Topic: Colouring rice

[RubyDoo]

I am not talking about the red / green etc flecks.

I mean an all over colour. I like my pilau to be a nice yellow colour all over whether or not i put the specks in too. Kasmiri masala oil will help with this but ..........

Is it best to add food colouring to the water or, as i have been doing, colour with a little turmeric. Just slightly concerned that the turmeric alters the flavour albeit it is still yummy. 

[curryhell]

If you want your pilau rice yellow then why not simply add the tiniest bit of yellow powder food colouring (no flavour at all) to the water before you cook using your normal method.  And i wouldn't have thought the small amount of  turmeric needed to colour rice would affect the overall flavour anyway, given the use of the whole spices that are normally used.

[vinders]

Hi, I had a vegetable rice in a restaurant at the weekend and it was uniformly yellow. I couldn't taste any turmeric at all and am pretty sure they will have added some food colouring to the water the rice was cooked in.

[RubyDoo]

Thanks both. May try the food colour by trial and error. Just thought it may take quite a bit to get the same effect as the Turmeric.

[curryhell]

Thanks both. May try the food colour by trial and error. Just thought it may take quite a bit to get the same effect as the Turmeric.

Powdered food colouring is very strong indeed compared to the bottled liquid stuff.  Use with caution and fine tune to your liking  ;D

[vinders]

I concur with Curryhell. If using powder try covering just the tip of a knife and add to the water, if you're after a deeper yellow you can then always add more.

[Peripatetic Phil]

If I were going to use turmeric (which I would not), I would bhoon it first; raw turmeric has a very unpleasant earthy flavour which disappears on bhooning.

** Phil.

[Curryking32000]

I am not talking about the red / green etc flecks.

I mean an all over colour. I like my pilau to be a nice yellow colour all over whether or not i put the specks in too. Kasmiri masala oil will help with this but ..........

Is it best to add food colouring to the water or, as i have been doing, colour with a little turmeric. Just slightly concerned that the turmeric alters the flavour albeit it is still yummy. 

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[Stephen Lindsay]

I've used turmeric in the past with no after effects and always a nice shade of yellow. Try one teaspoon in a large saucepan full of water and rice.

[RubyDoo]

I am not talking about the red / green etc flecks.

I mean an all over colour. I like my pilau to be a nice yellow colour all over whether or not i put the specks in too. Kasmiri masala oil will help with this but ..........

Is it best to add food colouring to the water or, as i have been doing, colour with a little turmeric. Just slightly concerned that the turmeric alters the flavour albeit it is still yummy. 

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