By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated October 04, 2026  |  ★ 5.0 (4 reviews) | 6 comments

Sri Lankan yellow rice, or “kaha bath”, is cooked in ghee, cinnamon, cardamom, pandan and turmeric powder.
If you are cooking this Sri Lankan rice for the first time, you are in the right place to learn it. I will guide you through the exact method I use, with step-by-step details.
New to cooking Sri Lankan rice dishes? Start by learning how to cook rice on the stove. I cover the water ratios, mistakes to avoid and more.

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If you try this, I’d love to know how it turned out. Just tap the stars on the recipe card; it helps other cooks find it.

Why this Sri Lankan rice recipe is aromatic and works

• Every ingredient in this yellow rice serves a purpose and is intentional.
• The order of adding the aromatics is important. Frying the whole spices and aromatics and then adding the rice, coating it with ghee, allows the raw rice to absorb and keeps the rice separate and fluffy.
• The perfectly caramelised onions give a contrasting flavour to the yellow rice.

Regional roots and memories of cooking “kaha bath”(yellow rice).

In Sinhala, kaja means yellow and bath means rice, so kaha bath is simply yellow rice.
A platter of yellow rice has always been a festive food. We serve it at weddings, New Year celebrations, birthdays and family get-togethers.
The use of turmeric powder gives the rice its natural colour and earthy taste. The pandan leaf brings the original aroma that Sri Lankan and Asian food have in common.

You’ll love the fragrance that takes over the house as you fry the spices.
It should take you back to your mom’s kitchen, reminding you of forgotten festivities.
Once you make this Sri Lankan yellow rice recipe, you’ll experience how a plain bowl of rice changes into a dish worthy of any occasion.

Ingredients for Sri Lankan yellow rice (kaha bath)

• Coconut oil, ghee, or butter: For a rich, nutty flavour, I would recommend ghee or butter.
• Rice: Keeri samba is the rice used for a traditional yellow rice. It’s a small-grained Sri Lankan rice that cooks up fluffy. Substitute it with a good-quality basmati rice.
• Onions: large red onions, also called Bombay onions in Sri Lanka, sliced thin. 1 large is used to cook the rice, and the rest is fried for garnish.
• Garlic minced
• Pandan leaf and curry leaves: try to find fresh or dried pandan or curry leaves in Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find them, replace with 1 or 2 bay leaves.
• Whole spices: cinnamon stick, cloves and green cardamom pods.
• Turmeric powder
• Salt and water
• Garnishing ingredients (optional): cashews, golden raisins, extra curry leaves.

Common mistakes to avoid while cooking yellow rice.

• Use keeri samba, Basmati or any type of long-grain rice. Avoid using jasmine rice, which turns sticky once cooked.
• Use the correct amount of water for the rice. Use 1 part rice to 2 parts water, 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of water, etc.
• While the rice cooks, use a fork to fluff the rice; this prevents the rice from breaking.
• Avoid constantly stirring the rice as it cooks.
• Keep an eye on the onions as they fry, they burn quickly.

What you will need in the kitchen

• Chopping board and knife to cut the onions, etc
• A large bowl or pan to wash the rice
• Spoon and fork to use on the rice while cooking
• A small frying pan to fry the onions
• A large pan with a lid to cook the rice

How to cook Sri Lankan yellow rice

PHOTO TUTORIAL

Prep the ingredients for the yellow rice

• Have all the spices ready.
• Slice the onions thin and mince the garlic.
• Measure the rice and water: 1 cup rice to 2 cups water for keeri samba, so 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of water.
  Basmati needs a little less, about 3½ cups.

Wash the rice

Wash until the water runs clear; drain and set aside.

Fry the aromatics and whole spices

Set a large cooking pan over a low-medium fire and pour in the oil(substitute with ghee or butter).
Add the sliced onion and garlic, cook for a minute.
Add pandan strips, half the curry leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over low-medium heat.
To avoid the ingredients from burning, stir continuously until the spices release their aroma.
Once you notice the onions turning golden in colour, add the turmeric powder.
Stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Cook the rice

Add the washed and drained rice into the cooking pan.

Over low-medium heat, fry the rice with the spices for 60 seconds.
You can add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee to ease the frying.

Pour in the water(4 cups, the recommended amount of water for 2 cups of rice).
Season with salt.

Cook the rice over a low-medium fire until the water evaporates.
Once the water evaporates and the rice is cooked through, remove the pot of rice from the stove.
Use a fork to fluff the rice.

Fry the garnish

Place a small frying pan over a low-medium fire and pour in the oil or ghee.
Let it heat for 30 seconds and then add the remaining sliced onions.
Let the onions fry until they are golden brown; this should take 7 minutes, depending on the heat used.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the fried onions and place them on kitchen paper towels to drain the excess oil.
If you are garnishing the yellow rice with cashews, raisins and curry leaves, fry them as well for no more than 30 seconds, then transfer them to drain the excess oil. Set aside to drain all excess oil.

