Table of Contents
Yellow rice is a traditional dish that is popular across several continents of the world. In Spanish, Iranian, West Asian, Moroccan, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Caribbean, Portuguese, Filipino, Afghan, Indian, Sri Lankan, South African, and Indonesian cuisines, it is a typical yellow-colored rice dish. It’s cooked using white rice that’s been tinted yellow with annatto, saffron, or turmeric, among other things.
This traditional South African recipe, which comes from the great culinary tradition of the Cape Malays — originally brought in as slaves in the 17th century. It’s easy and plain but great with meats like venison, corned beef tongue, or any meat with gravy.
Few Facts about Yellow Rice
- With origins in Cape Malay cuisine, South African yellow rice is traditionally cooked with raisins, sugar, and cinnamon, yielding an extremely sweet rice dish that is served as a side dish to savory dishes and curries.
- It’s known as Kaha buth in Sri Lanka, and it combines Indonesian and Sri Lankan influences.
- It’s known as nasi kuning in Indonesia.
- It’s known as kuning in the Philippines.
Truthfully, recipes vary from country to country. This also makes the preparation processes and spices different as well. But, In addition to the spices, coconut milk and onions are frequently included in its recipes. This dish is a symbol of traditional cuisine in many cultures, particularly in Indonesia. To commemorate important cultural ceremonies, it is customary to serve them.
Why Yellow Rice?
There may not be any distinct reason why you should prefer yellow rice but it could be a good alternative for the popular fried rice.
Fried rice and yellow rice have a lot in common. This rice’s yellow tint comes from shrimp and seasonings. The dish appears to be delicious, but it tastes much better. Serve with braised chicken for a great dinner.
Is Yellow Rice Healthy?
It has about 8% protein and 2% fat, mostly in the form of omega-6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory. It provides certain health benefits, according to Ricepedia, despite lacking beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, or lutein+zeazanthin and being poor in fiber.
Minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc are also abundant in them. Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, and folate are all vitamins found in yellow rice.
Is yellow rice harmful to your health?
The majority of the yellow rice boxes and packages available in supermarkets are high in chemicals, additives, and MSG. So, in theory, that type of yellow rice is dangerous for you if you eat too much of it.
These recipes are created from scratch, which is far superior to store-bought versions. You may also use brown rice instead of white rice if you want to make it healthier.
How To Make Your Yellow Rice Healthier
By making a few tweaks to this dish, you can make it healthier, especially for weight reduction. Use brown rice instead of white rice to increase fiber and save calories. Cooked brown rice has 218 calories per cup, compared to 242 calories in white rice, and 3.5 grams of fiber, compared to 0.6 grams in cooked white rice. Fiber, iron, and zinc are all increased when beans or peas are added to rice. You may also minimize the sodium level of your yellow rice by using low-sodium broth and eliminating or reducing the quantity of additional salt. (source: Livestrong)
Yellow Rice with Shrimp and Braised Chicken
Ingredients
For the Yellow Rice
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ginger
- 2 cup jasmine rice long grain (uncooked)
- 3 cup water or chicken broth
- 2 cup cleaned shrimp
- 1 onion
- 1 bouillon cube
- salt to taste
For the Chicken
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp ginger
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ cup olive oil
- 1 bouillon cube
- salt to taste
Instructions
For the Yellow Rice
- Add the butter, onion, Shrimp, garlic, turmeric, cumin, cube and ginger to a medium sauce pot. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or just until the onion has softened.
- Add the dry rice to the pot. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes to slightly toast the rice. You may hear a slight popping or crackling noise as the rice toasts.
- Add the water and place a lid on top, increase the heat to high, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer (with the lid in place) for 20 minutes.
- After letting it simmer for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest (do not remove the lid) for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
For the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Combine the lemon juice, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic powder and olive oil. Whisk well.
- Marinate the chicken and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered. Lower oven temperature to 375°F and cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until chicken reaches 160°F.
Video
