Easy Turmeric Rice Recipe: Nasi Kunyit

What sets turmeric powder apart from fresh turmeric? Turmeric powder delivers a concentrated, warm, and slightly bitter flavor, while fresh turmeric offers a bright, earthy, and peppery taste with a hint of ginger. The aroma differs too - turmeric powder has a deeper, more intense earthy scent, whereas fresh turmeric’s fragrance is vibrant, pungent, and subtly citrusy. Both are rich in curcumin, celebrated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

I use both in my cooking, but for this Malay (IKAN MASAK MERAH RECIPE)  rice dish, it’s fresh turmeric, which we grow at Nava’s Zen.

Fresh turmeric is the key to my easy turmeric rice, or nasi kunyit, a Malay rice dish with a bright golden-yellow hue, the fragrance of fresh turmeric, and the creamy richness of coconut milk. Simple to prepare (MALAYSIAN DEVIL CURRY), Malay turmeric rice takes just half an hour from start to finish.

Ingredients

2 cups rice (washed and rinsed)

1 inch fresh turmeric (pounded)

1 turmeric leaf (sliced)

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cups water

Salt to taste

 

Method

Combine all ingredients in the rice cooker.

Stir to mix well and start the rice cooker.

Once cooked, gently swirl the rice with a chopstick.