An epicurean adventure to: South Africa
Say goodbye to bland, boring rice with this gem of a South African yellow rice recipe. It's a one-pot-wonder, so easy to make, yet it delivers a wide range of complex flavours and aromas.
Yellow rice is the perfect side dish for a variety of meals, including curries and other meat and fish dishes. Most traditionally it is served with Bobotie, South Africa's infamous national dish.
It's a beautiful golden ochre colour, buttery, mildly sweet and sequined with raisins or sultanas. Known locally in South Africa as 'Geelrys', meaning 'yellow rice' in Afrikaans.
This rice recipe also goes really well with this aromatic beef curry with coconut milk, chicken rissoles and crispy fish goujons.
In South Africa, Yellow Rice gets its name directly from the Afrikaans term "geelrys" ("geel" meaning yellow and "rys" meaning rice). It is flavoured with turmeric, cinnamon, and raisins/sultanas. This recipe takes it a step further by adding cardamom, which makes this rice beautifully fragrant.
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Fast facts - South Africa
| Location | Southernmost tip of the African continent. It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho. |
| Capital | Pretoria |
| Language | South Africa has 11 official languages, including English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, and Ndebele. English is widely spoken and is the language of business, while Zulu and Xhosa are the most commonly spoken African languages. |
| Population | Circa 60.2 million |
| Trivia | South Africa has three capital cities - Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein - each with a distinct role in the country's governance due to its complex history and the historical location of different branches of government. Generally, Pretoria is known as the main capital. |
What's to love about this recipe
- This easy side dish is largely "hands-off" during cooking: Just throw in all the ingredients at once and let it work its magic.
- Not your ordinary, forgettable side of bland rice. It is fragrant and infused with a variety of delicious aromatic spices. It can certainly hold its own against a bold main dish.
- Ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Gluten-free.
- Turn this into vegan yellow rice by replacing the butter with plant butter.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
White basmati rice
You can replace the long-grain basmati rice with any other type of long-grain rice, or brown basmati rice for something a little healthier. Jasmine rice will be too sticky for this recipe.
Butter
To make this vegan, you can replace the butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.
Spices
Cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, salt. You can replace ground cinnamon with cinnamon sticks.
Many Yellow Rice recipes omit cardamom but we really feel this is an essential part of the aroma of the dish, so do include it if you can!
Top Tip
Avoid peeling the cardamom pods with your nails to extract the seeds. Instead, place the whole pods in a mortar and pestle and crack them gently. Afterwards, remove the husks and proceed to grind down the seeds.
Castor sugar
If you don't have castor sugar to hand, feel free to replace it with normal sugar.
Raisins or Sultanas
You can use either, whichever you have to hand!
Optional
For an extra savoury kick, you can replace the water with chicken stock or vegetable stock. You can also add a bay leaf. Remove it before serving.
Recipe instructions
- Add all the ingredients along with the cold water (tap water) to a large, lidded saucepan.
*We highly recommend using a cast iron casserole dish (Dutch oven), but any lidded saucepan will do.
- Bring the water to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Cover the saucepan tightly with the lid and leave to simmer undisturbed over low heat for about 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, take a quick look to see if all the water has been absorbed. A good visual clue that it's ready is the appearance of small holes on the surface of the rice. If you don't see any, simmer for a minute or two more.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and keep the lid on tightly. Let it rest undisturbed for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Fluff up the cooked rice with a fork and serve warm.
What to serve with homemade yellow rice
- Great side dish for curries like this Nepalese curry, beef coconut curry, chicken karahi or this pasanda curry.
- Grilled fish.
- Dahl.
- Stews and casseroles.
- Roast chicken.
- Inside wraps.
- Vegetable stir-fries.
- Spicy sautéed shrimp.
- Tandoori paneer or tofu.
- Grilled or roasted vegetables.
Storage and reheating
Homemade yellow rice will keep well in the fridge for 24 hours if kept in an airtight container. To reheat, warm up in the microwave or add it to a saucepan with a splash of water. Heat until piping hot throughout.
It's safest to eat any cooked rice within 24 hours. Bacteria can grow on it and make you sick. This bacteria, called Bacillus cereus, can produce harmful toxins. To keep rice safe, put it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking and make sure to reheat it well before eating. These steps help prevent food poisoning and ensure that the rice is safe to consume.
Can you freeze it?
Yellow rice freezes very well for up to three months. To defrost, remove it from the freezer the day before consuming it and leave it in the fridge to thaw. Follow the instructions above for reheating and consume within the day.
FAQ
Yellow Rice has various versions across different countries, including Spain, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In these variations, white rice is infused with a yellow hue using ingredients such as turmeric, saffron or annatto and then seasoned according to the respective local cuisine.
This golden rice gets its bright yellow colour from the addition of turmeric powder, which contains the chemical Curcumin. In other cultures, saffron or annatto is also used to create the yellow colour in rice.
Yellow rice, as it is known in this recipe, originates from the Cape Malay communities in Cape Town, South Africa.
These communities were brought to the region as slaves during the 17th century. The Cape Malays are famous for their aromatic and mildly spiced cuisine, which often includes fruits.
Cape Malay yellow rice is a perfect example of their cooking style, representing the delicious flavours and fragrances that are characteristic of their culinary tradition.
Certainly! When using brown rice, you can give it a head start by covering the uncooked rice with boiling water and letting it soak for about an hour before cooking it with the spices and other ingredients.
Yes! Just replace the butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.
No, this is a mild dish as it contains none of the ‘hot’ spices, only warm and earthy turmeric and cinnamon, plus cardamom for added aroma.
Washing the rice grains beforehand is optional for this recipe. While some people prefer to wash rice to remove excess starch, it's not essential for the success of this particular recipe.
Yes, you can! To make white rice yellow, just add a teaspoon of turmeric to 350g of dry white rice. This will give you golden turmeric rice which you can enjoy as is. You can also add a pinch of saffron. For Spanish yellow rice, add a touch of smoked paprika and bell peppers.
Related recipes
Recipe
Yellow rice for Bobotie
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan with a tight fitting lid
Ingredients
- 350 gram Basmati rice
- 60 gram butter
- 1 tablespoon castor sugar, heaped
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Cardamom pods, shelled and seeds crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 6 tablespoons raisins
- 1½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- 800 millilitre water
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients along with the cold water (tap water) to a large pot and give it a quick stir. We highly recommend using a cast iron casserole dish (Dutch oven), but any lidded saucepan will do.350 gram Basmati rice, 60 gram butter, 1 tablespoon castor sugar, heaped, 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 6 Cardamom pods, shelled and seeds crushed in a mortar and pestle, 1 teaspoon Turmeric, 6 tablespoons raisins, 1½ teaspoon salt, 800 millilitre water
- Bring the water to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Give it another quick stir.
- Cover the saucepan with the lid and leave to simmer undisturbed over a low heat for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, take a quick look to see if all the water has been absorbed. A good visual clue that it's ready is the appearance of small holes on the surface of the rice. If you don't see any, simmer for a minute or two longer.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover it with the lid. Let it rest undisturbed for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Fluff up the cooked rice with a fork and serve warm.
Notes
- If you do not have Basmati rice to hand, plain long grain rice will work just as well
- You can use normal sugar instead of castor sugar
- No ground cinnamon? You can add one cinnamon stick to the pot which can be removed once the rice is cooked
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
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