Ghee Rice or Neychoru is a Kerala Style rice dish where rice is cooked with lots of ghee and spices. Here is how to make it.
Rice, it is one of the staple foods that is eaten in every part of India, especially in South Indian and North East households.
It is a versatile food ingredient that is very simple to make and can be paired with any curry or dal of your choice.
You can even experiment by adding your favourite vegetables and spices with rice, to make a delicious Pulav.
While we do serve simple steamed rice most of the times, but there are many Pulav or Mixed Rice recipes that you can try in your kitchen.
One being this simple yet delicious Ghee Rice, that is a popular recipe from South India, especially from Kerala where it is known as neychoru or nei choru.
Soft rice grains cooked along with ghee, nuts and spices, the aroma of this rice recipe will only make you hungry.
You can serve it for your everyday meals along with your favourite curry or dal or can serve it as a side dish with your festive meals.
If you like to make such simple and tasty rice recipes for your meals, then you can also try Hyderabadi Bagara Rice, Restaurant Style Indian Jeera Rice or South Indian Coconut Rice.
What is Ghee Rice?
Also called as Neychoru, it is a flavourful one pot Kerala Style rice which is usually prepared during the festival days or for special occasions.
It is South Indian comfort food that is cooked with basmati rice along with a large dollop of ghee.
Whole spices and nuts are added in the recipe, which make it even more delicious.
You can also add some vegetables like green peas and carrots to make Vegetable Ghee Rice, if you are packing it for your kid’s lunch box.
It is a great way to add vegetables to your kid’s diet.
Here, I have used a pan to make it, but you can also use pressure cooker to make the same.
The recipe takes only 20 minutes to get ready, thus making it great to serve for your weekday meals or to pack in your office/school lunch box.
Ingredients
To make Ghee Rice, you need Long Grain Basmati Rice, Nuts and Spices.
Always make sure that you use Basmati Rice to make this dish, as they are thinner and longer than the traditional rice.
You can also roast rice for 2 minutes before adding the water to get separated and fluffy rice grains.
Coconut milk can also be added as a substitute to water for extra flavour.
For nuts, I have used cashews and raisins, but if you like you can also add some chopped Almonds too.
Roast the cashews until golden brown and raisins until they fluff up before adding other ingredients.
In spices, the use of cardamom, cinnamon, black peppercorns and cloves simply makes it stand out from other rice recipes.
Serving Suggestions
It tastes the best along with a delicious Vegetable Kurma or any other Kurma that you prepare at your home.
You can also serve it along with Chicken and Mutton Curry.
It also makes for great side dish with along with your festive vegetarian curries too.
Just serve it along with some flavourful Raita such as Carrot Raita, Easy Cucumber Raita, Roasted Beetroot Raita, Palak Raita or any other Raita of your choice.
Step by Step Recipe
Wash the rice well 2-3 times. Soak in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Add cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and black peppercorns handle them crackle for a few seconds.
Add cashew nuts and fry until they are slightly browned.
Now add raisins and fry until they plum up.
Add onions and fry until they turn brown.
Drain the rice and add it in the pan along with green chillies, water and salt.
Cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked well.
Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently using a fork. Serve hot.
Ghee Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 2-3 Cloves
- 2-3 Black Peppercorns
- 5-6 Cashew Nuts
- 10-12 Raisins
- 1/2 cup Onion (Sliced)
- 2-3 Green Chillies (Split into half)
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups Water
Instructions
- Wash the rice well 2-3 times.
- Soak in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a pan.
- Add cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and black peppercorns handle them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add cashew nuts and fry until they are slightly browned.
- Now add raisins and fry until they plum up.
- Add onions and fry until they turn brown.
- Drain the rice and add it in the pan along with green chillies, water and salt.
- Cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked well.
- Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice gently using a fork.
- Serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!