Ghee Rice Recipe

Ghee rice is a delicious, rich and flavorful south Indian rice dish with fragrant rice, ghee or clarified butter and whole spices. It is a vegetarian gluten free recipe. This is popularly known as neychoru recipe in south India. Nei means ghee and choru means rice.

This ghee rice recipe is super easy to make and you need very few ingredients. It has a wonderful subtle yet rich flavor. It is delicately spiced and goes very well as side dish in both Indian and continental meals.

Traditionally this rich rice dish is served with spicy curries and a raita.

Rice is the main and staple food in south India. Apart from serving steamed rice with sambar, rasam or curries there are also many special rice dishes served during special occasions.

This neychoru is one such recipe made with fragrant rice varieties like jeeraga samba or basmati rice. Unlike biryani or pulao, this is a very simple recipe with minimum prep work and easy to make for a crowd.

Ghee rice is a flavorful south Indian rice recipe in the same lines of pilaf but without vegetables. It is a very simple preparation of sautéing whole spices and rice in desi ghee and cook it into fluffy rice dish.

Ghee Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2-3 cloves

2-3 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

2 cups water

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for about 20-30 minutes, then drain.

Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.

Add the sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.

Add the drained rice to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes until the rice grains are coated with ghee and lightly toasted.

Pour in the water and add salt to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the rice simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork and remove from heat. Let it sit covered for a few minutes to steam.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves if desired and serve hot with your favorite curry or side dish.

Enjoy your delicious ghee rice.