Turmeric coconut rice is a simple, one pot side dish recipe that's full of flavor. With a slightly creamy and never-mushy texture, coconut milk, turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic, and more combine with basmati rice for a satisfying side that pairs well with many main dishes.
Preparing a side dish doesn't come naturally to me when I make dinner. A big green side salad with rotating produce, nuts, etc. was ever-present on our dinner table growing up and often acted as our side, and I seem to have adopted the same philosophy as an adult. Main dish, big green salad, maybe some bread? We're set.
My husband comes from a big side dish family, and over the years I've been training myself to intentionally think about making a non-salad side when the opportunity presents itself. Garlic sautéed green beans, air fryer baked potatoes, and creamy polenta from a tube have become some of my trusty options.
This turmeric coconut rice is based on the coconut rice my mother-in-law makes. I've added a few ingredients to zhush up the flavor even more for a satisfying side dish that jazzes up a main protein wonderfully -- though a side salad is always welcome, too.
Reasons to Make This Dish
- The coconut flavor shines and complements the earthy turmeric and ginger flavors.
- Turmeric coconut rice makes a great base for salmon and other fish, grilled chicken, air fryer tofu, and more.
- It can be made with ingredients you often can already have on hand (see my tip on freezing ginger root below).
- The cooked rice can be frozen for convenience.
Recipe Ingredients
- Basmati Rice: This is a long-grain white rice variety that fluffs up when cooked and doesn't turn too sticky. It's a great choice for absorbing the coconut milk and turmeric flavors here, but jasmine rice would also work.
- Coconut Milk: Use the canned variety (not a refrigerated carton, which is very watery and thin). Full-fat, lite, or unsweetened are all fine. The flavor will naturally be more "luxe" and flavorful with full fat, but using lite will have a considerable reduction in calories and saturated fat.
- Coconut Oil: Unrefined or refined work. Unrefined will provide even more coconutty flavor to this turmeric coconut rice, while refined is basically flavorless. You could also use a different cooking oil - I will sometimes use olive oil.
- Ground Turmeric: Bright in both coloring and flavor, this adds a pleasant "sharpness" and earthy flavor. In its fresh form it resembles a smaller ginger root, but ground turmeric is more accessible and used here.
- Ginger: Grated fresh ginger provides another flavor pop here. Do not use ground ginger as it's much milder and won't have the same effect.
- Broth: Vegetable or chicken (if not vegetarian) broth has an edge over plain water when cooking rice when it comes to flavor. I recommend going for a reduced-sodium variety if available.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Tip - Before beginning, place your rice in a large metal sieve and rinse it well under cool water. You can also add it to a bowl, cover with water, and swish it around with your hands before draining. Repeat until the water is clear.
This step rinses away excess starch and leads to fluffier cooked rice. This is applicable to both basmati and jasmine varieties.
- Sauté - Cook the onion in the coconut oil for 6-7 minutes, adding the minced garlic and grated ginger during the last minute of the cook time.
- Toast Rice - Stir in the ground turmeric, then add the rinsed rice (dry). Cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Add Liquid - Pour a bit of the broth to deglaze the pan (if needed), then add the remainder along with the coconut milk and give everything a big stir. If using regular full-fat coconut milk you may notice larger solidified chunks of coconut cream. That's normal, they'll melt very quickly.
- Cook - Bring everything up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Fluff the turmeric coconut rice with a fork before serving.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Staining - Turmeric is so pigmented that it will easily stain utensils, dish towels, clothing etc. I recommend setting away any nice wooden spoons, sentimental linens, etc. before cooking this recipe.
- Serving Suggestions - Fresh chopped cilantro has a nice flavor for garnishing turmeric coconut rice. We also enjoy roasted cashews or peanuts as a topping.
- Freezing Ginger Root - Rinse ginger root with cool water and pat fully dry before freezing whole. When you need fresh grated ginger for a recipe, simply grate it along a microplane zester from frozen. There's no peeling necessary!
- Freezing Rice - Once fully cooled, transfer cooked rice into a zip-top bag. Press out as much excess air as you can before sealing, then freeze for 1-2 months.
Related Recipes
Did you enjoy this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a star rating and a comment review in the recipe card below!
Turmeric Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice or jasmine
- 1 ½ Tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- Big pinch kosher salt or to your liking
- Pinch freshly-cracked black pepper or to your liking
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 cups reduced-sodium broth vegetable or chicken, or water
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk regular or lite
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Add dry rice to a large metal sieve and rinse it thoroughly under cool water. Set aside for now.
- Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the diced onion. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until starting to soften and turn golden, then add the minced garlic, grated ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute more.
- Stir in the ground turmeric, then add the rinsed rice. Stir until evenly combined, then let the rice toast for 2-3 minutes while stirring frequently.
- If there are any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, pour in a little bit of the broth to deglaze and scrape them up. Then stir in the remainder of the broth and the coconut milk. Stir to combine.
