South African Yellow Rice(Geelrys)
Geelrys or yellow rice is a traditional side dish originating from South Africa. It’s made with a combination of rice (usually basmati rice), oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and turmeric, giving the dish its vibrant yellow color.
The rice is typically enriched with raisins for extra texture and flavor, while cinnamon (powder and sticks) is commonly added as a spice alongside turmeric.
Geelrys is an ideal accompaniment for various meat dishes, so it’s recommended to serve it with bobotie.
ORIGINS OF SOUTH AFRICAN YELLOW RICE
Yellow rice is a direct translation of the Afrikaans name, “geelrys”. It comes from the Cape Malay community in South Africa which is named after the Cape of Good Hope and Indonesian/Malay community that developed in the area.
The Cape Malay cuisine, which is known for its bold use of spices, dates its history to the slavery and colonization years in the 16th century when European settlers (through the Dutch East India Company) took slaves from East Africa, Madagascar, and as far as the East Indies to work in the Cape colonies. With time, there was a fusion of cultures, including food and religion, and this is how the Cape Malay cuisine came by.
While yellow rice is traditionally served alongside bobotie, it is absolutely versatile and goes well with most stews and curries.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup sultanas
1 teaspooon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
2 cups chicken broth or water or both
salt and pepper to taste
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DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE SOUTH AFRICAN YELLOW RICE(GEELRYS)
Over medium heat, add the butter or oil in a saucepan.
Wash and rinse rice, then add gently and stir until rice begins to turn opaque.Add sultanas, turmeric, curry, and sugar(optional) 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.
RECIPE TIPS
Rinse the rice to removes excess starch, as well as cleaning it.
Always use twice the volume of water to rice. This ensures it cooks without excess water or becoming dry.
Reduce the heat once it comes to a boil to avoid it boiling over or burning.
Don’t forget the lid – this helps the rice steam evenly as otherwise the rice on the top may not cook properly.
This recipe uses raisins but feel free to substitute this for your preferred dried fruit or vegetables, such as green peas. You can also use curry powder, in place of turmeric.
The best variety of rice to use is basmati or white, long-grain rice. While you can still use brown rice, it takes longer to cook and simply does not soak up the colour from the turmeric, as much as basmati rice does
STORING AND REHEATING
Refrigerate leftovers as soon as they have cooled down. The leftover rice will keep in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for up to one month.
To use, simply heat using your microwave. Do not reheat rice more than once.
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Ingredients
1/4 cup sultanas
1 teaspooon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
2 cups chicken broth or water or both
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add the butter or oil in a saucepan.
- Wash and rinse rice, then add gently and stir until rice begins to turn opaque.Add sultanas, turmeric, curry, and sugar(optional) 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.
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Ingredients
1/4 cup sultanas
1 teaspooon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
2 cups chicken broth or water or both
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add the butter or oil in a saucepan.
- Wash and rinse rice, then add gently and stir until rice begins to turn opaque.Add sultanas, turmeric, curry, and sugar(optional) 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.