This turmeric coconut basmati rice is a flavorful rice side dish recipe that’s easy to make! Garlic, ginger, and onion are sautéed and cooked with basmati rice and turmeric in a coconut milk/water mixture for a creamy dish, and topped with chopped fresh basil for serving.
Sometimes I jump right in when it comes to trying new ingredients (well, new to me ingredients at least), and sometimes I get there a bit slower.
Take chia seeds, for instance. I worked up the courage to buy a bag last summer, and promptly shoved it in the cabinets for a few weeks. Maybe it was the fact that they get huge when they’re in contact with liquid that freaked me out? I envisioned something like that I Love Lucy episode where the expanding bread loaf in the oven pins her against the other side of the kitchen, or the Strega Nona book about Big Anthony and the magic pasta pot taking over the town.
Sometimes my worries get out of hand.
Anyway, my strawberry chia seed jam didn’t engulf the kitchen (and actually turned out quite nicely) and all my chia fears went away.
And now we have turmeric. So orange! So many supposed health benefits! But what does it taste like! After a few weeks of sitting idle in my spice cabinet, it got put to work in this turmeric coconut basmati rice and now it’s joined the ranks of garlic powder, dried basil, and co. in my spice rotation.
Brian’s mom makes a coconut basmati rice that we ate during our visit over the holidays, and ever since I’ve had a vague coconut/creamy rice craving that I just can’t shake. What better way to satisfy that than to call home and ask for the recipe? 🙂
This turmeric coconut basmati rice is a take on its inspiration, and includes onion, freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, and fresh basil leaves along with basmati rice cooked in a lite coconut milk and water combination.
I added ground turmeric to the mix and instantly it turned an unremarkable looking rice dish (as rice tends to be) into a warm and bright YELLOW rice. Very bright. And we loved it! I always have a can or two of coconut milk hanging around, and with this dish not taking that long to make, I’m anticipating this turmeric coconut basmati rice will be gracing our table with regularity from now on.
Now I guess I need to find my next new-to-me ingredient to be suspicious of for a little bit. 😉
**UPDATE** If you’re looking for a lower calorie/low-carb version of this rice, check out my Ginger Turmeric Cauliflower Rice!
Turmeric coconut basmati rice recipe notes:
- This recipe is easily doubled, and will use a full can of coconut milk that way if you don’t want any leftover.
- Regular or lite coconut milk will work fine.
- We love to pair this turmeric coconut basmati rice with chicken, salmon, tofu…lots of main proteins, really! This sheet pan lemon turmeric chicken or oven fried tofu are especially good.
Turmeric Coconut Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 7 oz lite coconut milk (about half a can)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- Chopped fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, grated ginger, and salt and stir. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, occasionally stirring, or until onions have become golden and soft, but haven't yet browned.
- Add the rice and turmeric to the saucepan and stir until evenly combined. Let rice cook for just a few minutes, stirring frequently, and then add coconut milk and water. Stir to combine, and then raise heat to let liquid come to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the saucepan. Let rice cook for about 15-18 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in chopped fresh basil for serving.
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 DisclaimerP.S…
If you’re into these flavors, you may also like Coconut Turmeric Quinoa with Cashews!
Beatrice says
This looks and sounds yummy, but I was curious if you could use coconut oil instead of olive oil?
Alyssa says
Hi Beatrice, yes that would work!
Brandi says
I can only find coconut milk in a can at the Asian store. Would that be ok?
Alyssa says
Yes, that is the kind I use!
Carmen Fields says
Question. Can I substitute cauliflower rice for basmati? Should I adjust the recipe in any way. We’re trying to do low carb for Thanksgiving and I am considering using this recipe, but substituting the rice.
Alyssa says
Hi Carmen, I haven’t made this particular recipe with cauliflower rice, but my concern just subbing it in for the basmati without making any other changes would result in rice that’s too soggy. I’d prep the cauliflower rice in your preferred manner (mine is detailed in this post, minus the pesto part: https://www.mysequinedlife.com/parmesan-pesto-cauliflower-rice/ ), adding in the turmeric and salt as it’s cooking. Then when it’s done cooking, I’d fold in the sauteed onion/garlic/ginger. If you’d like it creamier at that point I’d add a little bit of coconut milk (or your preferred milk) to taste. I hope that’s helpful!
Carmen Fields says
Very helpful. Thanks.
Misha says
Wonderful Flavor!! Loved this rice 🙂 I used vegetable broth instead of water and it’s adding to the taste.
Alyssa says
So glad you liked it!
Marilee says
I cant believe the very first commentor said this was bland. Must be a heavy smoker. I made this rice this afternoon as part of a big cook for the week’s meals. Im going to bake some tofu and pack it for lunches. The only thing i did differently was simply use all coconut water. I didnt have any coconut. I used a purple onion which was pretty. The flavors were terrific. Sweet and savory. Will be good with tofu. Thank you!
Alyssa says
Glad you like it, Marilee! 🙂 Tofu sounds like a great pairing.
D says
This looked beautiful, however lacking in any depth of flavor. Really bland.
Alyssa says
Hi there, sorry to hear you didn’t like this rice. I realize everyone has different tastes, so hopefully you were able to add extra seasonings to make it work.
