Bagara Rice Recipe (Hyderabadi Bagara Khana, Bagara Chawal)
Bagara Rice (also known as Bagara Chawal, Bagara Annam, or Bagara Khana) is a traditional Hyderabadi dish made with rice, onions, herbs, and spices. It is best served with salan or korma. Here is how to make it in a pot over the stovetop or an Instant Pot.
Here are some more Hyderabadi recipes that you may enjoy: Double Ka Meetha, Mirchi Ka Salan, and Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani.
A Quick Look At This Bagara Rice Recipe
- Flavor Profile: Fragrant, mildly spiced, and rich — basmati rice cooked with aromatic whole spices, onions, and ghee for a delicate Hyderabadi-style flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Soaking Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Cuisine: Hyderabadi / South Indian / Indian
- Course: Main Course / Side Dish
- Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
- Skill Level: Easy
- Equipment: Heavy-Bottom Pan and Spatula
- Why You’ll Love It: This simple yet royal rice dish needs no fancy ingredients yet delivers restaurant-style aroma and flavor. It’s versatile enough to pair with any curry or dal, made with everyday pantry staples, and perfect for when you want something comforting yet elegant on the table.
Whenever I have guests for lunch or dinner, instead of serving regular plain white rice, I try to make it a bit fancier. While Jeera Rice and Ghee Rice are my favorites, I tried Bagara Rice this time. Everyone loved it, so sharing the recipe with you all.
About Hyderabadi Bagara Rice
Bagara Rice (Bagara Chawal, Bagara Annam, or Bagara Khana) is a traditional Hyderabadi-style rice preparation where rice is cooked with onions, herbs, and aromatic spices.
Bagaar means tempering or tadka. Bagara rice is a type of tempered rice, hence its name.
Hyderabadi Bagara Chawal is incredibly flavorful and comes together quickly using a few simple ingredients.
This one-pot rice dish is ideal for special occasions, such as weddings and festivals. It can also be served as an everyday meal with a side of dal or curry. In Hyderabad, it is traditionally served with Mirchi ka Salan, Baingan Ka Khatta, Mutton Dalcha, Mutton Korma, or a Chicken Curry.
Ingredients
Rice – I prefer to make this dish with long-grain basmati rice, as it is very flavorful and the grains remain separate and fluffy.
But you can use any white rice that is easily available.
Onions – Use any variety of onions. I use red onions as they are full of flavor.
Whole spices, such as green cardamom (hari elaichi), cloves (laung), cinnamon (dalchini), bay leaves (tejpatta), and black peppercorns (kali mirch), are added for a lovely flavor.
You can also add shahi jeera, star anise (chakri phool), black cardamom (badi ealichi), and stone flower (dagad phool) for added flavor.
Green Chilies add a hint of spice to bagara khana. Adjust the amount as per your liking.
Cashew Nuts – This is optional, but they give a lovely crunch.
Ghee – For the best taste, use ghee in this recipe.
You can replace ghee with oil to make this delicious rice dish vegan.
Other Ingredients – You will also need fresh ginger, garlic, mint leaves, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), water, salt, garam masala powder, and freshly squeezed lime juice (or lemon juice).
I have used water in this recipe, but you can also use vegetable or chicken stock. It will make this rice dish even more flavorful. You can also use thin coconut milk in place of water for a taste change.
Add veggies like carrots, green peas, beans, and cauliflower to make this dish wholesome.
How To Make Bagara Rice Recipe On The Stovetop – Step By Step
Step 1: Rinse 2 cups of long-grain basmati rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak it in 5 cups of water for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Step 3: Once the ghee is hot, add the following whole spices and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms
- 3-4 cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 5-6 whole black peppercorns
Step 4: Add 10-12 whole cashew nuts and fry until they turn slightly brown (40-60 seconds), stirring continuously.
Step 5: Add the following ingredients to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned.
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- 3-4 green chilies (slit in half)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Step 6: Now add 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped mint leaves and 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped cilantro, and cook for 1 minute.
Step 7: Add the following ingredients to the pan and stir well.
- 3 and ยฝ cups of water
- 1 and ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Step 8: Drain the water from the rice, add the rice to the pot, and stir gently.
Step 9: Reduce the heat to low.
Step 10: Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat, undisturbed, for 20-25 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
Step 11: Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Step 12: Open the lid and fluff the bagara rice gently using a large fork.
Serve hot with a dal or a curry.
How To Make Bagara Rice In Instant Pot
Rinse 2 cups of long-grain basmati rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in 5 cups of water for 15-20 minutes.
Press the SAUTE button of the Instant Pot and follow the recipe until mint and cilantro are added.
Add 2 ยผ cups of water, 1 ยฝ teaspoons of salt, ยฝ teaspoon of garam masala powder, and 1 teaspoon of lime juice to the pot and stir well.
Drain the water from the rice, add it to the pot, and stir gently.
Close the pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.
Gently fluff the rice with a large fork and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it in an electric rice cooker, add the soaked rice, water, mint leaves, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
In a pan, heat ghee and add the whole spices, followed by cashew nuts, onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Add this tempering to the rice cooker and stir gently.
Now close the lid and cook until the rice is cooked.
To make it in a pressure cooker, follow the stovetop method until adding water. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on high heat for 2 whistles.
Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Fluff and serve.
Sauté the onions, spices, and herbs in ghee, then add cooked rice to the pan. Mix everything well.
Both Biryani and Bagara Chawal are popular in Hyderabadi cuisine, but they differ significantly in terms of preparation, flavor, and usage. Biryani is a rich, layered rice dish cooked with marinated meat or vegetables, spices, and herbs, making it a complete and festive meal in its own right. Bagara Chawal, on the other hand, is a simple tempered rice flavored with whole spices, usually served as a side with curries like salan or dalcha. In short, biryani is elaborate and royal, while bagara chawal is mild and everyday.
Bagara Annam tastes best when served right off the pan. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a microwave or pan until nicely hot before serving. If the bagara rice looks dry after refrigeration, then sprinkle some water over it before reheating.
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Bagara Rice Recipe (Bagara Khana, Bagara Chawal)
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice (or any white rice)
- 2 tablespoons ghee (use oil for vegan)
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 whole bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 5-6 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 10-12 cashew nuts
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 and ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
Stovetop Recipe
- Rinse rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in 5 cups of water for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and black peppercorns and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- Add cashew nuts and fry until they turn slightly brown (40-60 seconds), stirring continuously.
- Add onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic, and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are lightly browned, stirring frequently.
- Now add mint and cilantro and cook for a minute.
- Add 3 and ½ cups of water, salt, garam masala powder, and lime juice to the pan and stir well.
- Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pot and stir gently.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked well.
- Remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Open the lid and fluff the rice gently using a large fork.
- Serve hot with a dal or a curry.
Thank you for the simple and tasty recipe ๐
Thanks