Ghee rice
Neichoru, the Sunday rice of Malabar and Mangalore: short-grained, fragrant jeerakasala (kaima) rice cooked in ghee with whole spices and onion, topped with fried onions, cashews and raisins. It is served with chicken or mutton curry, at weddings and for Eid. Basmati works if you can't find jeerakasala.
- 50 minTime
- 27 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 6 gprotein per portion
- 400kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 300 gRice, jeerakasala (kaima) or basmati
- 1Onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tbspGhee
- 2 tbspCashew nuts
- 1 tbspRaisins
- 1 gCinnamon, a 2–3 cm piece of stick
- 1 gCardamom, 4 green pods
- 4Cloves
- 1Bay leaf
- ≈ 600 mlWater, boiling
- to tasteSalt
Method
- Wash the rice gently in three changes of water and leave it to soak in fresh water.
- Leave the rice to soak for 20 minutes, then drain it well.
- Meanwhile, slice the onion thinly.
- Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the cashews until golden, then the raisins until they puff up; lift both out. Fry half the onion in the same ghee until deep golden and crisp, about 8 minutes, and lift it out onto a plate.
- Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf to the ghee and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the rest of the onion and fry until soft and light golden, about 4 minutes.
- Add the drained rice and stir gently for 2 minutes, until the grains are coated in ghee and smell nutty. Pour in the boiling water, add salt and bring back to the boil.
- Cover, turn the heat to the lowest and cook for about 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
- Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently and scatter the fried onion, cashews and raisins over the top.
