South African yellow rice is a delicious spiced rice. It gets its yellow color and lovely flavor from turmeric and curry. It is called geelrys in Afrikaans, which literally translates to yellow rice. South African yellow rice is always served with the national dish called bobotie. It also makes a wonderful side dish for just about any occasion.
This South African yellow rice recipe is simple and cooks up easily on the stove top. You should use basmati rice for this one. Additionally, this recipe calls for sultana raisins they are dried white grapes, they are sweet and really elevate the dish. If you don’t have them you can of course use regular raisins.
There are different recipes for this beloved dish, some add ginger and onion, some add cinnamon etc. I made mine without the brown sugar and using a combination of water and chicken broth, it turned out perfect.
Did you know that South Africa is one of the topmost wine producers in the world? South Africa has been producing wine since 1659. South Africa is home to the longest continuous wine route in the world.
If you would like to learn more about South Africa be sure to check out “Our Journey to South Africa”. You will also find more authentic South African recipes like Bobotie, biltong, and melktert.
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South African Yellow Rice (Geelrys)
A lovely side dish for any occasion but always alongside the national dish called bobotie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed & drained
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 1/4 cup sultanas
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- 2 cups chicken broth or water or combination of both
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat the butter or oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to turn opaque.
- Add sultanas, turmeric, curry, and sugar if using and stir until well mixed in.
Slowly stir in chicken broth or water or combination of the two and raise heat to medium-high. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.
Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
