What to Serve with Ghee Rice? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Ghee rice is the ultimate comfort food, isn’t it? We all love that nutty flavor and the way it just slides down your throat. Now, what on earth do you pair with this buttery delight?

We’ve got you covered with 10 no-fail side dishes. Ever tried it with spicy chicken curry? The combination is a hug in a bowl. Our grandmas were onto something there.

And if you’re feeling adventurous, why not throw in some tangy pickles? It’s like a flavor bomb went off. We promise, these pairings will make your meal unforgettable.

Stick around for our top picks. It’s not just food; it’s an experience.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Ghee Rice?

Ghee rice is a flavourful and filling dish by itself.

Therefore, you might not feel the need to prepare anything on the side.

However, adding a side dish or two will help you round up the meal and give you a more nutritious and balanced meal.

It’s always good to add some proteins and essential vitamins and minerals that you get from meat and vegetables.

Luckily, you can pair ghee rice with almost any side dish you can think of.

But we have a few on our list if you wish to serve to impress.

What to Serve with Ghee Rice? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Consider serving ghee rice with the following ten side dishes at your next party to enjoy a well-rounded and satisfying meal.

1. Coconut Chicken Curry

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A chicken and rice combination can never go wrong when you’re planning to serve Indian cuisine to your guests.

If you want to go Southern, try coconut chicken curry.

It contains lots of proteins and has strong flavors that pair beautifully with ghee rice.

Use coconut milk to make the tomato-based sauce for this curry.

It will give you a thicker and creamier texture that is less spicy.

The combination of coconut chicken curry and ghee rice is highly satiating and will give back all the energy you lost during the day.

2. Chicken Pepper Fry

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Whether you’re serving Indian cuisine for the first or the tenth time, your guests are going to expect an explosion of spices and flavors from the meal.

Chicken pepper fry will never disappoint when looking for a side dish to serve with ghee rice.

The heavenly combination of chicken meat, coconut oil, lemon juice, black peppercorns, ginger-garlic paste, and aromatic spices will surely make your guests’ mouth water.

With both ghee rice and chicken pepper fry equally heavy, you will find the combination best when you’re famished.

3. Lamb Rogan Josh

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Originating from Kashmir, India, Rogan Josh is an aromatic meat dish that contains curry.

The traditional recipe uses lamb, goat, mutton, Kashmiri chillies, and alkanet flower for flavor and color.

It is a classic Kashmiri curry dish that pairs like a dream with ghee rice.

After all, serving two Indian dishes together can never go wrong.

Rogan Josh also contains a load of rich ingredients like yogurt, garam masala, onions, tomatoes, and lamb meat.

It is a great dish to keep you warm during the colder months.

This side dish is ideal for ghee rice because of the rich flavors it gives to the rice.

4. Cucumber Raita

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Cucumber raita will do the job perfectly well if you want something simple, refreshing, and palate cleansing.

It is a side dish made using cucumber, yogurt, spices, and herbs.

Designed to refresh and cool your mouth from the spicy main course, cucumber raita is something you want to add to your menu anyway.

Seedless cucumbers are the ideal type for making this dish.

Use Japanese or English cucumbers if you want to keep the skin on.

Indian cucumbers have thicker skin, which may not be ideal for cucumber raita.

The best part about this dish is that you need only 15 minutes and four simple items to make it.

5. Malabar Chicken Curry

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Any dish that has Malabar on its name is sure to taste good.

And in this case, it tastes excellent with ghee rice.

From the Malabar Coast of the Indian subcontinent, this classic chicken dish is prepared using indigenous spices.

Besides using it as a side dish for ghee rice, you can also accompany Malabar chicken rice with roti, naan, and other types of bread.

It has a creamy sauce you can use as gravy for your rice.

Ghee rice is quite bland compared to other main courses.

Therefore, the gravy from this side dish goes well with it.

While the gravy adds some delicious flavors to the rice, it helps tone the dish’s intensity and balances it.

6. Egg and Peas Kurma

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If eggs are a staple item in your pantry, you would love this side dish that is delightful and effortless to make.

Use fresh coconuts to get the most fragrant and creamiest kurma.

Note that the kurma’s key flavor is in the wet paste.

Egg and peas kurma is the perfect side dish you need for something heavy like fried rice.

The curry will help carry the rice down the throat while you get a mouthful of flavors from the various spices.

You can customize the dish by adding vegetables like potatoes and carrots.

7. Garlic and Herbs Roasted Vegetables

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You don’t always need meat to make a nicely rounded dish.

Turn on the oven and roast whatever vegetables you have with some herbs and garlic to create an incredible side dish for your ghee rice.

While carrots, potatoes, and green beans work perfectly for this recipe, you can use the veggies at your disposal.

The crunchy texture of the veggies with a sweet taste and aroma from the herbs and garlic is a beautiful combo for any rice dish, including ghee rice.

8. Sweet Potato Satay Curry

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Try a sweet potato satay curry if you want to make a low-budget side dish for your ghee rice that tastes as good as any expensive dish.

It is a mild yet rich side dish that accompanies your light rice beautifully.

The curry is the main star of this side dish.

You can replace sweet potatoes with any other root vegetable in your pantry.

Some like to add more color to the dish by tossing in some spring onions, spinach, and kale.

Most rice dishes call for a side dish with a rich curry, and this one is a great example of that.

9. Chicken Mappas

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Another great complement to your ghee rice is chicken mappas.

If you didn’t know already, chicken mappas derive from the Kerala-Syrian culinary legacy.

Its technique of preparation includes cooking the chicken in a mixture of coconut milk and tomatoes.

You can use duck meat instead of chicken if you prefer.

Besides rice, chicken mappas also go incredibly well with puttu, roti, appam, and vattayapam.

10. Crispy Squash and Yellow Lentils

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Another traditional Indian side dish that gives a beautiful contrast to the ghee rice’s texture is crispy squash and yellow lentils.

This one has big flavors because of spices like garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder.

You don’t have to follow a recipe strictly if you’re not a big fan of spice.

Crispy squash and yellow lentils are a simple vegetarian dish with a punch of flavors.

Also, it contains a good amount of fiber.

Serve your ghee rice with this side dish garnished with some chopped cilantro to enjoy your dinner like a king.

Conclusion

Ghee rice is a versatile dish. Therefore, you can never run out of options when it comes to picking a side dish.

The side dishes mentioned above will work great for any momentous occasion.

Don’t stop yourself from enjoying a bowl of ghee rice when you’re on your own, as it is still tasty.

But if you plan to serve it for lunch or dinner and have some important guests coming over, adding a couple of side dishes will make everyone happy.