Jeera Rice is a delightful rice dish that can be paired with your favourite dal or any gravy. It is a basic rice preparation using tempering of cumin seeds along with few other whole spices like bay leaves, cardamom and cloves. I always use basmati rice for this recipe; as use of whole spices adds aroma and flavours to fragrant basmati. Although I prefer to use ghee or clarified butter in this recipe; feel free to replace it with any neutral oil to make a vegan friendly rice. This soft and fluffy jeera rice can be ready in no time and perfect for house parties to impress your guests. As cooked rice turns dry and lumpy once cooled; always serve it fresh and warm with thick gravy or dal of your choice. Optionally; if fresh green peas are in season, you can also use it in this recipe. I really enjoy the slightly sweet taste of green peas in the jeera rice.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups basmati rice

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 black cardamom

3-4 cloves

1-2 bay leaves

3 cups hot water

1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter or vegetable oil

Fresh coriander for garnish

Salt as per taste

How to make:

Thoroughly wash the rice under running water.

Soak the rinsed rice for 20-25 minutes; it helps in easily cooking of rice.

Once rice is soaked for 15 minutes or so, start preparing tempering for jeera rice.

Take a wide saute pan over high-medium heat. Add ghee or clarified butter into it. Incase you want to avoid dairy product replace ghee with vegetable oil (or any neutral taste oil).

Once oil or ghee is hot enough; add cumin seeds into it.

Turn heat to low and add remaining whole spices ie, bay leaves, cardamom and cloves.

Sauté for few seconds until fragrant. Meanwhile, strain the soaked rice and add it into the pan.

Once rice is transferred into the pan, gently toss or mix it to combine with whole spices. Be gentle while mixing the rice and avoid breaking any rice granules.

Once rice is well combined with spices, add hot water into the pan. Always use hot water while cooking to maintain the temperature. And quantity of water should be double the amount of rice; ie for 1.5 cups rice, I am using 3 cups of hot water.

Once water is added into the pan, season with salt. Turn heat to high and allow rice to cook over high heat.

Rice will start bubbling in hot water and absorbs most of the water in about 5-7 minutes.

Once water is almost absorbed, turn heat to low and cover with lid.

Cook the rice over low heat with lid on for another 4-6 minutes.

At this point, rice is almost cooked. Remove the lid and gently stir using fork. (If rice is too dry, you might want to add few tbsp of water.)

Put the lid back and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Now, turn off the heat but keep the lid on and allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes.

Then remove the lid allow rice to rest for another 5-7 minutes. This helps rice to hold its shape and it gets cooked thoroughly. Do not mix or stir the rice with spoon at this point; else it will break its shape.

Once 5-7 minutes are over, gently mix the rice using fork and finally garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

(PS. There might be slight variations in stovetop or gas temperatures. Thus; if rice still looks undercooked; then sprinkle few tbsp water and cook with lid on until rice is thoroughly cooked.)

Perfectly soft and fluffy Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice is ready to serve. Serve warm rice with dal or any gravy of your choice.

Tips for cooking & serving the Rice:

• Rice to water proportion should be 1:2. Once half way cooked if rice is too dry or sticked to the bottom of pan; you may add few tbsp of hot water.
• Always serve warm Jeera Rice (or any rice) as it turns dry and lumpy once cooled.
• You can re-heat the rice in a microwave; just sprinkle some water over the top and stir with fork.
• Do not stir the rice for longer while cooking or re-heating as it may squish the grains.
• Also, do not use a spoon to mix the rice as it makes it mushy. I prefer to use fork while cooking the rice. Just stir it few times while cooking to get fluffy texture.
• You can use the flat spoon to serve the warm rice. While serving; scoop up the rice from sides of the pan, just to avoid squishing the rice (as no one loves mushy rice 😜).

I am hoping you enjoyed this Jeera Rice recipe and would love to give it a try.

You may like to try following recipes with Jeera Rice

• Masoor Dal | Red lentils Recipe
• Simple Yellow Dal Recipe |Maharashtrian Fodanich Varan
• How to make Chickpeas Curry
• Akkha Masoor Daal Recipe
• Goan Alsanyache Tonak recipe | Red Cowpeas gravy

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