Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Makhani Chawal
Makhani Chawal (Buttered Rice)

Makhani Chawal

Buttered Rice
VegetarianOrigin PunjabPrep 10 minutesCook 10–20 minutes

A fragrant, comforting rice dish gently toasted in melted butter infused with earthy black cumin. Finished with crisp, golden nuts, it makes a rich and subtly spiced accompaniment to any feast.

Whole spices for the butter

2.1 gBloomed in the melted butter (step 1)
01
Black cumin seed · Shahi Jeera
2.1 g1 teaspoon
spice
Keep whole: they go straight into the hot butter.

Everything else

01
Basmati rice · Basmati Chawalrinsed
400 g
grain
02
Butter · Makhan
42 g3 tablespoons
dairy
03
Cashew nut · Kajufried, to garnish
18 g12 cashews
nut/seed
04
Salt · Namak
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Place a broad saucepan over medium heat and melt roughly two-thirds of the 42.3 g butter. Tip in the whole spices for the butter and allow them to sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add 400 g basmati rice, rinsed, stirring gently to coat and toast the grains for 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in 700 ml water and season with salt to taste. Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a small frying pan and cook the 12 None (cashews) for roughly 2 minutes, stirring continuously until evenly golden.
  5. Take the rice pan off the heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes. Separate the grains gently using a fork, spread onto a serving dish, and scatter the fried garnish over the surface.

Don't have something?

Basmati rice
  • Plain boiled rice

    Use 2.5 times the weight if substituting pre-cooked rice. Fold in gently at the end of the recipe; grains will be shorter and less fragrant.

Butter
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 100% of the weight. If the original recipe relies on salted table butter, add a pinch of salt to balance.

  • Ghee

    Use 80% to 85% of the weight. Ghee is pure butterfat with moisture removed; it yields a deeper, nuttier flavour and handles high heat better.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 80% of the weight for frying or tempering. The dish loses sweet dairy richness but remains glossy and light.

Black cumin seed
  • Nigella seeds

    Use the same weight; in Indian cooking this is usually the same seed. Toast lightly if the recipe asks for toasted.

  • Kalonji seed

    Use the same weight; it is another name for nigella. Add whole or crush lightly.

  • Cumin seed

    Use about 75% of the weight and toast before use; the flavour is different, more warm and less onion-like.

Cashew nut
  • Almond

    Use 100% of the weight. Soak in boiling water and slip off skins before frying or grinding; gives a lighter, slightly less sweet richness to curries.

  • Poppy seed

    Use 60% of the weight for gravies. Soak in warm water and grind into a fine paste to thicken royal kormas without adding heavy oiliness.

  • Shelled peanut

    Use 100% of the weight. Roast, skin, and grind; creates a thicker, earthier texture typical of Maharashtrian and western Indian curries.

Similar dishes

Basic Rice Recipe
Basic Rice Recipe tastes mild and clean with separate, fluffy grains, while this dish tastes rich and buttery with earthy black cumin and crisp, golden nuts.
  • Same: Basic Rice Recipe and this dish both use basmati rice and salt as core ingredients.
  • Different: Basic Rice Recipe uses only 300 g basmati rice and salt, while this dish adds butter, black cumin seed and cashew nuts and is toasted in butter; it is cooked by the absorption method so the grains steam dry without draining.
Plain Rice
Plain Rice has a clean, mild flavour. This dish tastes richer and buttery, with earthy black cumin and crisp cashew notes.
  • Same: Plain Rice and this dish both use basmati rice and salt as core ingredients. Both are cooked rice dishes with separate grains.
  • Different: Plain Rice uses water only, with no butter, black cumin seed, or cashew nuts. It is plain steamed rice, while this dish is toasted in butter infused with black cumin and finished with cashews.
Sada Chaawal
Steamed Rice
Sada Chaawal has a neutral, clean flavor without the rich dairy profile or earthy spice of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes are made with basmati rice seasoned with salt and cooked with fat.
  • Different: Sada Chaawal is steamed using a small amount of vegetable oil rather than toasted in butter, and it completely omits the black cumin seeds.
Khuska
Plain Boiled Rice
Khuska has a light, neutral grain flavor rather than the rich, buttery, and earthy taste of this dish.
  • Same: Khuska also uses basmati rice seasoned simply with salt.
  • Different: Khuska is plain boiled rice cooked without the butter or black cumin seeds used in this dish.