Turmeric Rice with Quinoa

Hello!  Spring is definitely in the air.  I hope you are enjoying the warm weather.

Remember this mouth-watering, juicy, delicious Skillet-grilled Spiced Organic Chicken Skewers I made last April?

Well, a friend of mine who lives in Europe tried the Quinoa Congee Soup recipe from my blog and said it “tasted so good”.  The Turmeric rice with quinoa in the above picture caught her attention and asked for the recipe. I thought I posted it on my blog, but I found out I didn’t. So, I remade it last night and had it for dinner. My children remembered this recipe and were so happy when they saw me making it . The youngest said, “Oh, it’s that rice I like! It was so good. Thank you mommy for making it again.”  Need I say more? 🙂

So, here it is!

Ingredients:

• 2 dry measuring cups (not the rice measurement cup) uncooked white rice, washed and completely drained (see notes)
• 1 cup cooked red and white quinoa (or one or the other), optional (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped onions (about 1/2 of medium onion)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (leveled) chicken bouillon powder (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric spice (see notes)
• 4 3/4 cups of water or chicken stock; divided (see notes)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• lime or lemon wedges
• salt and pepper to taste (optional/see notes)

Directions:

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1. Please read notes below before preparing this recipe.
2. Place a 2-inch deep large saute pan (with a lid) over medium heat and coat with oil.  Immediately add the washed and well-drained rice to the pan.  Spread it in the pan with a spatula and stir until all rice is coated with the oil and excess water from washing evaporates. Let it cook.
3. Stir when the rice starts to turn brown.  Leave for 30 seconds to brown and stir again.  Do this at least 15 minutes or until most of the rice puffs up and turned brown. (See picture #2 above)
4. Add the garlic and onions. Keep stirring for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
5. Add 2 cups of water or chicken stock being careful not to burn yourself with the steam as the water will rapidly boil and sizzle when you add the liquid.  Make sure your children are away from the stove when you add the liquid.  Stir to combine.
6. If you are using water as your liquid instead of the chicken stock, add the chicken bouillon at this time as well as the turmeric spice. Stir until well-combined.  Cover (with the lid) and let it come to a boil about 5 minutes.
7. Uncover and add the remaining water or stock and stir until well-combined.
8. Turn the heat to LOW at this time. Cover and cook for 25 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy and should nearly melt in your mouth when you eat it.
9. Turn off heat and let stand until ready to serve. Do not remove the lid.
10. Remove the lid right before serving and add the chopped cilantro and cooked quinoa. Squeeze lime or lemon over and toss to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve warm.
11. Bon Appetit!

Bon Appetit!

Notes:

• Do not leave the stove unattended when cooking this recipe as the rice can burn quickly. Make sure to prepare your ingredients to prevent panic or mishap.
• I used a low-grade Jasmine rice that takes longer and needed more liquid to cook.  The type and brand of rice you use varies, adjust the liquid accordingly.
• If you are using chicken broth, omit the chicken bouillon powder and just season it with salt and pepper. I prefer organic chicken broth, but it was unavailable, so I used the chicken bouillon instead.
• Be careful when using turmeric spice as it will stain your (formica) kitchen countertop and your clothes and hands.
• Use the measurement of the liquid to cook the rice if you are using chicken stock.
• Salt is optional depending on the type of chicken stock you use. Adjust according to your taste.
• The quinoa is optional. You don’t have to add it if you don’t want to.
• All stoves vary, adjust cooking time if needed.

That’s all for today. Don’t forget to Subscribe or Follow to get the latest recipes and ideas.  Please be kind and be considerate and link back to source when you use or share any of my recipes.  Thank you for stopping by.  Until next time.  Have a fabulous weekend. 🙂

~Anna

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