Ghee Rice with A2 Desi Cow Ghee

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Traditional Tamil Nadu Recipe • A2 Desi Cow Ghee

Nei Sadam — Ghee Rice

The celebration rice of Tamil Nadu — fragrant, golden, and built entirely on the character of one ingredient: pure A2 cow ghee.

15Min Prep
30Min Cook
4Servings
MediumDifficulty
“Nei Sadam is made for weddings, festivals, and homecomings. It is the rice that says ‘you are special.’ And the secret is always the same: enough ghee, good ghee, and no shortcuts.”

Ingredients

  • Basmati or Seeraga Samba rice2 cups
  • Sree Kumaran A2 Desi Cow Ghee5 tbsp
  • Whole spices: bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise2 each
  • Onion, thinly sliced2 large
  • Ginger-garlic paste1 tbsp
  • Mint leaves (pudina)handful
  • Coriander leaveshandful
  • Cashews20
  • Raisins15
  • Hot water3½ cups
  • Saltto taste

Method

  1. Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain completely and set aside. This prevents the grains from breaking during cooking.
  2. In a wide heavy-bottomed vessel, heat 3 tablespoons of A2 ghee on medium flame. Add whole spices and let them sizzle for one minute until deeply fragrant.
  3. Add sliced onions and fry slowly, stirring every few minutes, until they turn deep golden-brown — about 15 minutes. Do not rush this step. The colour of the onions determines the colour and flavour of the rice.
  4. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes until raw smell disappears. Add mint leaves and half the coriander. Stir for one minute.
  5. Add the drained rice and gently mix until every grain is coated in ghee. Toast for 2 minutes, stirring gently.
  6. Pour in the hot water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
  7. Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry cashews until golden, then add raisins until they puff up. Set aside.
  8. Remove the lid, fluff the rice gently with a fork. The grains should be separate, glistening, and fragrant. Top with fried cashews, raisins, and fresh coriander. Serve with raita and dalcha.
Chef’s Note from Our Kitchen

The secret to nei sadam is not just how much ghee but when you add it. The final tablespoon poured over the rice just as you fluff it — raw, fragrant, direct — is what gives this dish its signature golden sheen and dairy sweetness.

Made with Sree Kumaran A2 Desi Cow Ghee

Bilona method • Indigenous desi cows • No preservatives • Since 1945

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