Ney Choru with Kaima Rice

Updated: May 19, 2024, By Swasthi

Ney Choru translates to ghee rice & is one of the classic dishes from Kerala cuisine. It is very popular and is mostly served with chicken curry, mutton curry, kadala curry and even with egg roast. It is the Jeerakasala rice, a small grain fragrant rice that makes Malabar ney choru special – aromatic and delicious.

For the uninitiated, Ney choru is a traditional one-pot Kerala rice dish where jeerakasala rice is cooked with a generous amount of ghee and whole spices like star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. It is garnished with ghee fried cashew nuts, raisins and golden fried onions (biryani onions).

About Nei Choru

The dish turns out super aromatic, rich and anyone who tastes this will instantly fall in love with it. Though ingredients like whole spices and ghee contribute to the flavors, it is the Jeerakasala rice which plays the key role in taking it to the next level.

This kind of rice is more popular locally in the Malabar region, where ghee rice and biryani are made using this rice. This short grain rice has a unique aroma and is a quick cook rice that gets cooked in a short time. If you do not have Jeerakasala rice, you can also make this using any other premium rice variety.

Many years ago during our trips to Kerala we were introduced to this rice and we instantly looked out for it when we were back in Singapore. I could find it easily in Indian grocery stores and have been using it for a few years now. I use the same rice to make our Malabar biryani.

This recipe is not forgiving so I wouldn’t suggest making any changes like cutting down the amount of spices or ghee. If you don’t have this kind of rice, you may check out this South Indian restaurant style Ghee rice recipe that uses basmati rice.

You may like to check out these side dishes to serve with Ney choru
Kerala Chicken Curry
Kadala Curry
Egg Roast
Mutton Curry
Goat Curry (Chettinad style
)

jeerakasala rice kaima rice

Photo Guide

How to make Ney Choru (Stepwise Photos)

1. Bring 2 ½ cups water to a boil in a pot. On another stove/burner, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons ghee in a pot or cooker. Fry ¼ to ½ cup split cashews until slightly golden.

2. Add ¼ cup raisins and saute until they turn plump. Remove the fried cashews and raisins to a plate and set aside.

frying dry fruits for ney choru

3. Add ½ cup sliced onions and fry until golden, stirring often to light brown them evenly. Do not over fry else they burn and taste bitter. Remove them to the plate and keep aside. Pour back as much ghee as possible to the pot or pan (from the onions).

frying onions for ney choru

4. To the same pan, add 1 star anise, ½ teaspoon saunf (fennel seeds), 1 bay leaf, 2 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 cardamom and 3 to 4 cloves.

frying spices

5. Add ¼ cup sliced onions and saute until golden.

frying onions

6. Add ¾ teaspoon ginger garlic paste and saute just for 1 minute, until aromatic but not burnt.

frying ginger garlic paste for ney choru

Cook rice

7. Add 1 ½  cups rinsed and drained kaima rice. This rice doesn’t need any soaking.

roasting rice for ney choru

8. Saute for about 2 mins stirring evenly. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt.

adding salt for ney choru

9. Pour boiling water.

pouring hot water

10. Stir and taste test. The water should taste slightly salty. If needed add more. Regulate the flame to medium.

11. Cover and cook until the water is absorbed. I used pressure cooker lid to cover. It doesn’t whistle since the water will be absorbed very soon. It takes about 5 to 8 mins for the rice to be done depending on the kind of pot/ pan used.

cooking ney choru with kaima rice

13. Open the lid and fluff up the rice and check if the rice is done. If the rice is still under cooked sprinkle little warm water and mix. Switch off the stove. Cover again and rest for 5 mins.

fluffy kaima rice

14. Garnish nei choru with cashews and raisins. Serve nei choru with chicken curry, mutton curry, kadala curry or any vegetable gravy.