Serve

Transfer the rice to a large platter, garnish with the fried onions, followed by cashews and raisins. Serve warm.

What to serve with a yellow rice menu

Yellow rice is the centre of a festive Sri Lankan rice and curry spread. A classic yellow rice menu has one or two meat or seafood curries, a creamy vegetable curry, something sharp and pickled, and a fresh salad. Here are some options.

• Meat dishes that go well with yellow rice
  • Sri Lankan chicken curry
  • My grandmother’s slow-cooked beef curry
  • Beef korma
  • Mild white fish curry(thalapath)
  • Sri Lankan devilled prawns. or devilled chicken
• Vegetarian side dishes
  • Brinjal pahi
  • Wambatu(egg plant)moju
  • Sri Lankan potato curry
  • Sri Lankan Malay pickle
  • Sweet mango curry
• Salads and relishes
  • Pineapple chutney
  • Sri Lankan Malay pickle (achcharu recipe)
  • Pineapple salsa
  • Cucumber salad

Storage, freezing, and Reheating yellow rice

• Refrigerator
  • Let the rice cool and store it in a container. Use within 2 days.
• Freezer
  • Portion the rice if the rice quantity is more than a single or double serving.
  • Transfer it to an airtight container and freeze. Use within 5 days.
• Reheating.
  • Remove the rice from the freezer and let it reach room temperature. This might take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Microwave or cook over low heat to warm the rice. Sprinkle a little water over the rice before heating.
• Avoid food waste.
  • Leftover yellow rice can be made into fried rice.

More rice recipes to try

How to cook rice on the stove
Coconut rice(coconut milk rice recipe)
Ghee rice(nei choru)
Saudi Chicken Kabsa
Mandi rice
Hyderabadi chicken biryani
Chicken fried rice
Egg biryani

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Sri Lankan Yellow Rice (kaha bath)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

ri Lankan yellow rice, or “kaha bath”, is cooked in ghee, cinnamon, cardamom, pandan and turmeric powder.

If you are cooking this Sri Lankan rice for the first time, you are in the right place to learn it. I will guide you through the exact method I use, with step-by-step details.

5.0 Stars (4 Reviews)

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Ingredients

• The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
• 4 tablespoon ghee (substitute with oil or butter)
• 4 large onions sliced thin (used for both cooking and frying as garnish)
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic (about 5 cloves crushed or minced)
• 5″ pandan cut into two (if you are unable to find pandan leaf then substitute with 2 bay leaves)
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves (about 14 leaves, used for tempering as well as fried garnishing).
• 2″ cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 cups of short grain rice (keeri samba, refer above for correct ratio for rice to water, you can also use Basmati rice)
• 4 cups of water
• Salt to season
• To fry the onions
• 1/2 to 1 cup of ghee or oil to fry the onions
• To garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup golden raisins

Instructions

Prep work before making the yellow rice

• Have all the spices ready.
• Slice the onions and mince the garlic.
• Measure the correct amount of water to cook the rice (ratio given above in recipe notes).

Cooking the yellow rice

1. Wash the rice until clear water runs through; drain and set aside.
2. Set a large cooking pan over a low-medium fire and pour in the oil (4 tablespoons; substitute with ghee or butter).

1. Take a handful of the onions, sliced (1 large onion sliced), garlic minced (2 tablespoons, about 5 cloves), and add to the oil.
2. Cook for a minute, then add pandan strips, curry leaves (1/2 of the curry leaves), cinnamon stick (2″ piece), cloves (4), and cardamoms (5).
3. Cook for 2 minutes until you smell the aroma of the spices. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Move the ingredients frequently to avoid burning.
4. Once you notice the onions turning golden in colour, add the turmeric powder (1 teaspoon).
5. Stir the ingredients and cook for 30 seconds.
6. Add the washed and drained rice into the cooking pan.
7. Over low-medium heat, fry the rice with the spices for 60 seconds. You can add 1 tablespoon of oil to ease the frying.
8. Pour in the water(4 cups, the recommended amount of water for 2 cups of rice. Season with salt.
9. Cook the rice over a low-medium fire until the water evaporates.
10. Once the water evaporates and the rice is cooked through, remove the pot of rice from the stove. Use a fork to fluff the rice.

How to fry the onions.

1. Place a small frying pan over a low to medium fire and pour in the oil (1/2 to 1 cup).
2. Let the oil heat for 30 seconds and then add the sliced onions. Let the onions fry until they are golden brown, which should take 7 minutes, depending on the heat used.
3. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the fried onions and place them on kitchen paper towels to drain excess oil.
4. If you are garnishing the yellow rice with cashews and raisins, fry them as well, for no more than 30 seconds, then transfer them to drain the excess oil.
5. Transfer rice to a large platter, garnish with the fried onions, followed by cashews and raisins.
6. Serve warm.

Made this yellow rice (kaha bath)?
I'd love to know how it turned out.
Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a comment; I read every one; it helps other visitors trust the recipe and helps them find me too.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 11gSugar: 16gProtein: 9g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the same way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough that you can follow it too.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.