Ghee Rice is a mildly flavored rice that goes well with veg and non-veg gravy dishes. Usually it is prepared without grinding the masala (see Version 2). I have detailed a recipe that my amma used to prepare by grinding the masala, which gives a different flavor. I like the yellow ghee rice with palak paneer, with striking yellow and green colors but blending in taste. You could choose either of the methods as per your preference.

Category : Indian Dish

Ingredients:

Basmati/Jeera rice : 1 measure (~250 g), 1/4 parts can be substituted with ordinary rice (like sona masuri, bullet rice, etc), soaked

Mint leaves : 1 cup diced

Onions: 1 large, thinly sliced

Bay leaves: 4-5

Oil/ghee or mix : 5-6 tbsp

For grinding :

Coconut: 1 tbsp

Green chillies : 3-4 sliced

Cinnamon : 2-3 pieces

Cloves: 5-6 buds

Cardamom : few grains

Ginger : ~1 inch piece

Garlic : 7-8 cloves

Or 1 tbsp of ginger/garlic paste

Coriander leaves: handful

Turmeric : half tsp (optional)

Method :

Heat oil/ghee in a thick vessel or cooker, add bay leaves, onions and saute till golden brown. Now add mint leaves saute further. Add the ground masala paste and saute a bit. Add water as required (Basmati rice needs little more than double water, including water used for grinding) and salt and let it boil. Check the salt and spiciness. Add salt and slit green chillies if needed. To the boiling water, add drained rice, mix well. Close the lid and cook till one whistle blows. Switch off immediately. You could just cover the lid and allow the rice to cook slowly. After it is done, open the lid and let it cool for sometime. If you stir it immediately, the rice grains will be broken/mashed up. Mix it carefully with a thin ladle. Serve hot with a gravy.

Version 2 : You could do without grinding the masala. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom along with bay leaves, then ginger/garlic paste and green chillies along with onion. And then follow rest of the above recipe.

INFORMATION

Vegan - YES

Gluten Free - YES

Glycemic Index (or GI, is the rate of release of glucose in to blood stream, GI of glucose equal to 100) White rice : 73 GI ; Basmati rice: 50-58 GI

Glycemic Load (calculated based on GI and carbohydrates in a serving size. 1-10 low GL; 11-19 med; 20 & above high GL food): White rice : 35; Basmati rice : 15-23

CALORIES : Half Bowl (~100 g ) = ~200 Cal

NUTRITIVE VALUE : Rice : Cooked, unenriched, white rice is composed of 68% water, 28% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and negligible fat. In a 100 gram serving, it provides 130 calories. Cooked, white, short-grained rice also contains moderate amounts of B vitamins (including thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin, iron, magnesium and manganese (10–17% DV) per 100 gram amount.

HEALTH BENEFITS : Rice is rich in carbohydrates and mostly provides the energy requirement. It is gluten-free and hence useful to people with celiac disease. Starch is made up of 2 components : amylose and amylopectin. Basmati rice has more amylose content, while sticky rice has more amyloepection. The body takes longer to digest high-amylose rice because the amylose slows down starch digestion. This does not lead to unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels, especially in diabetic people.

ORIGIN : Rice, Oryza sativa (Asian rice) belongs to the grass family, Poaceae. It is one of oldest crop species. It has tens of thousands of varieties and two major sub species, japonica and indica. Some archeologists argue that rice farming began in south-central China along the Yangzte River and spread to Korea and Japan from there south and northeast. While others argue that rice cultivation started in the valley of the Ganges River and Indus valley

WATER FOOTPRINT (is litres of water needed to produce the food) : White Rice : 2497 L/Kg

DID YOU KNOW : Rice is one of the oldest cereal grains in the world, and people have grown it for at least 5,000 years. Brown rice is a whole grain that contains the bran and germ. These provide fiber and several vitamins and minerals. White rice is a refined grain that has had these nutritious parts removed.

REFERENCES :

https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/1/glycemicindex.pdf https://www.healthline.com

https://www.livestrong.com/article/290772

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318699#nutrition

Wikipedia