Rich and fragrant Ghee rice.
Cooked in nutty-flavoured ghee to give a buttery texture and infused with aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, mace, and star anise, this is a platter of warm rice you will not be able to resist.

You can pair the ghee rice with grilled or baked meat, simple raita and chutneys. You can also serve this delicious rice with a few curries. Here are a few options.

What to serve with ghee rice.

• Vegetarian dishes that pair well with ghee rice.
  • potato korma(aloo kurma).
  • Sri Lankan spicy Dry Potato curry(ala theldala)
  • Sri Lankan Malay pickle(achcharu).
  • Mango curry(my grandmother’s recipe)
  • Pineapple chutney(Sri Lankan).
  • Sri Lankan kaliya curry(cooked ash plantain-brinjal curry).
  • Eggplant sweet and sour curry(Sri Lankan brinjal pahi).

• meat curries to pair with this ghee rice recipe.
  • Mughlai chicken(North Indian chicken korma curry).
  • Chicken Chettinad curry with gravy.
  • Slow-cooked Indian beef and potato curry(aloo gosht)
  • beef korma curry(slow-cooked Indian beef curry).
  • Mutton curry(goat curry)

Tips and questions for cooking ghee rice.

• Tips.
  • Ghee, choose the best quality ghee available to you. Yes, it’s expensive, but using ghee instead of oil is what makes this rice a special dish.
  • Use a brand of rice you are familiar with; you can use both basmati and keeri samba to make the ghee rice. There are many varieties of basmati rice as well as brands.
    If you’ve been using a particular brand of basmati, then use the same to cook this ghee rice.
  • Make sure the water-to-rice ratio is correct. Keep in mind that Basmati rice needs less water than regular samba rice.
  • You can use the stovetop or the rice cooker to cook the ghee rice.
  • Using the number of garnishes mentioned here is up to you.
  • You can also leave out the cashews and raisins as garnish if that is your preference.

• Questions.
  • Can I use butter instead of ghee for the recipe?
    • Yes, but I would recommend using ghee always.
    • You need ghee to give the rice its unique taste. Only use butter when you are unable to find ghee.
• Can I turn leftover rice into ghee rice?
  • Yes, you can. I’ve done it a couple of times.
    Simply add the tempered spices and ghee to the rice and combine well.
    This turns your leftover rice into a very aromatic bowl of rice.

What you will need in the kitchen.

• A bowl to wash the rice.
• A large pot to cook the rice.
• A small frying pan to fry the onions and spices.
• 2 smaller bowls covered in paper towels.
• Slotted spoon.
• Serving platter and serving spoon.

More rice recipes.

Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
How to cook rice on the stove.
egg biryani (one-pot rice dish/stove-top)
Chicken mandi rice.
Chicken kabsa(Saudi chicken and rice recipe)

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE IS NEEDED

Ingredients to cook ghee rice.

• Garnishing ingredients.
  • Ghee, also known as clarified butter.
  • Raisins(optional garnish).
  • Chopped cashews(optional garnish).
  • Onions sliced fine.
  • Bay leaf.
  • Cloves and cardamom.
  • Cinnamon
  • Strips of mace
  • Star anise
• Ingredients to cook the ghee rice.
  • Basmati rice or 2 cups of medium grain rice(keeri samba).
  • Water.
  • Salt to season.

step-by-step photo tutorial

How to cook ghee rice.

PREP WORK

• Gather all ingredients needed.
• Slice the onions and set them aside.
• Keeri samba.
  • Rinse the rice a few times, drain and set aside.
• Basmati rice.
  • If using Basmati, rinse the rice thoroughly, then soak the long grains in water for 15 minutes or as directed on the package.
  • Drain and set aside once the soaking is done.

Frying onions and garnishes for ghee rice.

• Place a frying pan over low to medium heat and add ghee to it. Let the ghee melt for a few seconds.
• Separately, shallow-fry the cashews until golden(optional) and raisins until they become plump for a few minutes.
  Transfer to a paper towel-covered bowl.

• Add the sliced onions with a few more ghee spoons if required, and fry them till they are crispy and turn golden brown.

• Transfer to a separate bowl covered with paper towels.

Cooking ghee rice.

Place the large pan over medium heat and transfer any leftover ghee from the frying process of the garnishes and onions to this pan.
Add the whole spices and gently cook them over low heat until they release their aroma; this should take no more than 2-3 minutes.
Make sure not to burn them.
Add two tablespoons of fried onions to the whole spices.

Add the washed and soaked basmati rice.
Combine rice over low heat with all the ingredients in the pan for 3-5 minutes. 

Add water(the amount of water for regular rice and basmati rice given on the ingredient list)or use the amount of water mentioned on the packaging.

Season with salt, cover with a lid and use medium heat to cook the rice until the water is absorbed.
Check the rice once the water is absorbed.
If the rice is still hard(usually in the middle)and needs to cook for a few minutes, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and continue to cook till the water evaporates.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the fire(or the rice will continue to cook)and fluff the rice with a fork.
Allow the rice to rest for 5 minutes without covering it.

Transfer rice to the serving dish and garnish with the leftover onions and raisins, and cashews.

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