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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Rice » Kerala Style Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru)

    Published: Jun 21, 2022 | Last Updated On: Jul 12, 2023 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Kerala Style Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru)

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    Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru) is a Kerala-style rice dish where rice is cooked with lots of ghee and spices. This dish is perfect to serve as a side dish with your everyday meals. Here is how to make it (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Ghee rice served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About Ghee Rice
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Ghee Rice
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About Ghee Rice

    Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru) is a flavourful one-pot Kerala-style rice dish that is made using white rice, ghee, and a few spices. It is especially popular in the Malabar region of Kerala.

    This simple rice dish comes together quickly using a few simple ingredients. It is served for everyday meals, special occasions, and festivals with curries and lentils.

    Nei choru is also great to pack for school or office lunch boxes.

    Any Malayali mess you go to, neychoru will be on their menu served along with prawn roast, kurma, or stew.

    This perfect ghee rice recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free and can be easily doubled or tripled.

    I like to make it in a pan over the stovetop but you can also make it in a traditional pressure cooker or instant pot. I have mentioned the processes below.

    Use a 3-liter pressure cooker or a 6-quart instant pot to make neychoru recipe. If scaling the recipe, then use a bigger cooker (or instant pot). The time of cooking will remain the same.

    Here are some more rice recipes that you may like

    • Tahri
    • Hyderabadi Bagara Rice
    • Restaurant Style Indian Jeera Rice
    • South Indian Tomato Rice
    • South Indian Lemon Rice
    • South Indian Coconut Rice
    • Black Pepper Rice
    • Vegetable Masala Khichdi
    • Chicken Pulao
    • Ellu Sadam

    Ingredients

    Ghee rice ingredients 1
    Ghee rice ingredients 2

    Rice – This dish is traditionally made using Jeera Samba rice (seeraga samba rice). It is short-grain rice and is very flavorful. Having said that, I like to make it with long-grain basmati rice or even sona masuri rice.

    Ghee – This is the key ingredient that adds a nice aroma to this dish. Use the best quality ghee for the best taste and flavor.

    Spices – You will need aromatic spices like green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), black peppercorns (kali mirch), and cloves (laung). Lightly crush them in a mortar and pestle for the best flavor.

    You can also add bay leaf, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and star anise to this recipe.

    Others – You will also need onions, green chillies, cashew nuts, raisins, salt, and water.

    Adjust the green chilies as per your taste. If making it for kids, you can skip them too.

    How To Make Ghee Rice

    Rinse 1 cup of white rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.

    Soaked white rice.

    Heat 3 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat.

    Ghee heating in a pan.

    Once the ghee is hot, add 5-6 whole cashew nuts and fry until they are light brown in color. Stir frequently while frying.

    Cashew nuts added to the pan.

    Now add 10-12 raisins to the pan and fry until they plump up.

    raisins added to the pan.

    Remove the cashew nuts and raisins to a bowl and keep them aside.

    Removing fried cashew nuts and raisins from the pan.

    Add

    • 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
    • 2 whole green cardamoms
    • 2-3 cloves
    • 2-3 whole black peppercorns

    and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.

    Whole spices added to the pan.

    Add ½ cup thinly sliced onions to the pan and fry until they turn dark brown in color (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.

    Onions added to the pan.
    Onions fried until dark brown in color.

    Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan along with

    • 2-3 green chilies (slit into half)
    • 2 cups of water
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • fried cashews and raisins

    Stir gently.

    Rice, chilies, salt, water and fried cashew nuts and raisins added to the pan.

    Reduce the heat to low.

    Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked well.

    Pan covered with a lid.

    Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.

    pan removed from the heat.

    Fluff the rice gently using a fork and serve hot. You can also garnish the rice with chopped coriander leaves and crispy fried onions.

    Ready ghee rice fluffed with a fork.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use leftover rice to make ghee rice?

    Yes, you can! Heat ghee in a pan. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins and keep them aside. Add the whole spices and saute for 3-4 seconds. Add onions, and green chilies, and fry until onions are golden brown in color. Now add the cooked rice, salt, and fried cashew nuts and raisins and toss well to coat the rice with the ghee. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve hot.

