Butter Curried Basmati Rice with Fried Egg
Fragrant basmati rice infused with cardamom, curry powder, turmeric and chilli, cooked in butter with caramelized onions and toasted pistachios. Topped with a crispy-edged fried egg and fresh mint with a squeeze of lemon. Low-heat cooking ensures the butter stays rich without burning.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse basmati rice in water until water runs clear, then soak for half an hour. Drain and set aside.
- 2
Slice onions and set aside.
- 3
Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium-low heat.
- 4
Add pistachios to butter and cook until golden. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve for serving.
- 5
Add cardamom pods and sliced onions to the butter. Stir in curry powder, bay leaves, turmeric and chilli powder. Cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant and onions are tender.
- 6
Add soaked rice and stir for 1 minute, ensuring rice is glossy and buttery without sticking to the pan bottom.
- 7
Cover rice with water and add a generous pinch of salt.
- 8
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 7 minutes until water is absorbed.
- 9
Add a tablespoon of butter on top, cover, and let sit for a couple of minutes.
- 10
Meanwhile, cook fried eggs in butter in a frying pan on high heat until edges are crisped.
- 11
Remove lid from rice and fluff with a fork. Stir in buttered pistachios.
- 12
Squeeze lemon juice over rice and season to taste.
- 13
Serve curried rice topped with a fried egg and garnish with chopped mint.
Tips
Use low to medium heat throughout to prevent butter from burning.
Toast pistachios only until golden to avoid bitterness.
Let rice rest covered for a couple of minutes after adding final butter to absorb flavors fully.
Good to Know
Refrigerate cooked rice up to 3 days. Best consumed fresh with egg cooked to order.
Rinse and soak rice up to 8 hours in advance. Toast pistachios and prep onions ahead. Cook rice without egg up to 1 day ahead and reheat gently with a splash of water.
Serve immediately with fried egg on top while rice is hot and egg is crispy-edged.
Common Mistakes
Use high heat to avoid butter burning and rice becoming gummy.
Drain rice thoroughly after soaking to avoid mushiness.
Don't skip the 7-minute simmer covered to allow water absorption and rice to cook through.
Cook fried eggs on high heat to achieve crispy edges instead of cooking low and slow.