Yellow Saffron (Turmeric) Rice - Caribbean Style

28.10.17 | Recipe by Renz


An aromatic rice dish, seasoned up with saffron (turmeric) and loaded with sweet peppers, raisins and a hint of pepper. Perfect for the weeknight dinner.


Delicious Saffron Turmeric Rice

I could have sworn last week I said I was staying away from rice for the rest of the year.

Then I felt for some of this yellow rice and I had to make an adjustment... quick

This recipe converts your regular, everyday jasmine rice to a beautiful fluffy, yellow rice dish that you just can't stop eating.


I think I eat too much rice. There I said it.

I switched to jasmine rice a while back. I grew up eating long-grain rice.

It's like I eat it every day. Whether at home with me cooking, or even if food is purchased.

The majority of the time it's just plain white rice, with whatever my meat of choice is for that night be it stew chicken or shrimp, or even brown stew fish.

So you can see how easy it is for me to get "fed up" with it. So I vowed that I was banishing rice until 2018.

But who was I really fooling?

Three days after professing my change of diet, I decided to whip up some of this saffron rice. At least it's not white!!

Saffron Turmeric Rice Recipe

This rice dish is packed with a lot of flavors. It's the cousin to my one pot Cuban rice dish, but not with any type of meat.

It's a bit like pumpkin rice or carrot rice

This dish is a great meatless Monday option. You can eat it with no accompaniment.

The addition of the hot pepper adds a nice hint of spicy flavor.

But isn't this rice gorgeous?

Luckily I had some saffron from my callaloo box subscription box. Have you heard about them? 

But anyway,  I love chief products and it's a brand I reach for first before anything else with my cooking.

It's the most popular brand for spices used in Trinidad and Tobago.

Note that though I am saying saffron, I really am using the "yellow saffron" that is turmeric.

Not sure if it's a Caribbean thing, but when we say saffron, this yellow turmeric is what we are referring to.



The most difficult part of this is leaving it to steam and not checking it too much. Also, try not to stir it up too much either. Another fault I have.

Leaving it alone is very important. It makes a difference.

I also sometimes put a piece of aluminum foil between the cover and the rice which really helps to seal the pot more with the steaming and gives nice fluffy rice.

Yellow Saffron Rice with Turmeric

The addition of the raisins is so good.

You have this savory rice with vegetables then you get a hint of sweetness with the bite of a raisin. Yum. I mention that they are optional but I honestly would not leave them out.

So as we head into the new week, and after having my fill of this saffron rice, I attempt again to go no rice for the rest of 2017.

Wish me luck!!

Check out my other rice obsessions:

Haitian Black Rice
Jamaican Rice and Peas
Black Eye Peas and Rice