Ghee Rice:


Nei Saadham. Pulavu Saadham. Neyi Soru(Malayalam)

This is my next door neighbour's recipe(back home). I call her M.G.R aunty....the name has a big story!:) When I was studying +1 or +2. We had an old next door neighbours. We never interacted or anything with them...when they moved in...guess for about 4 years. We used just smile or rarely wave at each ohter. One fine morning...that Uncle was sitting outside, on the porch. He was wearing this thick black Googles like M.G.R. My mother called me and said...I think our next door neighbour had an eye operation or something...you better go there and have a word with him, for courtesy. I said fine. So...I met them and spoke for a while. They were very delighted to have me. Later we became very thick friends and now much like my old grandparents they are. But I didnt stop calling him 'MGR uncle' yet. Although he is fine...now, never wears that googles any more. It became his name. Like even my father and couple of other neighbours call him MGR Sir. So...eventually I call aunty as MGR aunty too!

So she makes this ghee rice to my brother...as he likes this recipe very much. She makes mild pulav to go with her extra spicy rich gravies. She is an amazing cook. Though today...I made her recipe, I skipped to add food color. She sneaks in pinch of orange food color to this rice. It gives rich color! But I am kind of against this artificial coloring.

Ingredients:

Short grain rice(seeraga samba) 1 cup/ long grain rice (basmathi)
Ghee 1/4 cup
Salt
Star Anise 1-2
Cinnamon 3
Cloves 3
Cardamom 4-6 pods crushed (crush the inner seeds well)
Bay leaves 3
Freshly ground Ginger - garlic paste 2 spoons
Finely chopped onions2

Method:

1. In a pressure pan heat ghee. Add Star anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Fry them for a while.

2. Add ginger - garlic paste and fry well in ghee. Let the aroma fill the room.

3. Now add onions to it.....fry till its fragrant.

4. Add rice and salt.....add 1 and 1/2 cup of water. Pressure cook it till one or two whistles.

Mix well before serving. Maybe a spoon of ghee can be run over it, before serving.

Though it has too many spices it is considered as 'Mild Pulav'......So this main dish can be served along with some really hot gravy/curry/korma.