Ghee Bath
Ghee Rice (Sri Lankan Ghee Rice)
Ghee rice, or ghee bath, is long-grain rice cooked in ghee with onions, whole spices, pandan and curry leaves until each grain is glossy and perfumed. It sits next to yellow rice on celebration menus, mild, buttery and aromatic, usually topped with fried cashews and raisins. Some call it Sri Lankan ghee rice, and honestly, it makes any meal feel a little festive without much work.
Fragrant festive rice cooked in ghee with whole spices, topped with fried cashews and raisins. It's the golden centrepiece of a celebration plate.
- Total time
- 35 min
- 10 min prep · 25 min cook
- Serves
- 4 people
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Spice level
- Mild
- Country help
- USA · UK · AU · CA substitutes included
CeylonCooking
ceyloncooking.com/recipes/ghee-rice
Ghee Rice (Ghee Bath)
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Nutrition
Estimated values, per serving.
About This Dish
Ghee rice is the dish you reach for when plain rice won't cut it. You fry the rice briefly in ghee with onions and a small handful of whole spices, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, then cook it in stock or water until every grain is separate, glossy and softly fragrant. It's rich without being heavy, mild enough to sit beside any curry, and just special enough for a celebration. Scatter over golden fried cashews and plump raisins and it feels like a feast.
On a Sri Lankan table, ghee rice belongs with yellow rice, the festive rices that come out for weddings, almsgivings, Eid and family gatherings. Yellow rice gets its colour and warmth from turmeric and coconut milk, while ghee rice leans into the nutty richness of ghee and the perfume of whole spices. Both turn a spread of curries into a banquet, and plenty of cooks have a soft spot for ghee rice's buttery simplicity.
The whole trick to good ghee rice is fluffy, separate grains, never sticky or clumped. Rinse the rice properly, toast it in the ghee so every grain gets a coating, and nail the liquid ratio so it steams instead of boiling into mush. Done right, it's light and aromatic, with just a whisper of spice in each forkful and that ghee richness holding it all together. Add cashews and raisins on top and you really don't need much else.
Ghee: The Heart of the Dish
Ghee is clarified butter, simmered until the milk solids separate out and toast, leaving a pure, golden fat with a deep, nutty aroma and a high smoke point. It's what gives ghee rice its name and its character: a richness and fragrance plain oil can't match. Because the milk solids are gone, ghee is more stable and more intensely flavoured than butter, so it won't burn when you toast rice and spices.
You don't need a lot. A couple of tablespoons of ghee to fry the onions, whole spices and rice is plenty to perfume the whole pot. Pick a good basmati or Sri Lankan samba for long, separate grains, then let the whole spices, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pandan and curry leaves, do their thing. If you like, you can cook it in oil and stir in a spoonful of ghee at the end just for the aroma.
What It Should Taste Like
Buttery, nutty and gently spiced, the rice stays in long, separate grains, glossy from the ghee and fragrant with cardamom, clove and cinnamon. It's mild enough to carry any curry, with sweet raisins and crunchy fried cashews lifting it.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 4 servings. Change the number and every amount below updates with it. Substitutes for hard-to-find items are in the sidebar.
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Rice and Spices
- Basmati or samba ricerinsed and drained2 cups
- Ghee2 tbsp
- Onionthinly sliced1
- Garlicminced2 cloves
- Cardamom podsbruised4
- Cloves4
- Cinnamon1 stick
- Pandan (rampe)1 piece
- Curry leaves1 sprig
- Water or stock3 cups
- Salt1 tsp
To Finish
- Cashewsfried in ghee¼ cup
- Raisinsfried briefly2 tbsp
Method
Follow these 5 steps. Each one explains not just what to do, but why it matters.
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- 01
Rinse the Rice
Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs clear, then drain it well.
Rinsing gets rid of the loose surface starch that makes rice clump and turn sticky, and sticky is exactly what you don't want in ghee rice. Draining it well matters just as much, because wet rice dilutes the ghee and steams rather than toasts. A few minutes here is the difference between fluffy and gluey.
Tip: If you have the time, soak basmati for 20 minutes after rinsing and you'll get even longer, more separate grains. Drain it well before cooking.
- 02
Fry the Aromatics in Ghee
Heat the ghee and gently fry the onion, garlic, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pandan and curry leaves until the onion is soft and golden and the spices smell fragrant.
