Ghee Rice & Kadai Chicken was the combo of choice this Sunday at our house. They complemented each other very well and we enjoyed our Sunday meal.

Ghee rice is very simple to make. Just rice and ghee with a few whole spices and half an onion. This is made in the Instant Pot to make it even easier!

Kadai Chicken has lots more ingredients but the extra effort you take to make it will be worth it in the end! This is the recipe that I based it on from the blog spicytreats.net. I mixed my own spice powders just to save time. I didn’t roast the spices and grind them, but if you have the time please go ahead and do it as the taste will be even better. Kadai chicken gets its name from the ‘Kadai’ in which it is cooked. A Kadai is a cooking vessel in India that is similar to a wok.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED FOR GHEE RICE & KADAI CHICKEN?

(The exact measurements are given in the recipe cards)

Ghee Rice

Basmati rice

Ghee

Bay leaf

Cloves

Cardamom

Cinnamon

Onion

Kadai Chicken

Chicken

Onion

Tomato

Tomato purée ( I used a little from a can of tomato sauce)

Ginger-garlic paste

Spice powders: coriander, cumin, Kashmiri Chili, pepper, Kasuri methi, fennel powder

Red Onion

Green pepper ( also known as capsicum in India)

Cumin seeds

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Ginger julienned for garnish

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HOW DO YOU MAKE GHEE RICE & KADAI CHICKEN?

Ghee Rice

Switch on the Instant Pot to the sauté function.

Add ghee, when the ghee is hot add the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Add the finely sliced onion, when it turns golden brown, add the rice. Stir gently, add 3 cups of water and salt to taste. Stir gently and close the instant pot, pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.

Once the pressure cooker beeps when the 4 minutes is done, set a timer for 10 minutes.

Do a quick release of pressure and open the instant pot. Mix the rice gently and transfer it to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro or golden fried onion.

Kadai Chicken

Marinate chicken with 1/2 Tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 Tsp Kashmiri Chili powder. Set it aside.

Chop onions and tomatoes.

Dice red onion and green bell pepper.

Mix all the spice powders in a bowl.

Heat oil in a deep pan, fry red onion and bell pepper. Take them out while they are still crisp and set them aside.

Add cumin seeds to the same pan. Next add the onions, when golden brown, add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry well, add the tomatoes and tomato purée. Cover and cook till the oil floats on top.

Add half of the spice powder mix. Stir well, add the chicken and the rest of the spice powders, along with salt.

Mix all of it well. Cover and cook. You can add a little water if it gets too dry.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the red onion and bell pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro and ginger juliennes. Serve hot with Ghee rice.

Do try out this combination and let me know if you like it. If you can, please leave a comment and rate the recipe.

Ghee Rice

Basmati rice cooked in Ghee with whole spices and caramelized onion.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Author Nandini

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati Rice
1/2 Onion (sliced)
2 tbsps Ghee
1 tsp Salt

Whole Spices

1 bay leaf
2 inches cinnamon
4 cardamom pods
6 cloves

Instructions

Wash rice and keep aside.
Press saute on the Instant Pot. Add the ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add the whole spices. Stir.
Add the sliced onion, and fry till it is golden brown and is caramelized. Take care not to burn the onions.
Add the drained rice, salt, and 3 cups of water. (that is 1 and 1/2 cups for every cup of rice)
Stir gently. Close the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
Once the Pot beeps when done, press cancel. Set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do a quick release of pressure and open the Instant Pot.
Mix the rice gently and transfer it to a serving dish.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or golden fried onions.

Kadai Chicken

Chicken cooked with an onion tomato sauce, Indian spices topped with lightly fried green bell pepper and red onion.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Ingredients

4-5 Chicken Thighs (cut into medium-sized pieces)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric powder (to marinate chicken)
½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder (to marinate chicken)
¼ cup tomato puree (I used canned tomato sauce)
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ red onion (cut into quarters)
½ green bell pepper (capsicum) (cut into pieces as shown in picture)
2 tbsp Oil
Cilantro for garnish
1 inch Ginger for garnish (julienned)

Spice powder mix

1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp pepper powder
¼ tsp fennel seed powder
½ tsp Kasuri methi powder

Instructions

Marinate chicken pieces with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and half a teaspoon of red chili powder. Set it aside.
Chop the onion, tomato, red onion & green bell pepper.
Mix all the spice powders together.
Heat oil in a Kadai ( or a deep pan/wok). When the oil is hot, add the red onion, and green bell pepper. Fry them for a few minutes, they should remain crisp. Take them out of the pan and set them aside.
Add the cumin seeds to the remaining oil in the pan, add the chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
Next add the chopped tomatoes, and tomato puree. Cover and cook till the oil floats on top.
Add half of the spice powder mix. Stir well.
Add chicken and the rest of the spice powder mix along with salt.
Mix all of it well. Cover and cook. Add a little water only if it gets too dry.
Once the chicken is cooked ( around 10 minutes), add the fried red onion and bell pepper.
Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with chopped cilantro and julienned ginger.