Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice)
Jeera Rice is the perfect accompaniment for your favorite Indian dishes. This restaurant-style Indian cumin rice is quick and easy to make. Toasting a few spices before adding the rice is all it takes to transform basic basmati into a scrumptious side.
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice dry
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter or vegetable oil
- 5 clove whole
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cups water
- 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (use 1 teaspoon for Morton’s or 2 teaspoons for Diamond Crystal)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice a few times with fresh tap water. Place the rinsed rice in a bowl and cover by at least 1-inch with water. Let it soak for about 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- In a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid (one without a vent or hole in it), heat the ghee, butter or oil over medium heat. Add the spices and lightly toast them for a few seconds until the cumin seeds start to sputter. Beware that cumin seeds can go from toasted to burnt very fast so keep a close eye on your spices!
- Immediately add the drained rice, stirring to coat with the fat in the pan. Continue to toast the rice, stirring regularly, for about a minute.
- Add the 2 cups of water and the salt and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to low and cover the pan. Allow the rice to gently cook for about 8 to 10 minutes (it cooks faster with soaked rice) or until all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through.
- Remove from the heat, place a paper towel beneath the lid (this prevents condensation from dripping back onto the finished rice) and cover with the lid again. Let it rest, off the heat, for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and serve. Diners can discard the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and whole cloves, or you could remove them before serving, but they add a bit of authenticity when you serve the rice with the spices still inside.
Notes
- This recipe uses white basmati rice, which is a specific type of long grain rice. I have not tested this recipe with brown basmati rice, but if you want to try it a good rule of thumb is for each cup of rice to increase the water by ¼ cup and also increase the cooking time by about 50%.
- Soaking the rice is an important step to achieve fluffy rice with distinct, separated grains. It also helps the rice cook faster. If you skip the soaking step, be prepared to cook your jeera rice longer than indicated.
This recipe is so simple and cooks quite fast that I genuinely don't think it's worth making it in an instant pot or pressure cooker, however you can if you want to. Here's how.
Instant Pot: The ratio of rice to water should be 1:1.25 (1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cups water). Use sauté mode and follow the instructions for the initial steps. Once you add the water and salt, cover with the lid and use the Manual function to cook for 4 minutes. Then release the pressure naturally for 8 minutes and then Quick Release the remaining pressure. Fluff and serve. Pressure Cooker: The ratio of rice to water should be 1:1.5 (1 cup rice to 1 ½ cups water). Follow the steps in the recipe, and then after adding the water and salt seal the lid. Cook over medium heat for two whistles. Remove from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Fluff and serve.
- Instant Pot: The ratio of rice to water should be 1:1.25 (1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cups water). Use sauté mode and follow the instructions for the initial steps. Once you add the water and salt, cover with the lid and use the Manual function to cook for 4 minutes. Then release the pressure naturally for 8 minutes and then Quick Release the remaining pressure. Fluff and serve.
- Pressure Cooker: The ratio of rice to water should be 1:1.5 (1 cup rice to 1 ½ cups water). Follow the steps in the recipe, and then after adding the water and salt seal the lid. Cook over medium heat for two whistles. Remove from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Fluff and serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 193
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 193kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 12% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 565mg | 24% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.