Phew!!! We just got back from our spring break trip to the worlds largest garden in Kuekenhof, Netherlands so I am still in spring mode. Inspired by the lovely display of colorful Tulips and the nearby fields, I wanted to share something colorful with you today. Yellow Turmeric Rice with Pomegranate and Almonds. Lately we have been consuming a lot more rice as we are trying to eliminate gluten to the extent possible, plus our move to Germany made us realize that rice is so much easier to cook, especially when living in temporary housing with limited appliances and food supplies.
Yellow Turmeric Rice
This rice is a concoction of multiple recipes from my mom, mil and mine. Growing up I remember mom making this delicious Turmeric Rice garnished with nuts and pomegranate arils. It was often made on special occasions. Then after my wedding I was introduced to my MIL’s Turmeric Garlic Rice, which is equally yummy and everyone’s favorite at home too. My take on this is the adapted Instant Pot version as compared to their traditional stove top and pressure cooker version respectively. So I have combine my moms yellow rice recipe with pomegranate arils with my mil’s turmeric garlic rice in my Instant Pot.
What is Turmeric
Back home in India, turmeric is one of the main spices used in everyday cooking and there is a reason for it. An Ayurvedic superfood, turmeric is known for it’s health benefits. The yellow powder that you see in the grocery stores comes from the Turmeric root. The turmeric root that looks like ginger except that it is yellow from under the skin, is dried and then powdered to make Turmeric powder. It’s a staple in every Indian household. We add it in curries, milks, lattes, and also use it as a medicine.
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric is great for cough and cold. It boosts immunity and also serves as an antiseptic. It’s a great anti-inflammatory agent too. It reduces the instance of platelet aggression and potentially reduces the risk of clot formation.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic benefits stand only second to turmeric benefits. It’s antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties can help relieve common cold and other infections. It’s known to help open or widen blood vessels hence, blood pressure reduction. It helps reduce cholesterol that help in diabetic complications.
Why you should eat Turmeric Rice
First you should consume it because it’s good for you. It’s packed with the goodness of turmeric and garlic. Next it makes an awesome side dish and is always a crowd pleaser. Sure to wow your guests. Lastly it’s super easy to make in your Instant Pot and is ready in just 6 minutes.
What is the best rice to use for Turmeric Rice
Although this rice can be made with jasmine rice or brown rice too, for best results I highly recommend Basmati as it’s authentic to this recipe. The rice is full or aromas and flavors which can be best enjoyed when you use Basmati rice.
How to make perfect rice in Instant Pot?
A lot can go wrong when making rice in an Instant Pot. If you straggle to make the perfect rice in your Instant Pot, then check out our master post on how to make the perfect rice, here. For all our rice recipes we follow the 1:1 ratio mentioned in the master post and just the cooking times vary depending on the rice . Not once have I gotten a sticky or burnt bottom or mushy rice. My rice is always perfectly cooked, be it Basmati, Jasmine and Brown Rice. You can find more of our rice recipe here. Like I mentioned earlier, there is no rocket science for this recipe. It’s super simple and straight forward. I follow the master recipe, mentioned above for the rice to water ratio and pressure cooking time. All I do before throwing in the rice and water is that I temper the oil with spices like cumin, turmeric, garam masala and garlic cloves, that’s it.
I use the 1:1 rice to water ratio and pressure cook the rice for 6 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release and when you open the lid of your Instant Pot, the kitchen will be filled with the wonderful aroma of basmati rice. Garnishing the rice with parsley, pomegranate arils and sliced almonds. Ah, my mouth is watering as I type this.
Hope you consider trying this recipe and when you do don’t forget to tag us @dbellyrulesdmind on either Facebook or Instagram. For more Turmeric recipes you can check out our Turmeric Golden Milk /Latte and our Curried Quinoa Pilaf.
Instant Pot Yellow Turmeric Rice Recipe
If you use Jasmine or Brown rice, refer to the pressure cook times and rice to water ratios here.
Bertolli 100% Pure Olive Oil Mild Taste Sorry! Something went wrong! Frontier Garam Masala Certified Organic, Salt Free Blend, 2-Ounce Bottle Royal White Basmati Rice, 2 Pound Morton Salt Regular Salt - 26 oz Simply Organic Ground Turmeric Root | Certified Organic | 2.38 oz. (3 Pack)