- Raise the heat to bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Fluff the cooked rice up with a fork before garnishing with cilantro and serving.
- Store leftover portions in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition DisclaimerNote - This recipe was updated in April 2023 from its initial publish date in 2016. It was scaled up to use one full can of coconut milk for convenience, and now reflects my preference to use broth in place of water. If you're returning from a saved link, you may recognize some of the original photos below.
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Sam says
Tried making this today for nasi lemak (malay cuisine dish), and it was such a delight! The flavours melded so well and it elevated the entire experience. The recipe is a keeper, and I will most definitely make this again. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe!
Alyssa says
You're very welcome, Sam! I'm so happy you loved it. 🙂
Jacqueline Birch says
This rice smells so good and taste good too. This is my first time making it. The color alone makes it look appetizing.
Alyssa says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jacqueline! Thanks for letting me know how it went.
Julia says
I’ve been making this side dish regularly for a couple of years now. So easy and delicious.
Alyssa says
I'm so glad you like it, Julia!
Ethan says
I had my doubts, but I made this exactly as indicated. I knew it was alright when after I covered the rice to cook my kitchen was filled with the most wonderful aroma. Seeing as I had half of a can of coconut milk left over, I bought a pound of very large nice shrimp and marinated them with the coconut, cayenne, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. I then grilled them while the rice rested. The rice was so delicious. This will definitely go into my frequently made recipes.
Alyssa says
I'm so glad you liked this rice, Ethan! Thanks for letting me know how it went. That shrimp sounds absolutely delicious.
Tawny nguyen says
Thank you for this recipe. I have been making this everyday. I used instant pot, it’s so easy to make and delicious!
Alyssa says
I'm so glad you like it, Tawny! Love the Instant Pot. 🙂
Lia a says
Wow, so good!! I’ll be making this often. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Alyssa says
You're so welcome, glad you liked it! 🙂
Rebekah says
How long/what settings did you use on the IP, Tawny?
Yhudis says
My new favourite go to recipe! A real hit for every crowd I've made it for!
Alyssa says
So glad you like it, Yhudis! 🙂
Melissa DeGraff says
Tried this rice today for dinner I love love love it the taste with the coconut milk and ginger gives it a good flavor I definitely will be making it again.
Alyssa says
So glad you like it! 🙂
Skyler says
Wonderful recipe ^^ what makes this recipe a winner for me is using full fat coconut milk instead of light...making sure I take the time to cook the tumeric and rice till fragrant.. and using fresh ginger, I’ve used dry but it dosnt have the same flavour. Thanks for the recipe ❤️
Wanda says
Can I make this ahead of time and reheat in a microwave? I have a work holiday party and I have a microwave in our break room. Or I have a crockpot, can it sit in there?
Alyssa says
Hi Wanda, you can definitely make this ahead of time. I think the microwave method would be easiest! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Mary Lou says
Hi there! I need to make an Indian rice dish. I have a question though......This recipe sounds really good but I don’t like coconut (at least the gritty strands I guess), but I was wondering if the coconut taste is very noticeable?
Alyssa says
Hi Mary Lou, in my opinion the coconut taste isn't that noticeable at all, especially with all the other flavors. The coconut milk is smooth and not "coconutty" in flavor like a product such as sweetened flaked coconut or cream of coconut would be. I don't think you'll have a problem with it. Hope that helps!
Jc says
Hi, I used the So delicious brand all the way with no water. Didn't taste coconutty at all. I used twice the turmeric and my 12 yo daughter likes it! Thank you♡♡♡
Alyssa says
You're very welcome! So glad you liked it. 🙂
Julie Evink says
I had never made basmati rice before and this recipe turned out amazing! It's going on our regular rotation!
Jenn says
Love it! So fluffy and flavorful!
Bill Schiff says
I went looking for curry ideas for using chicken thigh meat and found this one in my saved file. I think it will be delicious using full fat coconut milk and cutting back a bit on the rice to make for a creamy "sauce".
Thanks
Alyssa says
You're very welcome - so glad you liked it.
Terry says
Can I use Jasmine rice instead of basmati..?..
Alyssa says
Hi Terry, besides a slightly different flavor jasmine rice may be a bit stickier. I haven’t used it in this recipe so I’m not sure how it would compare, but I'd imagine it wouldn't be a dealbreaker. Just personal preference. Please let me know if you give it a try!
Shirlene Gray says
Okay, until yesterday, I thought curry was a single spice and not a blend of spices. That shows you the level of my Indian cooking experience. Until yesterday I had never, ever attempted or made anything Indian.
This is an amazing recipe!!
1.) Easy 2.) Flavorful 3.) My Persian friend who makes amazing rice and is an amazing Persian cook gave me a thumbs up when she tasted it.
Alyssa says
Hi Shirlene, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this rice! Thank you for letting me know how it went. And that's the beauty of cooking - there's always something new to learn. 🙂