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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Main Entree

    Vegan Turmeric Rice

    Last Updated January 17, 2023. Published September 26, 2020 By Charla 22 Comments

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    short rice pin
    long turmeric rice pin

    If you are a big fan of squash and turmeric then you will love this rice dish consisting of a yellow hue that sees brown rice combined with chopped pumpkin, leafy greens  and more veggies seasoned with an array of spices cooked in homemade vegetable stock/broth.

    plate and a dish of yellow rice

    This vegan turmeric rice aka vegetable rice dish has to be hands down one of my favourites for the fall because of the seasonal use in pumpkin but you can whip up this recipe any time of year if you use squash instead.

    A rice recipe that is incredibly delicious and guaranteed to be a family favourite.

    I'm not sure if I ever told you guys before but I'm a food blogger who loves making recipes for the fall and winter.

    I think I specialise in that. Anything from a dairy free Pumpkin Spice Drink to some Carrot and Red Lentil Soup.

    That's the mindset I am in for the fall/winter - soups, hot drinks and all things seasonal so I had to come through with this vegan turmeric rice.

    Turmeric has found its rightful place in the culinary world and so many people love this bright orange flowering plant which comes from the ginger family.

    It's that spice that is embraced in cooking and the beauty industry alike. I render it my "bail out" because the yellow hue turns a would be boring rice dish into something that's vibrant and fragrant.

    For that reason alone I feel as if turmeric and rice go so well together. Believe me when I say this recipe is truly aromatic and well seasoned, not too hot or spicy, just generously seasoned.

    Half a bowl of rice

    Reasons to make this recipe

    • It's seasonal
    • It's versatile so even if you don't have pumpkin you can swap for squash instead
    • A great choice for vegans or anyone who wants a rice dish that's meat free
    • You can spruce it up by adding your favourite vegetables and/or mix things up.
    • Wholesome and nutritious
    • It's made from scratch so you know what goes into it!!
    • It's super tasty!!
    • It's filling enough to be a complete dinner with or without any extras.

    The steps

    steps 1-6 cooking vegetables, adding rice and broth to the pot

    • Start off by gently frying the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cumin seeds for one minute on medium heat in the oil . During this time the aroma will begin to release.
    • Continue to fry then add the onions, garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until the onions soften and turn translucent.
    • Add the pumpkin, carrots, cho cho, kale and sugar snaps to the pan, stir and coat the veggies with the spices.

    Next add your seasoning - turmeric, thyme, all purpose seasoning, scotch bonnet and the rice.

    • Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low.
    • Cover pan with the lid and allow to simmer roughly 30 minutes.
    • The rice should be completely soft and fluffy when cooked, not wet or hard. If the rice is still hard after the specified time, cook for another 10 -15 minutes, checking throughout, use additional stock if required (¼ cup at a time).
    • Add pink salt and/or additional seasoning if required.
    • Discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and thyme stems prior to serving

    Why is the rice sticky?

    If you find that this is the case, I suspect it might have something to do with over saturation. You can remedy this by drying out the excess moisture using my How to Fix Rice guidelines.

    Do you have to add broth?

    No, if you want to use water that's okay but the broth will enhance the overall taste. If you choose to omit this then I can't be held accountable for the overall taste as it's not something I have tried doing myself.

    Is it okay to use butternut squash instead?

    Yes, you can use another type of squash if you want to make the recipe all year long or find it more convenient.

    What can I eat this rice with ?

    • Tofu
    • Beans
    • More veggies

    How long does the rice keep for?

    I personally keep rice in the fridge for no more than 2 days. After or even prior to that I will simply freeze it down for up to a month.

    Notes and tips

    • In case you are wondering, how to colour rice yellow? The answer is in the turmeric. With that being said, please adhere to the recommended amount. Too little and the rice won't colour and too much it will yield a slight bitter note (talking from experience).
    • If it's your first time cooking rice and may need to troubleshoot check out this article on How to Fix Rice.
    • If you have trouble with digesting rice grains, as always, I recommended soaking the rice overnight or for several hours in lime juice.
    • To speed up the cooking process I would recommend chopping your vegetables ahead of time. If you want to make this dish on a busy weeknight then chopping ahead of time will save a bunch of time.
    • If you can't get hold of mangetout or sugar snaps use green beans instead.
    • Don't forget to use my  Homemade Vegetable Broth  along with my All Purpose Seasoning if  you can
    • If you are using storebought broth then make sure it's gluten free and low sodium and just add the amount of water to the cube to be the equivalent to what I stated.
    • Use a non stick frying or skillet, the last thing you want is your rice sticking to the bottom or burning.
    • You can make this recipe more gut friendly by using sprouted rice instead to ease digestion even further.
    • Remember to remove the bay leaf and thyme stems prior to serving.

    blue bowl with yellow rice

    More pumpkin recipes to try

    • Pumpkin Pone
    • Pumpkin Smoothie
    • Pumpkin Rice
    • Pumpkin Lentil Soup
    • Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

    Other rice dishes to try

    • Jamaican Rice and Peas
    • Arroz Con Coco
    • Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice
    • Vegan Paella

