Sapaadu the way amma made it

Shallot Onion Rice

A fragrant South Indian rice tossed with golden shallots, whole spices, and red chilli powder fried in ghee — deeper and richer than everyday onion rice. Quick and comforting.

Rice & Curries
Shallot Onion Rice
Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
4

Deep, warm, and fragrant

Small onion rice leans on the sweetness of shallots and the warmth of red chilli powder to make something cozier and more savory than an everyday onion rice. The little onions fry down golden in ghee with whole spices, then fold through the rice for a quick, satisfying meal — lovely on its own or with a simple raita.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 20 small onions (shallots), halved
  • 1 piece cinnamon stick
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Indian ghee
  • salt, to taste

Method

  1. Halve the shallots.
  2. Cook the white rice in a pressure cooker or electric cooker — make sure it doesn't get too soft or watery. Let it cool slightly so the grains stay separate.
  3. Heat the ghee in a small deep pan over medium flame. Once melted, add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves; let them sputter for a minute or two to flavor the ghee.
  4. Add the shallots and fry until golden brown — take care not to overfry, or they'll turn crunchy instead of staying soft.
  5. Add the turmeric powder and red chilli powder, fry for a few seconds, then turn off the heat.
  6. Pour the mixture over the cooked rice spoon by spoon, stirring as you go — go easy, since too much will make the rice oily. Season with salt and serve.

Tips

Shallots fried slowly and patiently to a deep gold are what give this its flavor — don't rush them. Slightly cooled or day-old rice keeps the grains separate.