Yellow Rice is popular in many cultures, from Spanish to Jewish to Caribbean. Sometimes the rice is colored yellow with saffron, sometimes with turmeric. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. A gram can cost as much as $15. An ounce of medium-grade saffron is cheap at only $60. So, for me at least, saffron is out of the picture. Turmeric is a lot cheaper and makes the rice just as pretty. I buy turmeric at my local supermarket and mostly use it for yellow rice. Turmeric is what gives curries their pretty yellow color. If you don’t have turmeric, you can use 1/2-teaspoon of curry powder instead. This will add a different flavor to your yellow rice, but not much of one and the rice will still be pretty and still taste good.
Yellow Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 dashes red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley (to make it pretty, optional)
- 2 teaspoons chicken broth powder or 2 bouillon cubes
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 or 2 tablespoons dairy free margarine or vegetable oil
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a 2-quart sized saucepan. Set the temperature gauge to High. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to Low. The mixture should barely simmer. Place the lid on the pot and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. The rice will absorb the water and be tender. The rice will smell out of this world and taste better than you ever imagined. Serve to fussy family members who always complain that you never make anything good and self-righteously witness their mouths shut.
This is an easy and versatile side dish and can accompany almost any entreé. It looks elegant on the plate and tastes special enough for company.
If you prefer your rice to have a softer texture then increase the water to 2-1/3 cups. My family really likes Yellow Rice so I double this recipe whenever I make it.
Assuming 4-servings; prepared with 1-tablespoon margarine.
Per Serving: 207 Calories; 3g Fat (14.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 277mg Sodium.
Calories by Percentage: 15% Fat; 78% Carbohydrate; 7% Protein.
Exchanges: 2-1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Fat.
To Use Brown Rice
Replace the white rice with brown rice. Cook for 45 minutes instead of 20 minutes. Everything else remains the same.
Yellow Rice Convenience Mix
For the greatest time savings, prepare several of these at a time. My family really likes yellow rice, so I will make up to 10 of these at a time. If you do it assembly-line fashion it goes pretty quickly. Some children are fascinated by this process and are more than willing to help out. If you don’t trust your kids to measure accurately then have them label and date the bags before you fill them.
1. Get out a sandwich-size zipper bag. In it measure the following.
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 dashes red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley (to make it pretty, optional)
- 2 teaspoons chicken broth powder or 2 bouillon cubes
Zipper the bag closed. Label and date it. Store on the pantry shelf until needed.
2. When you’re ready to prepare your Yellow Rice follow these directions:
In a 1-quart sauce pan combine the following:
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 or 2 tablespoons dairy free margarine or vegetable oil
Add the contents of your zipper bag. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.