Ghee rice recipe with step by step photos – ghee rice is an aromatic and delicious one pot rice recipe made with ghee and spices. It is one of the popular rice variety from South Indian cuisine.
Ghee rice is a South Indian variety of rice that goes very well with dals or veg gravies or korma. Its a favorite at home. Whenever I make a simple homely dal, then at times I also make ghee rice to pair with the dal.
Any light based gravies, dals or even a complexly flavored korma or gravy goes well with ghee rice. I have also posted another delicious version of ghee rice from the Kerala cuisine and you can check the recipe here → Nei choru recipe (Kerala style ghee rice recipe).
Tips for making ghee rice
- You can use any variety of rice to make ghee rice. I usually make with basmati rice or seeraga samba rice. Just make sure to use rice which is not sticky and yields separate grains when cooked.
- I have cooked rice in a pan. You can even use a pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, then cook for 2 whistles or for about 7 to 8 minutes on a medium flame.
- You can add more cashews if you want.
- This recipe can be doubled.
You can serve ghee rice with gravy dishes or dals like parippu curry or korma varieties like veg kurma or paneer korma or cauliflower kurma.
How to make ghee rice
Preparation
1. Rinse 1 cup basmati rice in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak the rice grains for 30 minutes in enough water.
2. After 30 minutes, drain the water and keep the soaked rice aside.
3. Before cooking, gather everything and keep aside. The following are the whole spices that we will be adding to ghee rice.
4. Slice 1 medium sized onion and keep aside. Also remove 15 to 18 cashews, 1 tablespoon raisins and keep aside.
Frying dry fruits for ghee rice
5. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a thick bottomed pot or a thick bottomed pan. Keep the flame to a low.
6. Add the cashews first.
7. Saute till you see light brown specks on a few of the cashews.
8. Then add the raisins.
9. Saute till the raisins puff up in the ghee. Do stir continuously while sauteing the raisins and cashews.
10. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
Making ghee rice
11. To the same ghee, add the whole spices and let them crackle and turn fragrant. Do not burn the spices.
12. Then immediately add the sliced onions.
13. Stir and saute till the onions turn golden or caramelize.
14. Now add the soaked rice.
15. Gently stir the rice so that the ghee coats the rice grains well.
16. Now add 1.75 to 2 cups of water. Add water as required, depending on the quality of rice. Some brands of basmati rice need only 1.5 cups of water. So add water accordingly.
17. Season with salt as per taste. I have used ⅓ teaspoon rock salt. If using any other salt, then add as per your taste. Check the water and it should taste a bit salty. In this step 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice can also be added.
Cooking ghee rice
18. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.
19. Simmer till the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed. You can check once or twice while the rice is cooking. If the grains are not cooked and the water looks less, sprinkle a few tablespoons of water all over. Cover and continue to cook.
20. Once the rice grains are cooked, give a standing time of 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid. Fluff the ghee rice gently with a fork.
21. Serve ghee rice hot garnished with fried cashews & raisins and some chopped coriander leaves. Ghee rice tastes so good, that you can even have it plain also. Ghee rice goes well with gravy based dishes or with dals or korma varieties like veg kurma or potato korma. While serving, you can even use some mint leaves for garnish instead of coriander leaves.
More delicious rice recipes
Ghee Rice
INGREDIENTS
main ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice or 190 grams basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 15 to 18 cashews
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 50 grams onion, thinly sliced or ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1.75 to 2 cups water, add water as required
- ⅓ teaspoon rock salt or add as required
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) for garnish
whole spices
- 1.5 inches cinnamon
- 3 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 2 single strands of mace
- 4 to 5 whole black pepper
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation
- Rinse 1 cup basmati rice in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak the rice grains for 30 minutes in enough water.
- After 30 minutes, drain the water and keep the soaked rice aside.
- Before cooking, gather all the ingredients and keep aside - the whole spices, cashews and raisins.
- Slice 1 medium sized onion and keep aside.
frying dry fruits
- Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a thick bottomed pot or a thick bottomed pan. Keep the flame on a low.
