5 from 68 votes
Jeera Rice (Restaurant Style)
Jeera Rice (Restaurant Style) is a fragrant basmati rice dish cooked with whole spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, then tempered with cumin seeds and optionally green chili. The rice grains remain tender and separate, with a subtle nutty cumin flavor from the tempering. It works nicely as a side dish to various main courses, offering a simple yet aromatic complement to richly spiced meals.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings:
4
Calories:
241 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Indian
Ingredients
For cooking rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 4 cups water
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 black cardamom
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 to 2 mace single strands
- 1 teaspoon salt or as required
For tempering jeera rice
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil or 1.5 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter, generic cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon green chilli - chopped, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Cooking rice
- Rinse basmati rice till the water runs clear of starch. Soak the rice for 20 to 30 mins and then drain all the water. Keep aside.
- Heat 4 cups water till it comes to a boil. Add all the whole spices. Add rice and salt. Simmer the rice on a low flame uncovered.
- The rice grains should be cooked till tender and yet separate. Drain the water and keep the cooked rice aside.
- If you want you can rinse also the rice with water at room temperature. This stops the cooking of the rice and keeps the grains separate.Rinsing with water brings down the hot temperature of the rice and cools the rice grains faster.
- Ensure that the cooked rice is warm or at room temperature before you move to the next step. As mixing the tempering mixture in hot rice will cause the tender rice grains to break.
Cup of Yum
Making jeera rice
- Heat oil in a small pan. Add cumin/jeera.
- Let them crackle. They have to be fried well otherwise you will taste uncooked cumin in the rice.
- Add the green chilies. Stir for a few seconds. No need to brown the chilies.
- Add the tempering to the hot or warm rice.
- With a fork, gently mix the tempering with the rice grains. Even if some rice grains break, its alright. Do gently taking care so as not to break the rice grains.
- Add coriander and gently mix or garnish the rice with coriander at the time of serving.
- Serve jeera rice hot or warm with a dal or vegetable/paneer curry of your choice.
Notes
- For the best flavor, use aged basmati rice or soak parboiled basmati for about an hour before cooking.
- Tempering the cumin seeds in ghee instead of oil enriches the flavor.
- To keep rice grains separate, rinse cooked rice with room temperature water after cooking.
- If using leftover rice, adjust quantity to about 3 cups cooked to maintain ingredient proportions.
- Garnish with mint leaves as an alternative to coriander for a fresh variation.
Nutrition Information
Calories
241kcal
(12%)
Carbohydrates
39g
(13%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4g
(2%)
Monounsaturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Sodium
602mg
(25%)
Potassium
91mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
0.1g
(0%)
Vitamin A
24IU
(0%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
0.04mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
0.03mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
1mg
Vitamin B6
0.1mg
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Vitamin E
3mg
Vitamin K
1µg
Calcium
38mg
(4%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
4µg
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Magnesium
22mg
(6%)
Phosphorus
61mg
Zinc
1mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 241
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 241kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Sodium | 602mg | 25% |
| Potassium | 91mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 0.1g | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 24IU | 0% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.04mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.03mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 3mg | |
| Vitamin K | 1µg | |
| Calcium | 38mg | 4% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 4µg | |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
| Magnesium | 22mg | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 61mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.