salad
- Instant Pot Korean Apple Tea
Instant Pot Turmeric Rice with Kale
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Large fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
Coconut Gremolata:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (black or white both work)
- lime zest (from 1 lime)
Turmeric Rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice (jasmine rice or any other long grain rice also work)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (can be subbed with butter or olive oil)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 400 ml/13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk (do not use boxed or fresh coconut milk)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp saffron (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked tastes best)
- 4 cups chopped kale (about 1/2 large bunch)
Instructions
Coconut Gremolata (optional):
- Make Coconut Gremolata. Set the Instant Pot to saute function. To the dry inner pot, add coconut flakes and sesame seeds. Toast until fragrant and golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and add lime zest. Mix to combine and set aside.
Turmeric Rice:
- Rinse rice. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Set aside.
- Cook aromatics. Wipe down the Instant Pot (there will be residual bits from the Coconut Gremolata) and set to saute function. Add coconut oil. When it melts, add onion, garlic, and turmeric. Add a pinch of salt to help the cooking process along. Cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Cook rice. Add drained and rinsed rice, coconut milk, water, saffron, salt, and pepper. Mix around with a spoon. It's okay if the coconut solids are chunky. Lock the lid into place. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. Make sure to turn off the "Keep Warm" function.
- Natural Release. When the timer beeps, Natural Release for 5 minutes. (Leave it undisturbed while the steam "naturally" releases bit by bit.)
- Manual Release. Manually release the remaining steam by turning the handle on top of the Instant Pot from "sealed" to "venting." Be careful of the steam — it will be hot!
- Steam kale. Remove the lid. Evenly add the kale directly on top of the undisturbed rice. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the pot and place the lid (loosely) on top. Set a timer for 10 minutes and let the rice and kale steam for 10 minutes.
- Fluff. Remove the lid and kitchen towel. Fluff rice and kale with a fork. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve. Transfer to a large shallow bowl and serve with lime coconut sesame gremolata and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Did not appreciate the time and energy it took to clean my IP when the bottom burned badly not even a minute into the cooking! I didn’t read the comments before I tried this so I’m hoping that now 15 min later, I can actually finish this rice! I will update once I try it if it actually works this time.
I’m sorry to hear about your rice. I think it must be the brand of coconut milk. I use canned coconut milk and primarily Asian brands like Arroy D or Thai Kitchen. You can also substitute the coconut milk with water or chicken broth. The total ratio of the liquid to the rice should be 1:1.
I loved the idea of this recipe but unfortunately it stuck pretty bad. It burned so I thought about it. Normally you need at least a cup of water in the instapot so I removed the contents soaked, scraped and cleaned the pot. Added a spray of oil, added a tsp of avocado an 1 CUP OF WATER then locked and loaded again but changing the time to 3 minutes then….IT WORKED! I then finished as normal. Oh yeah massaging the kale with a bit of oil and salt before adding to the pot takes it to the next level.
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