Buttery onion and garlic mix with the warm spices of turmeric and cumin to create an irresistible Middle Eastern Yellow Rice with huge flavor and minimal effort.
If you made my Garlic Brown Rice and Quinoa, you're already familiar with this rice technique of building flavors right in the pan by starting with sautéed aromatics. Then adding flavorful stock along with your grain, and topping with fresh herbs and crunchy nuts.
It's a super star stovetop side dish that's a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. I have found it to be a great recipe for meal prep Sundays so I have it to serve as a simple side dish with my Vegetarian Falafels and pescatarian main dishes throughout the week.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Rice: Basmati is my preference, but you can substitute Jasmine or a plain long grain rice. The recipe recommends rinsing your rice, but I've made this recipe without rinsing with good results.
Stock: the recipe calls for low sodium vegetable stock. If cooking for non-pescatarians, feel free to use chicken stock.
Garnishes: I use diced flat leaf parsley and toasted pine nuts for garnish, but feel free to use your favorite soft herb, like chives or even mint.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Cook vegetables
Begin by melting the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot with a tight fitting lid. Once melted, add the diced yellow onion and 3 minced garlic cloves to the pot. Sauté over medium heat until tender and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add rice and season
Add 1 cup of rinsed basmati rice, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, ¾ teaspoon of ground cumin and ½ teaspoon of sea salt to the butter and sautéed garlic and onion. Stir well for about a minute, ensuring the rice is well coated in the spices and butter.
3. Add stock
Pour 1 ⅔ cups of low sodium veggie stock over the rice. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cover. Simmer until all the liquid has absorbed - about 12 minutes.
Leave the rice covered and remove the pan from the heat. Leave covered for another 10 minutes for the best texture. Fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Garnish and serve
Move to a serving dish and top with fresh chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts. Serve with your full falafel gyro Middle Eastern spread, as a base for your grain bowl, or as a side for your favorite fish dish.
Looking for more savory rice recipes?
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
If you're cooking for non-pescatarians, chicken stock (preferably low sodium chicken broth) is a good substitution. If no stock is available, the same amount of water will do the trick - just plan to add an extra pinch of salt when cooking the rice to make up for the extra flavor from the stock that you're missing.
I haven't made this dish using brown rice, but I'm sure it is possible. Just check your brown rice package for cooking instructions, as it will require more stock or water and a longer cook time than white basmati rice. So be sure to use the package instructions and ratios for best results.
Jasmine rice is the best substitute for basmati rice, but any long grain rice will work well in this recipe. If using sushi rice or short grain rice, just be aware that the package instructions may have a slightly different cook time or cooking process, so be sure to follow the package instructions for best results.
Yes! Just substitute olive oil, coconut oil or vegetable oil for the butter and use veggie stock or water, and you have a fully vegan yellow rice recipe.
This golden yellow rice is extremely flavorful on its own, but it can be modified to suit your tastes and the main course you're serving. Toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds would be delicious as a topping, as would fresh cilantro. Golden raisins or dried cranberries would add a balancing sweetness to the dish. If you have saffron burning a hole in your spice drawer, bloom a few saffron strands in your stock or a little water to add light saffron flavor and even more beautiful color to this fluffy rice.
This is the perfect side dish for Middle Eastern food like Falafel Gyros, Jerusalem salad and Shawarma Sauce.
To store, transfer leftover rice to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This Middle Eastern Yellow Rice can be frozen for up to 3 months. As you know, frozen rice grains can break when thawing, but the flavor will still be impressive. To reheat, warm in microwave until heated through, or in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water for 4-5 minutes.
Fragrant Middle Eastern Yellow Rice
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Your new favorite rice dish! Fluffy, savory, yellow rice is the perfect side dish to almost any meal.
Ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, diced (about ⅔ cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ⅔ cups low sodium veggie stock
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, optional, for serving
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, diced, for serving
Instructions
- Begin by melting the butter in a dutch oven or large pot. Once melted, add the diced onion and minced garlic cloves to the pot. Sauté over medium heat until tender and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add rinsed basmati rice, ground turmeric, ground cumin and ½ teaspoon of sea salt to the butter and sautéed garlic and onion. Stir well for about a minute, ensuring the rice is well coated in the spices and butter.
- Pour 1 ⅔ cups of low sodium veggie stock to the rice. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cover, simmering until all the liquid has absorbed - about 12 minutes. Remove from heat but leave the pot of rice covered for another 10 minutes to finish steaming.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning. Move to a serving dish and top with fresh chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts.
Notes
This recipe is easily doubled to serve a crowd or for using in meal prep for grain bowls and easy dinner sides.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dinner, Sides, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Jerri
great recipe! the whole family loved it. Will definitely double next time so we have leftovers. don't skip the pine nuts! amazing flavor and texture.
Christina Jolam
Love to hear this, Jerri. This recipe will always be one of my all-time favorite rice dishes. So glad you and your family enjoyed it! And thanks for coming back to leave a review.
Jen
I’ve made a few different recipes of this dish off Pinterest and my husband said this is the go to version for him.
Christina Jolam
I love hearing this, Jen! It's a sneaky little rockstar of a side dish...always steals the show when I make it. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a helpful review! Appreciate you so much.