Ghee rice is one of the most loved dishes in South Asian cuisine, delightfully fragrant. It is straightforward to make: basmati rice, ghee, or clarified butter to give it a rich, nutty flavour. The ghee rice recipe is aromatic and flavourful. People love this not just because of its taste but because of the versatility with which it can be paired with curries, dals, and grilled items. It is high-quality basmati rice when it goes through the cooking process. This is one of the widely known types of rice with long grains and a fragrant aroma. The rice is usually soaked before the cooking process. During such soaking, it is supposed to absorb water properly so that every grain would be separate and fluffy when cooked. The heart of the dish lies in ghee, which is heated in a pot, along with aromatic spices like cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, and bay leaves. In this tempering process, the principal constituent of the spices would be released in the form of essential oils, which build an aromatic base for the whole preparation. The finely chopped onions saut ed in ghee until golden brown, infuse the flavour profile with a sweet depth, followed by caramelised onions and then soaked rice, just enough water with a pinch of salt, boiled after that, continued on a simmer until the rice is perfectly cooked. The recipe of ghee rice is delicious. Ghee Rice can be served plain with a scattering of fried onions, fresh herbs, or chopped nuts. Whether serving up something festive or comfort food for dinner on a weeknight, ghee rice has earned its unique place in the hearts and stomachs of all.

• 3 tbsp ghee
• 250 gms basmati rice
• 3 clove
• 3 green cardamom
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• Start by weighing 250 gms of high-quality basmati rice.
• Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve or a large bowl. Rinse it under cold running water, gently swirling the grains with your fingers. This will help wash away extra starch that causes the rice to clump when cooking. Continue the process until it is clear. At this point, the water runs clear, so most of the starches have been removed.
• After rinsing, soak the rice in clean water for about 30 minutes. The soaking process will allow the grain to absorb a small amount of moisture and thus become fluffier when cooked.
• After 30 minutes of soaking, drain the rice very well using a strainer or colander.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or pot over medium heat. Ghee is preferred as it has richness in taste, has a very high smoking point, and is therefore best for frying spices and cooking rice.
• Add one finely chopped onion to the spices in the pan. Cook the onions in ghee till they are golden brown. It will take approximately 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring them occasionally so they cook evenly and do not burn. The caramelising brings the natural sweetness and increases the overall flavour of the dish.
• Add the soaked and drained rice to the pan gently when the onions are golden. Stir well so the rice catches both the ghee and the onion-spice mixture. The grains have to be coated with flavours. Rice is cooked for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking.
• Add water after frying the rice.
• Add 500 ml of water. Use water at either room temperature.
• Add salt as per taste, typically about 1 teaspoon, which would be perfect, but that can be varied according to one's taste. Mix all the ingredients gently, and make sure the salt is distributed equally within the rice.
• Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. At this time, you should notice that bubbles start to rise on the surface, which is how you determine that rice has started cooking.
• Once boiling, turn the heat down low and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. This will help trap the steam, allowing for uniform rice cooking. Just as you would let the steam out, which might ruin the process of cooking, do not attempt to lift the lid off while it is cooking.
• Cook the rice in low heat for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, the rice absorbs all the water inside and becomes soft. If you are using a heavy-bottomed pan, then the heat shall be evenly spread so that the rice cooks up uniformly.
• After approximately 15-20 minutes, test if water is absorbed and rice is tender. When the rice is ready, turn the pan off the fire, but keep covering the lid. Let rice rest for 5 minutes more. This resting stage is made to enable the steam left inside to finish cooking the rice without it getting overcooked.
• Garnish the ghee rice in a serving dish or bowl. You may beautify it with fried onions, fresh coriander leaves, roasted cashews, and almonds.
• Serve hot over favourite curries, dals, or grilled meats. If you enjoyed this recipe of ghee rice, don't forget to share it with your friends and family.