kerala ney choru made with kaima rice

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

kerala nei choru

Ney Choru | Nei Choru

4.96 from 25 votes
Ney choru is one of the basic rice dishes from Kerala cuisine made with ghee, dry fruits, nuts & kaima rice. Serve it with any veg or non-veg curry.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 1 ½ cups rice (Jeerakasala / kaima or basmati)
  • 2 ½ cups water hot (use more if using different rice)
  • ¼ cup ghee (can reduce to 3 tbsps)
  • ½ cup onions sliced for garnish
  • ¼ cup onions sliced , for rice
  • ¾ tsp ginger paste (for flavour)
  • ¼ to ½ cup cashews
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 1 star anise / biryani flower
  • ½ tsp saunf / fennel seeds
  • 1 bay leaf / tej patta
  • 4 cloves / laung
  • 2 inch cinnamon sticks
  • Salt as needed
  • Green chilies slit (optional)


Instructions

Preparation

  • Wash rice a few times and drain. If using jeerakasala rice, soaking is not needed. If using basmati soak it for about 30 mins. Drain completely.
  • Make a paste of ginger and if desired you can also crush green chili along with it. Slice the onions.
  • Bring 2 ½ cups water to a boil. Meanwhile carry on with the next steps.
  • Heat ghee and fry the cashews. When they are about to be golden, add raisins and saute until they swell up. Remove them to a plate.
  • In the same pan, fry onions stirring continuously until golden. Transfer these as well to a plate. Fried onions, cashews and raisins are for garnish.

How to make ney choru

  • In the same pot or pan, add the spices and saute until they turn fragrant. Take care not to burn.
  • Add onions and fry until golden.
  • Add ginger paste and saute just for a while.
  • Add drained rice and fry for 2 to 3 mins on a medium flame. Be gentle while stirring else the rice the break.
  • Add salt and pour the hot water.
  • Stir gently and check salt. If needed add more.
  • Regulate the flame to medium.
  • Cover and cook until all the water is absorbed. It takes about 5 to 8 mins depending on the kind of pot used.
  • When the water is absorbed completely fluff up the rice. If the rice is under cooked, sprinkle some water and cook.
  • Switch off and keep the rice covered for another 5 mins.
  • Garnish ney choru with fried onions, cashews and raisins.


Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Ney Choru | Nei Choru
Amount Per Serving
Calories 585 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 23mg1%
Potassium 335mg10%
Carbohydrates 91g30%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin C 3.6mg4%
Calcium 56mg6%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi

Iโ€™m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโ€™s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Hi I bought this jeera kasala rice from my local Indian rice.Could you plz clarify if its same as chitti muthyalu rice?

5 stars
HI swasthi,

Can this recipe be also made in insta pot?

I am thinking the water to rice ratio will be increased by 1.5 cups owing to the cook pot taking up water to steam up the rice as well? Please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks
devi

5 stars
Hi Ms. Swasthi,
I made Ney Chor yesterday and it was out of the world. Thanks for sharing the recipe and please continue to give people like me your awesome recipes.
Thanks Again!!!

Stay Safe Stay Healthy
Ram

Than

5 stars
Swasthi’s recipes always turn out perfectly. The measurements are so accurate that you just have to follow the recipe without any worries. Till date Swasthis Recipes has never ever disappointed. Thanks for bringing so much joy to my dinner table.

5 stars
Hi Swasthi,
My mouth was watering as I was going through the recipe and it turned out to be delicious. My husband and my mom loved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

Hi swasthi,
Tried this recipe today and it turned fabulous…thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes….

4 stars
Hi…when you say add hot water to.cook the rice, should it be boiling hot water.
Also is it ok to add water at room temperature?
Thanks
Nisha

Hi Swasthi. Great recipes on your blog. Made so many of them. Can you please tell me for this ghee rice recipe with jeeera rice, what should be the rice to water ratio?

Hi Swasthi,

Is kaima rice same as seeraga samba rice?

5 stars
Hi , I love your vegetarian recipes .But everytime I try to pin the recipe I like I get a response that I cannot pin a recipe and I have been blocked by the pinner ..Kindly let me know.