Best Curried Rice Recipe

This version of curry rice is a sort of pilaf: rice is toasted in aromatic butter before being steamed to perfection. Perfectly spiced, it makes for a solid side dish, or a filling main. Below, we break down all the components that make this rice perfect.

Ghee

Ghee is clarified butter and using it has its pros and cons. Unlike butter, which still contains milk solids, ghee is pure fat, which means it has a much higher smoke point than regular butter and won't burn as readily. However, the lack of milk solids in ghee also means it won't develop as much flavor as butter will during cooking. If you've ever cooked with brown butter, you know just what a treat it is. 

Much of Indian cooking uses ghee, which has a richer taste than most other vegetable oils. But if you want to bump up the flavor even more, go ahead and use butter—just make sure you lower the heat and keep stirring the pot to avoid burning those milk solids.

Spice

For perfect curry rice, nothing beats the flavor of a high quality yellow curry powder and some fresh curry leaves. While optional, frying the curry leaves in ghee both infuses the ghee with a mild curry fragrance as well as creating a crispy garnish to serve your finished rice with. To supplement the pre-made curry powder with some additional punch, we're also using lots of fresh garlic and ginger, as well as cumin seeds, freshly ground black pepper, coriander, and a touch of ground cayenne for heat. All of these spices get bloomed in hot ghee to help release their flavors into the fat, which then get absorbed into the rice during the cooking process. 

Rice

For best results with this recipe, go with a good long-grain white rice—the liquid to rice ratio here is made specifically with white basmati in mind. Be sure to rinse the rice three times or until the water runs clear: this eliminates excess starch for distinct, perfectly tender cooked grains. Drain well, then toast the grains evenly in the pot with your aromatics before adding in your broth. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to your lowest setting, then clamp on that lid—17 minutes is the magic number! After you turn off the heat, do not lift the lid right away: Wait just 5 more minutes to let the steam inside the pot distribute evenly. Once you uncover, bathe in the fragrant rice aromatherapy, then fluff gently with a fork to separate your grains before folding in the peas.

And everything nice

Curry rice is a blank (but delicious!) canvas that you can adjust to your liking. For topping, I like some crunchy raw red onions, crispy curry leaves, pan-toasted cashews (with just a little bit of char for smoky nuttiness), fresh cilantro and spicy red chilis, and cooling, creamy yogurt. You can add more veggies or protein in if you're planning on eating it as a meal by itself: a fried egg, roasted carrots, some steak, or roasted chicken. 

Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. A quick reheat in the microwave with a small bowl of hot water will do wonders to bring back that freshly-steamed rice flavor and texture—perfect for a speedy lunch. 

If you've made this recipe, leave us a rating and drop a line down below in the comments and let us know how you liked it!