Today I am sharing one of my favorite rice recipes from India which is called Jeera rice. It’s a simple and subtly flavored basmati rice dish that’s a perfect side dish for rich Indian curries. The dish has a delicious combination of aromatic basmati rice and warm spices. It’s also one of the most popular rice dishes that people order in Indian restaurants. However, making it at home is so easy that you don’t even need to order from outside. Despite having so many aromatic spices in it, cumin rice doesn’t taste spicy. You will just get a hint of very delicious spice flavors in it. It can be prepared in just 25 minutes.
What is Jeera Rice?
Jeera is the Hindi word for cumin so Jeera rice is a simple dish made by flavoring rice with cumin and a few other whole spices like peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, etc.
Ingredients needed
To make this Indian rice dish you need the simple ingredients shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Rice: Use aged long-grain basmati rice to make this dish. Aged basmati rice is less starchy so it makes perfect jeera rice in which the rice grains remain separated. If you do not have basmati rice, use any less starchy variety of white rice with long or medium grains. Whole spices: Cumin is a key ingredient in this recipe. But, a few other whole spices are also added to it. I have used bay leaf, black peppercorns, cloves, and black cardamoms. You can also add other whole spices like cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, or star anise. Don’t skip cumin seeds but other spices can be skipped or added depending on what’s available to you or what you like. Use regular jeera, not shah jeera in this recipe. Cilantro: Adding fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) is optional. You can skip it if you want. Cooking oil: Use any neutral flavored oil to make cumin rice. Non vegans may also use ghee or butter. You can use olive oil too if you want. Salt: Add less salt to jeera rice, don’t make it very savory. We just need a hint of salt in it.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.
How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
Making Indian cumin rice is very easy, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions shown below: Step 1: Heat oil in a large cooking pot. Add all the whole spices and let them splutter and become fragrant. Step 2: Add rinsed rice. Gently saute for 1-2 minutes. Step 3: Add salt and water. Mix. Step 4: First cook the rice uncovered on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the rice grains come above the water level. Then turn the heat to low, put on a lid on the pot but don’t close it completely, leave some space so that water doesn’t come out of the pot. Cook like this on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Step 5: After 3-4 minutes, fully cover the pot with the lid and cook covered on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and don’t remove the lid for 5 minutes. Step 6: After 5 minutes, remove the lid. Step 7: Add chopped cilantro. Step 8: Gently fluff rice grains with a fork Your simple jeera rice is ready to be served.
Serving jeera rice
Serve Indian cumin rice hot or warm. You can enjoy it with any Indian curry or dal. Some of my favorite dishes to serve with it are rajma masala, dal makhani, chana dal, chana masala, dal palak, moong masoor dal, urad chana dal, mixed bean curry, black chickpea curry, vegetable curry, and mushroom masala curry.
Storing, freezing, and reheating tips
Store the leftover rice in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. It will be fine for 3-4 days. This dish can be frozen too. Freeze in a freezer-safe container or zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, if the rice is frozen, defrost it. Then transfer to a microwave-safe container, add a splash of water, and microwave for a minute. Take out the container and stir the rice with a spoon. Microwave again until evenly heated. Otherwise, transfer jeera rice to a pan, add a little water, tightly cover the pan with a lid, and reheat on the stovetop on low heat until heated well.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
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.
Frequently asked question
More easy rice recipes from around the world
If you enjoyed this fragrant jeera rice recipe and want to try more rice recipes from different countries then don’t miss to check out the following links:
More easy Indian recipes
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