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A bowl of yellow turmeric rice garnished with chopped cilantro and black pepper with a fork resting in the bowl.

Golden Turmeric Rice

Elaine Skiadas
By: Elaine Skiadas
Updated: 04/22/2025
4.9 stars (43 ratings)
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This delicious turmeric rice is made with fluffy jasmine rice, aromatic spices, and creamy coconut milk. It’s ready in under 30 minutes for the easiest Indian-inspired side dish to pair with any main meal!

A bowl of yellow rice garnished with chopped cilantro, with a fork resting inside—perfect alongside a comforting main.

If you want to get fancy, you can call this golden rice or yellow rice, but no matter what you call it, turmeric rice is unbelievably delicious. It’s made with rice cooked in coconut milk and Indian spices and is the perfect side dish for almost any meal.

I eat rice often as a side dish, or in the case of my fluffy baked rice with chickpeas, I eat it for dinner. I find that it’s a versatile side, and this turmeric rice pairs well with many mains. Serve it as a side to curry, add a baked chicken breast, or turn it into an Indian-inspired rice bowl with some chickpeas and sautéed veggies.

Key ingredients in turmeric rice

Jasmine rice: This is a long-grain white rice that cooks up nice and fluffy, making it perfect for this turmeric rice recipe. It also has a wonderful fragrant smell—almost like popcorn!

Turmeric: I use ground turmeric to give the rice a warm, peppery flavor, while also turning it a vibrant yellow color.

Coconut milk: Full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk makes this turmeric rice rich and slightly creamy. Make sure you use a good blend of the solid white cream and water found in each can.

A pot of yellow rice with a cinnamon stick and bay leaf on top sits on a light-colored surface next to a fork, ready to enjoy alongside dinner
A bowl of yellow rice garnished with chopped cilantro and black pepper, with a spoon inside. Nearby, a napkin, some herbs, another bowl of rice complete the inviting scene.

Serving suggestions

When serving turmeric rice, I like to keep the theme going and serve it with curry. My creamy coconut pumpkin dal is wonderful with this rice. Another recipe I love is this coconut lentil curry.

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4.94 stars (43 ratings)
A bowl of yellow turmeric rice garnished with chopped cilantro and black pepper with a fork resting in the bowl.

Golden Turmeric Rice Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 12 minutes mins
Total: 22 minutes mins
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This delicious turmeric rice is made with fluffy jasmine rice, aromatic spices, and creamy coconut milk. It's ready in under 30 minutes for the easiest Indian-inspired side dish to pair with any main meal!
4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup jasmine rice (rinsed)
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper and chopped cilantro (for serving)

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan to which you have a lid. When shimmering, add the ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon stick. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, 1 cinnamon stick
  • Add the rice, water, coconut milk, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 12 minutes then turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. 
    1 cup jasmine rice, 1 cup water, ½ cup full fat, unsweetened coconut milk, 1 bay leaf, ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • Fluff the rice with a fork and remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Serve warm with a few grinds of black pepper and some chopped cilantro.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¾ cup, Calories: 289kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 46g (15%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 10g (15%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 445mg (19%), Potassium: 205mg (6%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 6g (7%), Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 34mg (3%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
© Author Elaine Skiadas

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

A bowl of yellow turmeric rice garnished with chopped cilantro and black pepper with a fork resting in the bowl.

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A bowl of yellow turmeric rice garnished with chopped cilantro and black pepper with a fork resting in the bowl.
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Elaine Skiadas

Elaine Skiadas

Hello! My name's Elaine and I'm a recipe developer, food photographer and the owner of the food blog Wandering Chickpea. I'm all about creating recipes inspired by both my passion for eating well and my love for good food.

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Posted: 01/27/2022 Updated: 04/22/2025
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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen Stevens

I’m a self-taught chef, food photographer, and author of the cookbook Sugar Free Dinner Recipes. Since 2011, I have been sharing my well-tested and approachable recipes, helping home cooks like you feel comfortable and confident in the kitchen. My work has been featured in Food & Wine, Pioneer Woman, The Every Girl, Self, and many more. Let’s have some fun cooking together!

Learn more!

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