Turmeric Fried Rice Recipe

An easy vegan fried rice with turmeric that makes an excellent weeknight dinner, or the perfect side dish for a curry or stew.

It’s that time of the year when it is not completely freezing yet, but definitely not warm either. Rain, wind and grey skies make me want to stay at home, and I'm cooking more comforting, warming dishes at night.

Gone are the light salads, and in are the nourishing, immune-boosting meals such as this turmeric brown rice recipe.

Turmeric is such a wonderful spice. Not only does it give a cheery yellow colour to every dish you add it to, and an earthy, peppery flavour, but it also has fantastic nutritional benefits.

It's been proven to help treat Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory bowel syndrome. It's full of antioxidants, and it can even help prevent cancer.

I add it to my morning hot lemon water to help with my digestion and boost my immune system. It goes great in lentil stews, beans or as a substitute for curry powder and saffron in curries.

Turmeric Brown Rice

My turmeric rice recipe is a vibrant and beautiful dish with a golden colour and delicious smell. I made it with ground turmeric powder but if you can get your hands on fresh turmeric, even better.

The recipe can be halved, doubled or tripled depending on if you are going to be having it as a main dish or as a side dish with your stir fry, dahl or curry.

Cooking with brown rice is not only healthy but also a great money-saving option for a filling, well-balanced meal.

Brown rice is more nutty and mushy than classic white rice, but check out my how to cook brown rice perfectly post to learn how to cook it to perfection and achieve some lovely brown rice fluffiness.

Fried Garlic Turmeric Rice Ingredients

We've bulked up this vegan fried rice dish with some added vegetables, but if you just want a simple side dish of turmeric rice, you're free to leave them out. Here's what you'll need to prepare this delicious recipe at home:

• Brown Rice - precooked in a pot or rice cooker. You can use white rice if you're in a hurry too, I just like the added health benefits of making this with brown rice.
• Peas - you can use frozen or fresh, up to you!
• Green pepper - seeds removed and sliced. You can also use yellow or red pepper for this recipe.
• Carrot - grated.
• Garlic - minced.
• Onion - diced. You can use yellow or white.
• Coconut oil.
• Turmeric - I used ground. You could use fresh, or a combination of ground and fresh.
• Lemon juice - freshly squeezed prederably.
• Fresh coriander - adds a lovely fresh flavour.
• Soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• Salt & pepper.

How to Make this Easy Turmeric Rice Recipe

It really couldn't be simpler! Start by cooking your rice. If using brown rice, you'll need around 1 cup of uncooked rice to make 2 cups of cooked rice. If using white rice, it expands even more, so you'll only need around ¾ of a cup.

Then follow these directions:

1. Melt coconut oil in the saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
2. Next add your peas, grated carrot and green pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more.
3. Add in the cooked rice and fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Stir in the soya sauce and mix well.
5. Add turmeric, mix again, taste and season with salt & pepper.
6. Remove from the heat and serve with fresh coriander and pinenuts (optional) sprinkled on top and a big squeeze of lemon.

Variations and tips for making turmeric rice

If using this fried turmeric rice as a side dish, you can leave out the extra vegetables, and just add the spices, onion and garlic. It goes beautifully with dahl and curries.

You can also change up the vegetables depending on your preferences. Try mushrooms, green beans, or tender stem broccoli.

To make it a bulkier meal, feel free to add in some tofu or chickpeas. Both work really well with these flavours. If using chickpeas, you can even mash them up a bit to get that eggy texture of regular fried rice.

If you want to make it a little spicy, feel free to add some chilli when you add the onion and garlic to the pan. Or alternatively, you could add a drizzle of sriracha at the end. I'm of the opinion that sriracha goes with everything!

Vegan Turmeric Rice as a Make Ahead Meal

This fried rice works really well as a make-ahead lunch or dinner. Simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

It also freezes well (just don't add the garnishes until you're ready to serve). It'll keep in the freezer, in an airtight container, for around 3 months.

Other easy vegan dinner ideas:

• 15 minute chickpea curry
• Aubergine and lentil daal
• Healthy mushroom stroganoff
• Cauliflower alfredo
• Potato Goulash

If you make this recipe please come and share it with me on my Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #hedihearts. Also if you need more inspiration and clean eating recipes join the free Facebook Clean Eating group.