I have been in love with this fragrant rice recipe infused with clove since forever! This clove rice is an aromatic rice side dish which is easily prepared and usually served with western dishes such as roast Chicken with herbs or Chicken with Mushroom White Wine Sauce.
Learn how to make the fragrant rice recipe with clove further below and get the recipe with step by step pictures:
For the love of Rice!
Rice is one of those essential must have staples all over the world. It’s just so common, loved and enjoyed that there are even folks living on it every single day.
I grew up with lots of rice in our home. Rice is usually used as a side preparation in most western recipes.
My mom would make an easy roast chicken with fresh thyme, garlic and mushrooms for Sunday dinner and with that she would always serve this fragrant rice recipe with clove.
The fragrant rice recipe is quite versatile and goes well too with other meat meals such as the Blanquette de veau a l’ancienne or even the Pork Fillet with mushrooms and potatoes.
Rice Shopping in India!
I am big fan of Basmati Rice. I am living in India and here there a various types of Basmati rice available. If you go to any local shop you get a whole lot of choices when it’s about rice and pulses.
At first you will not see the goods because an untrained foreign eye doesn’t recognize the principle of disordered Indian shops with their minuscule rooms.
You reach the shop look around and 5 other folks come at the same time rubbing at your shoulders. All at once they would be telling the shopkeeper what they came for before you have even the chance to collect your thoughts and realize what you want.
The shopkeeper might not even understand your uttering words while you try to speak some broken local Hindi or other Indian language. What makes it way worse is that your tongue can’t make the difference between a t, th and tha.
But if and if only you get to the point where you finally communicate with hands and feet, so that you get to see bags full of gorgeous varieties of rice. You end up hurrying since the mosquito hordes suck your last drop of blood.
Hey at least you get some rice choices which you would never get in a village in the European alps!
On top of that quality, rice at a very convenient price for a foreigner. Here you pass the streets holding tight on your rice bag with a big smile in your face because you could actually live on that bag for a few weeks! Unbelievable but true.
Fortunately for online shops and super markets, we get to shop the western way these days and I have finally learned to shop for groceries the Indian way stress-free. 🙂
Fragrant Rice Recipe with Clove – Easy Aromatic Rice Side Dish – How to make fragrant rice below:
- 100 grams Basmati Rice or ½ cup or 3.5 oz
- 200 milliliter Water or 1 cup or 6.7 fl oz
- Salt to taste
- 1 Onion
- 1 dozen Cloves
- Wash your rice a few times under water until the water is clear. Place the rice with the recommended water into a pot and add a pinch of salt. Keep on a slow to medium flame.
- Grab an onion, cut off ends, peel and cut into half . Poke the Cloves into the Onion.
- Place both Onion ends with the Cloves into/on top of the cooking rice. Don't mix the rice at this point. Just allow it to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is fluffy cooked but not sticky over cooked. (although I like mine sticky)
- Take out the onion pieces with all the cloves and discard. Mix the rice properly and strain any excess rice water. Serve hot as a side with meat or veg meals.
Cooking with rice ideas for rice junkies:
Serve the fragrant rice with clove with:
Dear Reader, did you grow up with lot of rice in your childhood?
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I have never made clove flavoured rice. It must be very flavoursome and delicious.
Oh really, then you should make it once, you will fall in love with the aroma. Very comforting.
That goes for me too, Helene. But, I will be sure and try it now. It sounds so enticing. Thank you so much for sharing, Pinned It!
I must try this, it sounds wonderful. I often toss in a star anise in my rice cooker and I love the subtle flavor I get. I think I’ll like the clove studded onion even more.
looks delicious & mouthwatering!
I love basmati rice, too Helene…and I can just imagine how lovely the fragrance of the cloves marries with the fragrance of the basmati!
I don’t often flavour rice when cooking it – have done once or twice with cardamom (drool!) but certainly never with cloves. I can imagine the flavours of cloves and the delicate fragrance of basmati working really well together!
Love rice, love cloves – so this to me is perfect.
Hi Helen, how are you? I am back to blogging hopping after a really long. Feels good to be back 🙂 Your description of shopping in the tiny, yet over stocked Indian grocers made me smile, it is such a known experience 🙂 Never flavoured rice with cloves, I mean only that…we tend to make it just steamed, if not making a polao/pulao…the smell must have been awesome…should give this a try! Cheers, Suchi
This sounds delish! I actually make something similar, although I also add turmeric to the rice as it cooks. What I don’t do is use the onion, and I need to try that. Good stuff – thanks.
Oh I love how you put the cloves in the onion! What a great idea and I bet the flavor is wonderful. I’ve never had rice with clove except in a rice pudding.
Hi Helene,
I love this simple preparation of rice which is packed with flavor. Just one or two herbs or spices can really enhance a dish. Looks lovely!
Helene, I have never heard of clove rice (asked my French family and they haven’t heard either, so it must be something from your mum’s region maybe?), but it sounds absolutely delicious and great idea for European dishes indeed.
I have become an addict to Japanese rice, to its stickines and aroma… but I also love jasmine Thai rice. I used to cook basmati quite often and completely forgot about it. Thank you for reminding me! I must vary my rice varieties 😉
By the way, the thing I hate is that apart from Italians who know how to use rice in risotto, most Europeans spoil the rice, overcooking it… I never order rice in European restaurants as a side dish. It’s so often inedible, I no longer want to take a risk. I only take risottos in good Italian restaurants.
It’s a great idea putting the cloves into the onion. Tasty flavor infuser 🙂
This sounds really good. I love cloves. I often toss a star anise or two in with the rice when it cooks. It’s a subtle change but one I really like. Eager to try the cloves.
That is a very good tip about the cloves in the onion, I just usually count my cloves and hope I can dig them out before serving.