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    Rice in a blue bowl

    Vegan Turmeric Rice

    Your family and friends are guaranteed to love this delicious, fragrant rice dish, each and everytime!!
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Asian, Caribbean
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Calories: 297kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
    • 1 small onion sliced
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 medium carrot chopped
    • 1 cho cho chopped (christophine/chayote)
    • 1 cup of kale (70g) chopped, tightly packed (or use spinach/fresh callaloo)
    • 2 cups of pumpkin (232g) chopped into small pieces (or butternut squash)
    • 1 cup of sugar snaps (200g) chopped (bodi/yard beans work too)
    • 4 sprigs of thyme
    • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
    • ½ tablespoon all purpose seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
    • 1 scotch bonnet (or use a chilli)
    • 1 ½ cup of brown rice (285g) soaked overnight or several hours
    • 2 ½ cups of vegetable stock (600ml) see notes for link
    • pink salt to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Start off by gently frying the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cumin seeds for one minute on medium heat in the oil. During this time the aroma will begin to release.
    • Continue to fry then add the onions, garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until the onions soften and turn translucent.
    • Add the pumpkin, carrots, cho cho,, kale and sugar snaps to the pan, stir and coat the veggies with the spices.
    • Next add your seasoning - turmeric, thyme, all purpose seasoning scotch bonnet and the rice.
    • Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low.
    • Cover pan with the lid and allow to simmer roughly 30 minutes.
    • The rice should be completely soft and fluffy when cooked, not wet or hard. If the rice is still hard after the specified time, cook for another 10 -15 minutes, checking throughout, use additional stock if required (¼ cup at a time).
    • Add pink salt and/or additional seasoning if required
    • Discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and thyme stems prior to serving

    Notes

    • In case you are wondering, how to colour rice yellow? The answer is in the turmeric. With that being said, please adhere to the recommended amount. Too little and the rice won't colour and too much it will yield a slight bitter note (talking from experience).
    • If it's your first time cooking rice and may need to troubleshoot check out this article on How to Fix Rice.
    • If you have trouble with digesting rice grains, as always, I recommended soaking the rice overnight or for several hours in lime juice.
    • To speed up the cooking process I would recommend chopping your vegetables ahead of time. If you want to make this dish on a busy weeknight then chopping ahead of time will save a bunch of time.
    • If you can't get hold of mangetout or sugar snaps use green beans instead.
    • Don't forget to use my  Homemade Vegetable Broth  along with my All Purpose Seasoning if  you can
    • If you are using storebought broth then make sure it's gluten free and low sodium and just add the amount of water to the cube to be the equivalent to what I stated.
    • Use a non stick frying or skillet, the last thing you want is your rice sticking to the bottom or burning.
    • You can make this recipe more gut friendly by using sprouted rice instead to ease digestion even further.
    • Remember to remove the bay leaf and thyme stems prior to serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 902mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8929IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

    « Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chichi

      September 27, 2020 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a tasty rice recipe. Turmeric, the vibrant color it brings to dishes and of course it’s health benefits.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 27, 2020 at 3:43 pm

        Thank you so much Chichi

        Reply
    2. Jacqueline Meldrum

      September 27, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      I though this was a simple rice dish with turmeric, but it's so much more. It sounds lush!

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 27, 2020 at 3:28 pm

        Thank you so much

        Reply
    3. Gina

      September 27, 2020 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      Besides the beautiful color, love the health benefits of turmeric too! A great side dish for so many meals!

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 27, 2020 at 3:28 pm

        Thanks Gina

        Reply
    4. Emmeline

      September 27, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      5 stars
      What a great way to make rice a bit more fun! This is great with so many dishes.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 27, 2020 at 1:37 pm

        Thanks Emmeline. It definitely is!!

        Reply
    5. Dannii

      September 27, 2020 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      Turmeric rice is a must when making a curry, and it's so easy too.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 27, 2020 at 12:58 pm

        Yes, I totally agree!!

        Reply
    6. Lagatta de Montréal

      September 27, 2020 at 8:42 am

      4 stars
      It is much better if you can source fresh turmeric (curcuma) which doesn't have the nasty bitterness the powder can have. I'm lucky to be able to buy fresh organic turmeric.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 27, 2020 at 12:58 pm

        Agreed!

        Reply
    7. Maxime

      March 26, 2015 at 1:13 pm

      This recipe looks yummy, I will try it this weekend!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 26, 2015 at 8:15 pm

        Awesome! I hope you enjoy it.

        Reply
    8. JOe

      March 26, 2015 at 8:30 am

      Oh my goodness!!
      This looks so tasty! Many of my friends and family members would love this recipe and many of them are gluten intolerant as well. It's a good thing I found your site as that is what you write about!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 26, 2015 at 8:14 pm

        Thanks Joe, I hope your friends and family get a chance the browse my site. I'm sure they will love my recipes.

        Reply
    9. Ballerine

      March 25, 2015 at 10:52 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, how delicious this sounds! I love that spice mix you've got going there. Definitely going to try this one out!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 26, 2015 at 8:12 pm

        Thank you so much and let me know if you like it.

        Reply
    10. Yum Girl

      March 25, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Thank you so much for posting such a lovely recipe on YG! It is gorgeous. As the new co-owners, we hope you will continue to submit - we are expanding and upgrading everything and even have a new mobile app for android! Kelli at Yum Goggle

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 25, 2015 at 8:44 pm

        Aww thank you so much. Your comment means so much to me.

        Reply
    11. Immaculate

      March 24, 2015 at 1:10 am

      5 stars
      Charla, me like this turmeric rice- with all the amazing spices that you incorporate in this.. what's not to love?

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 24, 2015 at 7:35 am

        Thanks Imma, why not give this one a try?

        Reply

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