Sri Lanka Kaha Buth ( Yellow Rice)
Submitted by becksheeze
Kaha buth is Sri Lanka’s golden yellow rice cooked in coconut milk with cardamom, cloves, lemongrass, and curry leaves. Fragrant, buttery, and the centerpiece of any rice-and-curry feast.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
45 minNo Sri Lankan celebration is complete without a towering mound of kaha buth, and once you taste it, you will understand exactly why.
Basmati rice gets toasted in ghee with browned onions, curry leaves, and lemongrass until each grain is coated and glossy. Ground cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns go in next along with cinnamon and turmeric, which gives the rice its signature golden glow.
Then coconut milk replaces the water, and as the rice simmers, it absorbs all that creamy, spiced richness.
The finished dish is fluffy, fragrant, and impossibly aromatic. It belongs at the center of the table surrounded by curries, sambols, and pickles.
Kitchen Tips
- Wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear to remove excess starch for fluffier results
- Toast the rice in ghee for a full 3 minutes before adding liquid; this keeps the grains separate and adds a nutty depth
- Once you add the coconut milk and lower the heat, resist lifting the lid. The steam does the work
- Use a fork to fluff the rice gently when done to avoid crushing the grains
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the rice.
Slice the onion and grind the cardamoms, cloves and peppercorns together.
Heat the ghee and when hot fry the onion, curry leaves and lemon grass.
Fry until onions are browned, then add the rice and stir fry for a further 3 minutes.
Add the ground spices, cinnamon and turmeric and pour in the coconut milk.
Bring to the boil and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, then cover the pan, reduce heat and allow to simmer until the rice is cooked.
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