How to Make Healthy Rice with Curry Powder or Turmeric

Dinner side dishes like rice are a great way to get extra nutrients into your family’s diet. Instead of making plain old rice, you can add an array of nutrient-dense foods and spices to all of your rice dishes to really perk up the flavor and give tons of healthy benefits. Not only that, but your family will appreciate something different.

Spices have so many benefits beyond just seasoning our foods. Turmeric is one of the main spices that make up curry and gives foods that beautiful “yellow” pop of color. Turmeric root contains a chemical called curcumin, which is bright yellow in color and has been found beneficial at fighting and preventing certain diseases. Turmeric has been used for centuries to aid in good health, so we like to add this super-spice to many of our foods. You can even add a little turmeric to your morning coffee!

When starting out making this rice, we would suggest using curry powder in lieu of the turmeric until your family has a chance to get used to the flavor. Turmeric can be a little bitter and may not appeal to everyone.

Peppers contain a ton of vitamin C, Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Just one cup of red peppers will supply your daily requirements for all three! That’s a great reason to add more peppers to your food, and raw colored peppers are great for snacking.

Onions and garlic have tremendous amounts of health benefits, so we tend to use a lot of both when we cook. If your family does not enjoy the taste of these two, start with small amounts of both and dice them very fine.

For maximum health benefits from the garlic, chop the garlic first and let it rest for 15 minutes before cooking.

So here is how we make a delicious rice dish that is loaded with vitamins and nutrients.

HEALTHY RICE WITH TURMERIC

1 cup of white rice, uncooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced fine
3 cloves garlic, diced fine
1 small red pepper, cored, cleaned and diced
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon curry powder or turmeric
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

In a medium pan with a tight fitting lid, gently saute the onions in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and lightly salt & pepper. Stir the rice and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the broth and turmeric to the pan and bring to a light boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer on low for 16 minutes.

Remove rice from the heat and let sit covered for 2 minutes. Stir in butter and sprinkle with parsley.

So there you are! Never again make plain rice when you can add so many delicious and healthy ingredients in a short amount of time. If you don’t like peppers, add whatever vegetable your family enjoys.

Remember, good health comes from eating a healthy, balanced diet with nutrient-dense foods.

Thanks Sue for the delicious recipe.

Sue can be found providing meal plans for busy parents over at http://www.dinnerplanner.com

 

I love this idea of how to make healthy rice. I use a Curcumin supplement and have been learning about how good it is for you. Let me know if you decide to make this recipe. Yum!