- Now add the cashews first. Saute till you see light brown specks on a few of the cashews.
- Then add the raisins. Saute till the raisins puff up in the ghee. Do stir continuously while sauteing the raisins and cashews.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
making ghee rice
- To the same ghee, add the whole spices and let them crackle and turn fragrant. Do not burn the spices.
- Then immediately add the sliced onions.
- Stir and saute till the onions turn golden or caramelize.
- Now add the soaked rice.
- Gently stir the rice so that the ghee coats the grains evenly.
- Now add 1.75 to 2 cups of water. Add water as required depending on the quality of rice. Some brands of basmati rice need only 1.5 cups of water. So add water accordingly.
- Season with salt as per taste. I have used 1/3 teaspoon rock salt. If using any other salt, then add as per your taste. Check the water and it should taste a bit salty.
cooking ghee rice
- Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.
- Simmer till the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed. You can check once or twice while the rice is cooking. If the grains are not cooked and the water looks less, sprinkle a few tablespoons of water all over. Cover and continue to cook.
- Once the rice grains are cooked, give a standing time of 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.
- Serve ghee rice hot garnished with fried cashews & raisins and some chopped coriander leaves. It tastes so good, that you can even have it plain without any accompanying curry or dal or kurma.
NOTES
- You can even use a pressure cooker to make ghee rice. If using a pressure cooker, then cook for 2 whistles or for about 7 to 8 minutes on a medium flame.
Thanks Dassana for the tasty recipe. I have been a regular visitor to your website since 8 years. I have enjoyed most of your recipes- reading and making the dish. The recipes are written in a simple yet descriptive manner. My family has relished them every time. Way to go!
thank you very much neetha. felt good to read your comment. thanks again and wish you all the best. happy cooking.
Excellent!
thank you.
Cooked for the first time since my wife was unwell.The recipe was simple and my kids refuse to let my wife cook anymore.thank you.
welcome ashok. glad to see the rating and the feedback on ghee rice recipe. hope your wife recovers soon. all the best.
Very nice. I tried many recipes and really it came so yummy…Thanks a lot…
thanks veena for letting me know. welcome and happy cooking.
I’ve been following your recipes ever since I moved out for college. This is one of my favourites! To make it simpler, I don’t roast the cashews or raisins separately, but just allow them to cook with the rice. Really yummy. I served it with a simple kurma and papppadum and pickle.
thanks a lot. yes, that can be done. both cashews and raisins can be cooked with rice. cashews when cooked with rice give a really good flavor. happy cooking.
Thank you so much for posting so delicious recipes. Your website is a life saver for me. I never cook anything without looking for the recipes at ur blog first. My MIL is si impressed with my recipes.
All thanks to you
thank you farha for sharing this lovely feedback. glad to know that the recipes are helping you. happy cooking ????
Hello, when you say you can cook this rice in the pressure cooker, does it come out nice and fluffy like it does cooking the conventional way? Which way do you prefer? Also I want to cook this in an electric pressure cooker, so would I use high pressure or low? Should I release the pressure right away or let it sit first? How long before I open the lid? Love your recipes!
in a pressure cooker the rice can turn out slightly sticky. to avoid this rinse the rice very well in water till the water is clear of all the starch. i prefer both. usually i cook plain steamed rice and pulao in a pressure cooker.
i have not used an insta cooker. so i cannot tell exactly how the rice has to be cooked. but i guess you can use high pressure and let the pressure be there before opening the lid. also give a time of at least 7 to 8 minutes before you open the lid.
I’ve always loved eating ghee rice. but never knew how to make it. when I saw ur recipe I was super thrilled. made it for my sister-in-law’s in-laws. it turned out to be so good, they packed d leftover rice to carry with them!!!
thank u so much?
welcome nandini glad to know you liked the ghee rice recipe. thank you for your kind and positive words.
very nice it was
I tried
thank you shruthi 🙂 for your positive feedback.