Helen says
Is there a Nutrition page to this I’m going to try this is sounds delicious
Alyssa says
Hi Helen, I don’t yet have nutrition info on my recipes (working on it!), but I plugged in this recipe to a nutritional calculator (My Fitness Pal) and calculated the following: approximately 160 calories/5g fat/2g protein per serving. That’s based on 6 servings. I hope you enjoy!
coco says
what vegan main dish would be good with this, suggestions? open to tofu or something
Alyssa says
Hi Coco, tofu would be great with this. I don’t have any tofu recipes on my site (even though I like it), but I found this one that looks great: http://www.veganinsanity.com/recipes/tofu-teriyaki-bowl/ . I’m thinking you could prepare the tofu/veggies/sauce as the recipe states and serve it over or alongside this rice. In fact I may do that myself this week because it looks so good. Or maybe with something like an Asian-inspired veggie burger? This one looks hearty and features black beans: http://www.theleangreenbean.com/asian-black-bean-burgers/ . I hope that helps!
Lea says
Hi I was wondering if this could be adapted in some way to use cauliflower rice? Have you tried it? Any ideas would be very helpful, hubby is recently diagnosed with diabetes so I have to find ways to lower his carb intake.
Alyssa says
Hi Lea, I’ve never tried this recipe with cauliflower rice, but my concern would be that subbing in cauliflower rice and keeping everything else the same would make it too soggy with the liquid. I just checked out this epicurious article that compared different cauliflower rice cooking methods, and they suggest their microwave method: http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/the-best-way-to-make-cauliflower-rice-article – I’m thinking you could prepare the cauliflower rice in your preferred method and then add in the sauteed onion/garlic/ginger/salt, as well as the turmeric/fresh herbs and maybe a tiny bit of coconut milk to make it creamy (if it doesn’t make it soggy). That way you’d get a similar flavor. Please let me know if you give it a shot, and best of luck with adapting recipes to be lower carb! 🙂
Mindy says
Can I use dry ground ginger instead of fresh? We don’t have it in many stores in Minnesota.
Alyssa says
Hi Mindy, yes you can. I’d use 3/4 or 1 teaspoon of dry ground ginger in place of the freshly grated.
Tricia says
Try looking by the garlic! I get mine from Trader Joe’s and they always have fresh ginger root.
Latte says
5 stars! Great recipe, and you can expand on it with any ingredients you like. I added thinly sliced mushrooms and finely chopped broccoli while the rice sauteed, and added 1 tsp hot curry, as these are all items my family likes. I would HIGHLY recommend this as an alternative to the high sodium, pre-packaged rice dishes from Knorr or Lipton. Curiously, I think it tastes better after a night in the fridge, similar to any dish (like jambalaya), where flavors meld even better over time. Try this, you won’t be disappointed!
Alyssa says
So glad you liked it! Those sound like awesome additions. Thank you for writing in! 🙂
FE Knight says
Try a hand full of Sultana raisins at the end of cooking.
Alyssa says
That sounds delicious – thank you for the suggestion!
Christine says
Has anyone tried this with shredded cauliflower for a low car meal?
dEBBIE says
I have not heard of basmati rice. Is it available in grocery stores? And I do know turmeric is very healthy for you.
Alyssa says
Hi Debbie, yes basmati rice should be available alongside the other rice varieties in the grocery store. And I love sneaking in turmeric to switch up recipes! 🙂
Mae says
I’m making this for dinner tonight but I’ll use cilantro instead of basil.
Bonnie says
I was looking through the messages to see if anyone thought about using cilantro, that was exactly what I was thinking.
Jeff says
Silly question, but are you using dried rice or precooked rice when you add it to the onions?
Alyssa says
Hi Jeff, not a silly question! I use dry rice at that step to toast it at little bit before adding the liquid and allowing it to cook completely. Just for a few minutes, and stirring it up frequently so that it doesn’t burn. Hope that helps!
Beth Andrews says
I was wondering the same thing. So the rice will cook completely ? No precooking needed ?
Alyssa says
Hi Beth, yes the rice will cook completely. I add the dry, uncooked rice to the saucepan to toast it just for a minute or two – very briefly. Then all the liquid is added (7 oz coconut milk and 1 1/4 cup water) so the rice absorbs it all as it comes to a boil then simmers for the next 15-20 minutes. The rice cooks in liquid, it’s just added to the saucepan just before the liquid. I hope that helps!
Beth Andrews says
thanks, I’m about to start it now. sounds delish
Beth Andrews says
thanks, I’m about to start it now. sounds delish.
all done . So glad I doubled the recipe. It was amazing !! I went all the way to costco to get the rice and it was well worth a saturday trip to Costco.
Alyssa says
I’m so happy you loved it, Beth! I know how crazy Costco can be on the weekends…that’s high praise! 🙂
Kat says
Fantastic! Like a party in my mouth!!!! I actually stuck to the recipe exactly which is pretty much a first for me. I’d like to figure out a way to get a little more spice /heat without changing the taste, cause it is sublime!!
Alyssa says
Awesome! So glad to hear you liked it, Kat. 🙂 Hmmm maybe a little bit of ground cayenne or a few drops of hot sauce stirred in could do it without altering the flavor?