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Indian yellow rice in a ceramic bowl, garnished with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, on a white wooden background with spices and a brown onion.

Indian Yellow Rice

Fragrant Indian yellow rice made with basmati rice, warming spices and stock for extra flavour. Light, fluffy and easy to make, this golden rice is the perfect side dish for curries, tandoori dishes or dhal.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Resting time:10 minutes
Total Time:35 minutes
Course: Dinner, Meal Prep, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: basmati rice recipe, easy Indian rice, Indian Rice, Indian yellow rice, yellow rice
Servings: 4
Author: Kate Brodhurst

Equipment

  • Saucepan with a tight fitting lid

Ingredients

  • 20g unsalted butter or ghee (you could also use a neutral oil)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • Good pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 fresh or dried bay leaves
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 cup basmati rice, washed well
  • 1 ½ cups prepared chicken or vegetable stock

Instructions

  • Melt butter or ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and a good pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, for 6-7 minutes until softened.
  • Add cumin seeds, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom pods and cloves, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the basmati rice, stir for a further 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to the boil. 
  • Once boiling, using a metal spoon, stir briefly to loosen any rice from the base of saucepan, cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to very low (I use a simmer mat as well) and cook for 15 minutes, without removing the lid. *DON'T BE TEMPTED TO CHECK IT. DO NOT UNCOVER!
  • Remove saucepan from the heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes to finish steaming. DO NOT OPEN LID. Fluff with a fork before serving. If you wish, you may remove the whole spices. They generally come to the surface so this is easy to do. Garnish with coriander if desired and serve with your favourite curry. Enjoy :)

Notes

  1. COOKS NOTES:
    Oven Temps:     Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
    Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup =  250 ml.
    Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
  2. Rinsing the rice: Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch and keep the grains fluffy.
  3. Stock vs water: Using stock instead of water adds depth of flavour and makes this rice far more aromatic.
  4. Whole spices: Whole spices infuse the rice gently as it cooks. They usually rise to the surface and can be removed before serving if preferred.
  5. Resting time: Letting the rice rest off the heat allows it to finish steaming and prevents it from becoming wet or sticky.
  6. Scaling the recipe: This recipe easily doubles. Increase the rice and stock accordingly while keeping the remaining ingredients mostly the same.