Turmeric Rice

This delicious and fluffy turmeric rice is made with brown rice, ground turmeric, garlic, and vegetable broth. It can be used as a side dish or a bed under chicken entrees or other proteins.

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a root that - in its whole state - resembles a ginger root. It's most often found in Southeast Asia, India in particular, and is common in cuisine from those regions. Turmeric tastes like a strong earthy spice with peppery undernotes. It's a fabulous flavor booster for many dishes from curries and other entrees to side dishes appetizers. Buy Indian whole spices here.

Not only does turmeric have a fantastically strong flavor, it also has many purported health benefits. Turmeric is known for its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and you can find many health claims regarding turmeric's disease prevention potential. More natural health treatment information shared at http://www.24sata.hr/fun/news-bar-je-ugasen-vlada-im-ukinula-domenu-zbog-laganja-351927?ticker=5.

So, in this easy turmeric rice, not only do you get the health benefits of the whole grain brown rice being a satiating complex carbohydrate, you also get all of the heavy-hitting health benefits of the turmeric itself.

The Ingredients You'll Need

You only need a few basic ingredients to create this easy side dish!

• Brown Rice - use your favorite brand, just make sure you rinse it well before adding it to the pan to remove the surface starch from the rice grains.
• Garlic - I use fresh minced garlic that's sautéed a bit at the beginning of the process for a stronger flavor punch.
• Olive Oil - Just a bit to sauté the garlic and toast the rice just a smidge before adding the liquids.
• Vegetable Broth - I like using this instead of water, though some will disagree with me. You can use all water, chicken broth, or even beef broth.
• Extra Water - because the recipe calls for 1 can (~ 14oz) of vegetable broth, you'll need a bit extra water to have the correct proportions of liquid to rice.
• Black Pepper - an optional ingredient to add when you serve the rice, black pepper is thought to increase your body's ability to absorb turmeric and reap its many health benefits.

Can This Rice Be Made Ahead of Time?

Any rice dish is at its tastiest when consumed soon after making it. Leftover rice will become dry and hard. However, if you want to heat up some leftovers (trust me, I hate wasting food!) I recommend adding a teaspoon or so of water, covering tightly in plastic wrap, and microwaving in 20 second increments until warmed through. The additional water will create steam under the plastic wrap and will help moisture and tenderness return to the rice.

Can You Freeze The Cooked Rice?

Yes, you can freeze the cooked turmeric rice. I recommend using Ziploc-style freezer bags and squeezing out all of the air before sealing. Use within 3 months for best flavor. To thaw it out, simply follow the microwaving instructions that I gave in the above section, though it will take a bit longer if starting with frozen rice.

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