Jeera Rice

Jeera rice is a very tasty, simple, and easy-to-make rice dish subtly flavored with Indian whole spices. It's a very popular Indian side dish because its delicate flavors go very well with the richness of Indian curries. Jeera rice can be prepared in just 25 minutes.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, North Indian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 391kcal

Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

1 large cooking pot with a lid
1 Spatula
1 fork

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice around 370 grams
2.5 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
2-3 cloves
2-3 black peppercorns
1-2 black cardamoms
2 bay leaves
¼ cup chopped cilantro optional
1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
1.5 tablespoons any neutral flavored cooking oil or ghee
4 cups water may vary depending on the type of rice

Instructions

Rinse rice well i.e. until you get clear water. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a large pot and add all the spices. Sauté for a few seconds. i.e. until the spices become fragrant.
Add rinsed rice. Saute rice with spices for 1-2 minutes.
Add water and salt. Stir and cook uncovered for around 8-10 minutes or until the rice grains come above the water level.
Cover the pot with a lid, leaving a small part open so that water doesn’t come out of the pot. Cook like this on low heat for another 3-4 minutes.
After that, cover the pot tightly and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and don't remove the lid for at least 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and add chopped cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork.

Video

Notes

Use long-grain Basmati rice for this recipe.
Wash the rice well i.e. till the water becomes clear. It will remove some rice starch and help in making nice fluffy rice.
The rice-to-water ratio may slightly vary depending on the quality of rice you are using. Jeera rice should not be sticky and the rice grains should remain separated from each other. If you have soaked rice in water for some time, add less water.
If anytime during the cooking process you feel that you need to add some more water, add hot water only.
If you see that the rice is almost cooked but there is still water in the pot, drain the excess water then cover the pot with a tight lid. Turn off the heat and don't remove the lid for 5-10 minutes.
Don’t overheat the oil as the spices get burned very easily and will lose their flavor too.
Always saute the rice in oil for 1-2 minutes before adding water. The grains will not stick to each other after you saute them and the rice becomes more fragrant.
Stir the rice gently otherwise the grains of rice will break.
Jeera rice can also be made with leftover plain rice. To make that after sauteeing the spices, add leftover rice and salt. Mix and saute for 2-3 minutes.
You can also add some green peas to this dish and make matar pulao. If adding peas, saute them for 1-2 minutes with the spices, and then add rice. The remaining process will be the same.
More recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions are shared in the post above. Please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition