Ghee Rice How To Make Ghee Rice Neychoru

About the recipe

Ghee rice is a very popular, classic, and aromatic rice recipe in Kerala called Neychoru, Nei Sadam or Nei Choru (Malabar Style Rice ) and coastal Karnataka (Mangalore and Udupi region) and is mainly prepared during special occasions and events. Ghee rice is made by sauteing and cooking the rice in ghee and aromatic spices. Ghee (brown butter) is the star of the dish. This rice can be served alone or with any curry like vegetable korma (kurma) or gravy of your choice. It goes well almost with anything and everything 🙂 It is believed that by offering ghee or bhog prepared in ghee, devotees are believed to be blessed with good health. The ghee rice recipe that I am sharing today is a no-onion no-garlic version and the best I have had till date. Yes, the best because my master chef (hubby), who was influenced by my rice series, took some time from his busy schedule and prepared this dish, and he always cooks any dish to perfection. There are a number of variations to the ghee-rice recipes online, but if you really want to impress someone, then do try out the method given below. I can guarantee that you can never go wrong with this simple dish. Also, I have given instructions for both stovetop (traditional method) and instant pot. Pick your favorite. Also this one of the best recipe for your lunch box or tiffin box.

Navratri No onion No garlic Rice Series

I hope you guys are enjoying the rice series as much as I am. This is my 8th rice dish for Navratri. If you have not yet checked the first seven rice recipes click on these links (prasdam recipes for goddess lakshmi)

Rice Kesari bath Curd Rice Puliyogare Coconut Rice Jaggery Rice Lemon Rice Moong Dal Khichdi

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati Rice (any aromatic rice)1 tablespoon Ghee (brown butter)1 Bay leaf2 Cardamom pods2 Cloves1 inch Cinnamon1 Star Anise (optional)1 Marati moggu (optional)½ teaspoon Cumin seedsSalt to taste

Other Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoon Ghee (Brown butter)½ teaspoon Cumin seeds1 tablespoon Cashews chopped½ cup Green peas (frozen)½ cup Sweet corn (frozen)1 Green chile chopped

How to make Perfect and Best Ghee Rice at home?

Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Add uncooked rice and saute for 2 minutes on medium flame to get a nice aroma. Add bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, marati moggu, cumin seeds, salt to taste, 1 ½ cup of water, and bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid once the rice comes to a boil, and simmer on medium-low flame for 10 to 12 minutes or until rice is cooked through. In another pan, heat 1 ½ tablespoon of ghee. Add cumin seeds and cashews and saute for a few seconds. Add chopped green chile, green peas, and sweet corn and continue to saute for another 2 or 3 minutes on medium flame. Add cooked rice and lightly toss until combined. Ghee Rice is ready. Serve and enjoy.

Expert Tips

First, use nice aromatic rice like basmati or jeera to prepare ghee rice. Plus, make sure the rice is not sticky, and when cooked, it’s easy to separate the grains. To make it traditional Kerala style neychoru, use Kaima rice or seeraga samba rice. Use whole garam masala spices that are available in your pantry. Be careful when using spices, as too much can ruin the dish. You are adding it only to enhance the flavor. Do not add any oil to prepare this dish. Make it only with desi ghee or butter. You only have to follow two steps to prepare Ghee Rice. The first step is to saute basmati rice in ghee and add the spices and water and cook the rice. The ratio for rice to water is 1 cup rice and 1 ½ cup water. While cooking the rice, always bring it to boil and then cover it with a lid and simmer on low flame for 10 to 12 minutes. The amount of rice to water varies depdning on the brand of the rice and altitude of place you stay. Add ghee, cumin seeds, and cashews to another pan for an additional crunch. To this, add frozen green peas and sweet corn, green chili for additional taste, and saute. Adding peas and corn is optional, but if you have them in your freezer, then add them to the dish as it will not only make your rice look beautiful but also takes it to the next level 🙂

Instant Pot Ghee Rice

Press the SAUTE button and add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the inner steel pot of the instant pot. Add cashews and saute until golden brown. Transfer this to a plate and set it aside. Add remaining 1 ½ tablespoon of ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, and whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, marati moggu, star anise) and saute for 30 seconds. Add uncooked basmati rice and continue to saute for another 1 or 2 minutes. This is optional but mainly done to get a nice aroma. To this, add green chile, sweet corn, green peas, salt to taste, 1 ¼ cup of water, and deglaze the bottom by scrubbing with a spatula. Press the CANCEL button. Secure instant pot with lid with vent to sealing position. Press the PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 3 minutes. If you want softer rice, let it sit for 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure manually. Let this cool down a bit. Add cashews and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy.

Serving suggestions

Ghee rice is good on its own and can be served warm or even at room temperature. Some good combination for ghee rice are

Paneer Butter Masala Chana Masala (chole or chickpeas curry) Chicken tikka masala Mushroom Butter masala - popular on blog Palak Paneer

Some other rice recipes with basmati rice

Chicken Biryani One pot Chicken Pulao Chana Pulao DoodhPak (Rice Kheer) Lemon Rice (Chitranna)

Video

Check out the video recipe on making of Ghee rice (Neychoru, Nei Choru) Follow me on Instagram and tag me with #cookwithkushi so that I get a chance to see all the recipes you make and give it a ♥.