Yellow Rice Recipe with Potato (One Pot, Done in 30 Minutes)

I made this yellow rice with potato for lunch because I wanted a quick lunch that is filling and tasty, too.

I made it using just one pot; the spice base did most of the work, and I cooked the potatoes right in with the rice.

And I made this for three people with 400g of rice, and it was enough.

Ingredients

For the Rice and Potatoes

• 400g basmati rice (soaked 30 to 60 minutes before cooking)
• 200g potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 2 cups water for the rice (same cup used to measure the rice)
• 100ml water for half-cooking the potatoes

For the Spice Base

• 70ml oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder (I go full on this; adjust to your taste)
• Less than half a tbsp salt

To Finish

• Fresh coriander leaves

Soak the Rice First

You have to wash the rice and leave it soaking in water for 30 to 60 minutes before you start cooking.

But you can also skip this and cook it dry; soaked rice cooks faster, uses less water, and the grains come out separate without sticking.

Since this is a quick lunch recipe, soaking ahead is what makes it quick when you start.

Cut the Potatoes Small

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces, not large chunks.

If the potato pieces are too thick, they’ll still feel hard in the center when the rice around them is fully cooked.

Small pieces (roughly 1 to 1.5 inches) make sure everything finishes at the same time.

You can add other vegetables here too; capsicum, broccoli, and peas all work, but I only used potatoes.

Make the Spice Base

You want to pour 70ml of oil into your cooking pot on medium heat.

Wait around 40 seconds until the raw oil smell fades, then add the sliced onion and cumin seeds.

Keep stirring until the onion turns golden brown.

Once the onion is golden, add the chopped tomato, red chilli powder, turmeric, and salt, and cook on medium to high flame, stirring regularly.

After about 7 minutes, the spice base will start releasing oil at the sides and surface of the pot.

That’s when it’s ready, but don’t add the potatoes before you see that oil releasing, because undercooked spices make the whole dish taste raw.

Cook the Potatoes Before the Rice Goes In

Add the potato pieces into the spice base along with 100ml of water.

Cover the pot and cook on medium flame until the potatoes are about half done, which means a knife goes in, but they still feel firm in the center.

It’ll take around 8 to 10 minutes.

If you don’t want to do this in two steps, you can add the potatoes and rice together from the start.

But make sure the potato pieces are cut thin and double the water.

The risk with the combined method is that larger pieces stay hard even when the rice is done, so thin cuts are important.

Once the potatoes are half done, drain the soaked rice and add it into the pot with 2 cups of water.

I use the same cup I used to measure the rice, so the ratio stays consistent. Stir everything together so the rice picks up the spice base and colors properly.

Cover and cook on medium flame for 15 minutes.

After that, drop the flame to low and leave it for another 5 minutes without lifting the lid.

Then open it, add fresh coriander on top, and it’s ready.

What to Eat This With

I serve it directly from the pot and eat it just like that, no sides needed.

But if you want something alongside, you can make a quick tomato chutney; it tastes really good with this.

You have to blend 1 medium tomato with a pinch of red chilli and salt; that’s it.

It just takes 2 minutes and gives you a tangy flavor that cuts through the spiced rice.

Adding Protein to This

The potatoes make this filling enough, but if you want to turn it into a bigger meal, you can do a few other things.

You can add eggs; for that, you have to crack 2 or 3 eggs into the pot right after you add the rice, stir them in, and they’ll scramble through as everything cooks.

You don’t get distinct egg pieces, just protein distributed through the whole rice, which works better for this kind of dish.

Besides this, boneless chicken is the other one that fits for this Yellow rice recipe.

You have to cut it into small pieces and add it when the potatoes go into the spice base, not when the rice goes in.

It will cook through in the same time as the potatoes and pick up the spice base properly.

Bone-in pieces take too long for this method, so avoid those.

Canned chickpeas are the quickest; you have to drain them, rinse them, and throw them in at the same time as the rice.

They just need to heat through, so no extra time needed and the texture holds.

What to Do With Leftovers

You can fry this yellow rice the next day.

Just heat a little oil in a pan on high flame, add the cold leftover rice, crack an egg or two over it, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

The turmeric and spices will carry over, and the whole thing will become a proper fried rice without any extra effort.

It’s better than most fried rice recipes that start from scratch.

If you’re just reheating it as is, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water per portion, cover the pot, and heat on low.

That water will create enough steam to bring the rice back without making it wet. Plus, you can add fresh coriander right before eating.

It will stay fine in the fridge for 2 days.

Tips to Make Yellow Rice with Potatoes

If the rice turns out wet and clumpy, it means you’ve added too much, or the lid came off too early.

That’s why I recommend you keep it on the gas stove for 5 minutes, on low flame, at the end. If you’ve already opened it and the rice is still wet, put the lid back and leave it on low for another 5 minutes.

If the potatoes are hard when the rice is done, the pieces were too thick.

For the current batch, pull the potatoes out and microwave them for 2 minutes, then mix them back in.

If there’s a crust forming at the bottom, it means the flame was too high once the water was absorbed.

So, after the water is gone and the steam phase starts, you need to keep the pot on low heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes yellow rice yellow?

Turmeric; that’s the only thing that makes rice yellow. I don’t use food coloring or saffron.

And only one tablespoon of turmeric powder is enough to turn a pot of rice deep yellow.

Can I cook the potatoes and rice at the same time without the half-cooking step?

Yes, you have to add both together with double the water and cut the potatoes thin (around half an inch thick or smaller).

Does soaking the rice make a big difference here?

It does for the timing and texture; soaked rice cooks in 15 to 20 minutes, and the grains separate well.

Unsoaked rice needs about 20 to 25 minutes and more water, and the grains are more likely to clump.

Since this is a quick lunch, I always soak ahead even if it’s just for 30 minutes.

What vegetables can I add besides potato?

Capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, and peas all work.

If you’re thinking of using harder vegetables like cauliflower, treat them the same as potatoes and half-cook them first in the spice base.

For softer ones like capsicum or peas, add them in when the rice goes.

How do I know when the spice base is ready before adding the potatoes?

You’ll notice oil has started separating and collecting at the sides and surface of the pot, and the mixture looks drier and more fried.

This happens at around 7 minutes on medium to high flame.

Don’t move past this step too early because undercooked masala will change the whole flavor of the dish.

Can I use a different oil?

Any neutral oil works. I used mustard oil, so you can use that; also, you can use sunflower or vegetable oil.

But don’t use anything with a strong flavor of its own because the turmeric and spice base are already handling all the flavor here.

How do I measure the water if I don’t have a cup?

Use whatever you measured the rice with. I weighed 400g of rice using a standard cup, so I use those same 2 cups for the water.

If you’re measuring by weight, the rough ratio for soaked basmati is about 1:1.2 water to rice (a little less than the double ratio because the grains absorbed water during soaking).

Can I make this ahead and reheat it?

Yes, it reheats well; plus, add a small splash of water before reheating on the stove on low heat with a lid on.