    How to make easy ghee rice recipe in a pressure cooker?

    Follow the recipe until adding water to a 3-liter pressure cooker. Pressure cook the rice for 2 whistles on high heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and fluff the rice.

    How to make nei choru in an instant pot?

    Press SAUTE button on a 6-quart instant pot and follow the recipe until adding rice to the pot.

    Now add 2-3 green chilies (slit into half), 1 cup of water, ½ teaspoon salt, and fried cashew nuts and raisins. Stir gently.

    Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.

    Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure.

    Once the timer goes off, do a 10-minute NPR followed by QPR.

    Open the lid and fluff the rice using a fork. Serve hot.

    Variations

    Coconut Ghee Rice – You can cook the rice in thin coconut milk instead of water or add grated fresh coconut to the recipe.

    Vegetable Neychoru – You can also add some vegetables like green peas, potatoes, french beans, and carrots to make vegetable ghee rice.

    Fruits Ghee Rice – Just like vegetables, you can even add fruits such as mangoes, pineapple, or pomegranate.

    Nuts Loaded Nei Choru – Along with raisins and cashews, add more dried nuts such as pistachios, almonds, etc, or dry fruits like cranberries, apricots, etc.

    Egg Ghee Rice – Scramble an egg and mix it up with the cooked rice.

    Serving Suggestions

    Ghee flavored rice tastes the best along with a delicious Vegetable Kurma or any other Kurma that you prepare at your home.

    You can also serve this aromatic rice along with any spicy curry like Tomato Chicken Curry, Bihari Chicken Curry, or Punjabi Mutton Curry.

    Ghee Rice also makes for a great side dish along with your festive vegetarian curries.

    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.

    Storage Suggestions

    Ghee Rice stays good in the fridge for about 2-3 days. While reheating if you find it a little dry, sprinkle a little water and heat it properly.

    You can either reheat it in a pan or in the microwave.

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    Recipe Card

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    Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru) is a Kerala style rice dish where rice is cooked with lots of ghee and spices. This dish is perfect to serve as a side dish with your everyday meals. Here is how to make it.

    Ghee Rice Recipe (Nei Choru, Neychoru)

    Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru) is a Kerala style rice dish where rice is cooked with lots of ghee and spices. This dish is perfect to serve as a side dish with your everyday meals. Here is how to make it.
    4.34 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Soaking Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 399kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cup white rice
    • 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
    • 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
    • 2 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
    • 2-3 cloves (laung)
    • 2-3 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
    • 5-6 whole cashew nuts
    • 10-12 raisins
    • ½ cup thinly sliced onions
    • 2-3 green chilies (slit into half)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups water
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    Instructions

    • Rinse rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
    • Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat.
    • Once the ghee is hot, add cashew nuts and fry until they are light brown in color. Stir frequently while frying.
    • Now add raisins to the pan and fry until they plump up.
    • Remove the cashew nuts and raisins to a bowl and keep them aside.
    • Add cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, and black peppercorns, and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
    • Add onions to the and fry until they turn dark brown in color (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
    • Drain the rice and add it to the pan along with green chilies, water, salt, and fried cashew nuts and raisins. Stir gently.
    • Reduce the heat to low.
    • Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes 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.
    • Garnish with chopped cilantro and crispy fried onions and serve hot.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpuV-EBv658

    Notes

    This dish is traditionally made using Jeera Samba rice. It is short-grain rice and is very flavorful. Having said that, I like to make it with long-grain basmati rice or even sona masuri rice.
    The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
    Use a 3-liter pressure cooker or a 6-quart instant pot to make neychoru recipe. If scaling the recipe, then use a bigger cooker (or instant pot). The time of cooking will remain the same.
    Adjust the green chilies as per your taste. If making it for kids, you can skip them too.
    To make it using leftover rice, heat ghee in a pan. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins and keep them aside. Add the whole spices and saute for 3-4 seconds. Add onions, and green chilies, and fry until onions are golden brown in color. Add the cooked rice, salt, and fried cashew nuts and raisins and toss well to coat the rice with the ghee. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
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