Ghee Rice Recipe

Ghee rice is a classic and super aromatic South Indian meal made with rice, Ghee, whole spices, onions, cashews and raisins. It cooks up in a single pot, is kids’ approved and the perfect side dish that goes well with pretty much anything. Forget about the plain rice and make this ghee rice for a quick meal anytime either in a regular pot, traditional cooker or instant pot. I have the instructions for all these methods.

About Ghee Rice

Ghee Rice is a popular South Indian rice dish where rice is sautéed and cooked with pure ghee & whole spices. Later it is garnished with caramelized onions, crunchy ghee fried cashews and sweet raisins. Ghee, a traditional Indian cooking fat is the star of this dish that imparts a nutty aroma and delicious taste.

Apart from being a staple in many South Indian households, this is popular on the restaurant menus, wedding and party menus as well. Ghee rice is usually served with a gravy or curry like vegetable kurma, chicken curry, egg curry and sometimes even with special lentil dish.

There are a few different ways ghee rice is made. In this post I share 2 easy ways to make. The first method is a one pot dish and can be made in a traditional cooker, pot or instant pot. The second method is made with precooked rice where it is tempered with spices and curry leaves.

I can’t justify that one method is better than the other but in fact it is more of what you want to make – a pot meal or use up your precooked rice. But both ways, Ghee rice turns out super delicious!! I am sure you will make this time and again if you ignore the calories in the dish.

You can make ghee rice following the second method for a quick fuss-free meal for your kids. This was my mom’s favorite way to make ghee rice for us.

You can serve this ghee rice
veg kurma
potato kurma
soya chunks kurma
egg kurma
chicken kurma

More one pot rice recipes
Veg pulao
Tomato Rice
Lemon Rice

How to Make Ghee Rice (Stepwise Photos)

1. Wash and soak 1 cup rice for 20 minutes.

2. Add 1½ tablespoon ghee to a cooker or a pot. Next add 14 to 20 cashews and fry till lightly golden. Also add 14 raisins. When they turn plump, remove to a plate and keep them aside. We need them for garnishing.

3. Transfer 1 medium thinly sliced onion to the same pan, fry them evenly stirring often until golden or light brown but not burnt. Remove them to the same plate and keep aside. We need them for garnishing as they add flavor to the rice.

Temper

4. To the same pan, add ½ tablespoon ghee. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon, 3 cardamoms and a strand of mace. Fry for a min. Then add 2 sliced green chilis and fry for a min.

5. Next add drained rice.

6. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring evenly and frying.

7. Add half teaspoon salt. Pour 1¾ cups water if cooking in a cooker. To cook in a pot, pour 2 cups water. Stir and taste test the water. It has to be slightly salty.

8. If cooking in a pot, bring the water to a boil and then regulate the flame to low. Cook covered until the rice is fully cooked. Turn off the heat when done and leave the pot covered for 10 to 15 mins. The heat in the pot will make the rice fluffy.

If making ghee rice in a pressure cooker, Cook for 1 whistle on a medium high flame.

9. When the pressure releases, fluff up the ghee rice with a fork.

Garnish with raisins, cashews, fried onions and coriander leaves.

Pan Fried Ghee Rice (Recipe 2)

This is more like a fried rice, needs only pepper powder and no other spice is used. This makes a good lunch box dish for kids but without egg. I wonder if eggs keep good for so long in kids lunch box.

This can be made without egg or you can even use some of your favorite veggies like carrot, peas, capsicum and beans. I have grown up eating this more often during winters.

Pepper and curry leaves fried in ghee emits a great aroma & taste.

Most times I end up making this for my lunch. We don’t mind having it without any raita or gravy and just love to have it with grated carrot, sliced onions or cucumbers.

If you are a non-vegetarian then you can try this with a hot and spicy andhra chicken fry or a gravy like chicken chettinad or butter chicken.

Ingredients for recipe 2

• ½ cup basmathi rice
• 1 boiled egg (pierce it with a fork randomly) (optional)
• handful of cashews and raisins
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 10 pepper corns (coarsely crushed)
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 1 green chili slit
• 1 to 2 garlic chopped
• Salt to taste

Method
1. Cook rice and cool it completely.
2. Heat a pan with ghee, fry cashews and raisins, set these aside to a plate
3. Add garlic, curry leaves, green chili and egg. fry till the leaves turn crisp
4. Next add coarsely crushed pepper powder and salt, saute
5. Add rice to the pan and mix well. fry for 2 minutes on high
6. Garnish with cashews and raisins just before serving.

Pro Tips

1. Use good quality ghee that has a nice aroma. It is the good quality ghee that brings a unique aroma to the rice. If possible use desi cow’s ghee or at least puree ghee. Avoid using oil.
2. Always rinse the rice well a few times before making ghee rice. This helps to get rid of the excess starch and prevents the rise from turning mushy.
3. Soaking rice for at least 30 mins before cooking helps the rice to expand well & cook up to fluffy grains.
4. Different regions use different kinds of rice to make ghee rice. I make it using aged basmati rice. You can use any other rice of your choice.
5. Frying rice in ghee for 3 to 5 mins is another key step to make perfect ghee rice.

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Ghee rice recipe first published in July 2012. Republished in July 2019. Updated in June 2022.