This is where the flavour is built. Frying the whole spices in ghee blooms their aromatic oils, and softening the onion until golden adds a gentle sweetness that runs through the whole pot. Take your time, keep the heat moderate so the onion caramelises without the spices scorching. You're perfuming the ghee that will coat every grain.
Tip: Bruise the cardamom pods so they release their fragrance, and leave the whole spices in rather than grinding them. Warn diners first.
- 03
Toast the Rice
Add the drained rice and stir for 2-3 minutes so every grain gets coated in ghee and lightly toasted.
Toasting the rice in the spiced ghee before any liquid goes in is what gives ghee rice its signature separate, glossy grains and a faint nutty depth. As the rice warms it turns slightly translucent at the edges and smells toasty. Coating each grain in fat also helps them stay distinct rather than sticking together as they cook.
Tip: Stir gently with a flat spoon so you coat the rice without breaking the grains.
- 04
Add Liquid and Cook
Pour in the water or stock and the salt, bring it to a boil, then cover, drop the heat to low and cook for 12-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
Getting the liquid right, about one and a half parts to one part rice for basmati, is what makes it steam to fluffy rather than boil to mush. Once it's covered and on low, leave it alone, no stirring and no peeking, so the steam does its work evenly. Stock in place of water adds a savoury depth, but water lets the ghee and spices shine.
Tip: If your rice usually catches, use a heavy-based pot or a heat diffuser to keep the bottom from scorching.
- 05
Rest, Fluff and Garnish
Rest it covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and scatter over the ghee-fried cashews and raisins.
The rest lets the grains firm up and the moisture settle so the rice fluffs cleanly instead of clumping. Fluff with a fork, lifting rather than stirring, to keep the grains whole. The fried cashews bring crunch and the raisins little bursts of sweetness, the finishing touches that make it a celebration dish.
Tip: Fry the cashews and raisins in a little ghee until the nuts are golden and the raisins puff up, then scatter them on just before serving so they stay crisp.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not rinsing or draining the rice, so it turns sticky instead of fluffy.
- Skipping the toasting step, which gives the grains their gloss and separation.
- Too much liquid, so the rice boils into mush.
- Stirring while it cooks, which breaks the grains and makes it gluey.
Serving Ideas
- As the festive centrepiece with a chicken or cashew curry and a sambol.
- Alongside several curries and a salad for a celebration spread.
- With a simple cucumber salad for an everyday upgrade on plain rice.
Building a whole plate around it? Start from our beginner rice and curry menu, which sets out what to cook alongside it and in what order.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Keeps 2 to 3 days refrigerated and reheats well, covered, with a splash of water to loosen it. It also freezes for a month. Add fresh fried cashews and raisins when serving, because the garnish softens in storage.
Two Ways to Cook It
Use a rice cooker. Fry the onion and whole spices in ghee in a pan, tip into the cooker with rinsed rice, water and salt, and press cook. Fry the cashews and raisins separately to scatter on top.
Use good basmati or fragrant samba. Fry the spices and onion in plenty of ghee, toast the rice properly, then cook it in a heavy pot so you get a faint golden crust at the base. Scatter plenty of cashews and raisins fried in ghee over the top.
Lighter and Healthier Version
Ghee rice is rich and festive, but it actually flexes to lighter eating with a few small changes, and it keeps its fragrance.
Go Easy on the Ghee
Use one tablespoon of ghee to fry the spices and onion, or cook in oil and stir in just a teaspoon of ghee at the end for the aroma. The whole spices do most of the perfuming anyway.
Try a Wholegrain Rice
Brown basmati or Sri Lankan red rice adds fibre and a nuttier flavour. Just up the liquid and cooking time, since wholegrain rice needs more of both.
Lighten the Garnish
Cashews and raisins add richness and sugar. Keep them to a small scatter, or top with toasted seeds and fresh herbs instead for crunch with less fat.
Let the Curries Lead
Serve the rice as a modest mound and let the vegetables and curries fill the rest of the plate. That keeps the meal balanced instead of carb-heavy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ghee rice, or ghee bath, is fragrant rice cooked in ghee (clarified butter) with onions and whole spices like cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, until the grains are glossy, separate and perfumed. In Sri Lanka it is a festive rice, often topped with fried cashews and raisins.
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