Empire Ghee Rice

Bangalore - A workaholic city bustling with IT professionals offers myriad choices for Foodie's around the globe. Be it gourmet & fine dining options or the simple to humble inexpensive Tiffin items, there is something for everyone in this city with great affordable choices & tasty options to suit your palate and pocket. In Bangalore, if one visits Hotel Empire they have a special menu which is most sought after by me and my friends. It was a combination of Veg/ Chicken Kebabs, Ghee Rice served with Salad on the side and Veg/ Chicken Gravy. Over a period of time, this became so famous amongst my friends that every time we went there, we knew what we wanted to order. The flavour has left an indelible mark on my memory. This ubiquitous combination is quite enjoyed by some of my dearest friends in Bangalore.

I usually use the cooked rice from previous day for a good fluffy textured Ghee Rice. Its important to thaw the rice at room temperature before use. The cooked rice has to be dry with less moisture. The more grainy and separated the rice is, the better your Ghee Rice. I added Cashew Nuts to spruce up the flavour. My husband is a big fan of Ghee Rice and he enjoys this with Chicken curry with thick gravy or Fried Chicken. Its an occasional treat for us owing to the high calories involved. The recipe is quite simple and is an effort to recreate the same long forgotten flavour.

~ Empire Ghee Rice ~

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Rice (cooked) - 4 cups
Onion (sliced) - 3/4 cup
Cashew Nuts - 1/2 cup
Ghee
Salt

Method:
Thaw the rice at room temperature at least 1/2 before use. Use a large faced deep sauce pan, that way your rice gets evenly warmed. First heat a huge quantity of Ghee, allow to melt and saute the cashew nuts. Let them turn golden brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and keep them aside. Next saute the sliced onions and saute them till they turn crunchy and golden brown. The texture should be like deep fried onions. This whole process takes around 10 minutes. After the onions are fried completely, transfer them to a paper towel and keep aside. Now, add the cooked rice in ghee, give a good stir, much better if you can shake up the rice without using a spatula or ladle. The intention is to get the ghee coated and not to break the rice. Adjust salt now. Once rice is fluffy, turn off flame. Garnish with fried onions and cashew nuts. Serve warm with a gravy of choice.

Note - For best results, use good quality Ghee or Unsalted Butter. Fried Onions render a good layering to the dish. Ensure they are completely fried to get a good bite of crunch. Do not add too much salt as your complementary dish would have sufficient salt.