Ghee rice is the rich, fragrant cousin of jeera rice — basmati cooked in ghee with whole spices and fried onions, the South Indian default alongside korma, kurma, or any gravy-forward curry. The whole character comes from two things: generous ghee (its nutty milk solids are the point, don't skimp or sub oil), and onions fried slow to deep gold so they turn sweet. Everything else is the standard absorption method. See the Rice Pulao Guide for why each step matters.
Ingredients
Rice and fat
- 1 cup basmati rice (preferably aged)
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 1/2 cups water (or light stock)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Whole spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds
Aromatics and garnish
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons cashews
- 1 tablespoon raisins (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and mint (to finish)
Instructions
Prep the rice
- Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak 20–30 minutes. Drain well — wet grains steam and clump instead of staying separate.
Fry onions, cashews, and spices
- Heat the ghee in a heavy pot over medium. Fry the cashews (and raisins) until golden, then lift them out and set aside for garnish.
- In the same ghee, add the sliced onion and fry slowly, stirring often, until deep golden and sweet — 10–12 minutes. Patience here is most of the flavor; pale onions taste flat. Lift out half for garnish if you like.
- Add the whole spices to the ghee and let them sizzle until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute until the raw smell goes.
Toast and cook
- Add the drained rice and toast gently 1–2 minutes until the grains look translucent at the edges and smell nutty.
- Add the water and salt, stir once, and bring to a boil. Cover, drop to low, and cook undisturbed 12–15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Rest and fluff
- Off the heat, rest covered 5–10 minutes, then fork through gently. Top with the fried cashews, raisins, and herbs. Fluffing straight off the boil breaks grains.
Variations
- Coconut-milk ghee rice — replace 1/2 cup of the water with coconut milk for a richer, South Indian lean (pairs beautifully with kurma).
- Stock instead of water — vegetable or chicken stock deepens it into a near-pulao.
- Festive version — more cashews, raisins, and a pinch of saffron bloomed in warm milk stirred through at the end.
Storage
- Fridge: Up to 4 days in a sealed container.
- Reheat: Sprinkle a little water and microwave covered, or steam, to re-soften.
- Freezer: Up to 2 months; cool fully and freeze flat.
Notes
- Don't skimp on ghee or sub oil — the nutty milk solids are what make it ghee rice. This is the one rice where the fat is the flavor.
- Fry the onions slow and deep — golden and sweet, not pale; this is the second half of the flavor.
- Soak and drain well — the fix for clumpy rice.
- Rest before fluffing — 10 minutes lid-on sets the grains so they fork apart cleanly.
Added Oct 27, 2026 · Updated Oct 27, 2026