Bagara Rice also called as Bagara Chawal, Bagara Annam or Bagara Khana is a traditional Hyderabadi style rice dish which is a great replacement for biryani or pulao. Here is how to make it.
Double ka Meetha, Bagara Baingan, Mirchi Ka Salan, or Khatti Dal are some of the vegetarian dishes that are a Hyderabadi specialty and my favorite too.
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About This Recipe
The word Bagaar means tempering or tadka. As we add Bagaar to the rice in this recipe, it is called as Bagara Rice.
Bagara Rice is a simple yet delicious Hyderabadi rice preparation where basmati rice is cooked with fried onion, green chilies, and herbs. It is also called Bagara Khana or Bagara Annam by locals.
Bagara means tadka or tempering, and this rice is tempered with onions, whole spices, and nuts, and thus the name Bagara Rice or Bagara Chawal.
Hyderabad is known for its delicious Non-Vegetarian food, but there are some dishes like Bagara Rice which is very popular for its simplicity and delicious taste.
This is the traditional Hyderabadi version, but you can add vegetables of your choice (carrot, beans, capsicum, peas, corn, etc) in this recipe to make it healthier and wholesome.
This is popularly made during special occasions, festivals or even weddings, but as its so easy you can try it for your everyday meals too.
Bagara Rice is a great recipe for your weekday meals, when you do not feel like eating the regular rice. This is simple yet flavourful and gets ready in no time.
This Rice is,
- Simple
- Flavorful
- Quick
- Easy to make
- Perfect to serve with any Gravy/Dal
- Apt for festive meals
Ingredients
Rice – Use long grain Basmati Rice, as it has a nice flavor of its own and tastes delicious when combined with fried onions and spices. It also has a nice aroma that adds to the overall dish.
Onions – This is a must ingredient in this dish and adds a lot of taste to the rice. Brown Fried Onions when gets mixed with rice, created magic for sure. Also, save some fried onions for garnishing.
Always fry the onions on low heat, so that they get the perfect brown caramelized taste and texture.
Whole Spices – In this dish, we do not add any spice powders and thus the flavor comes from these whole spices. In this recipe, we will use cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf.
When added to hot ghee, they release their flavor and aroma, which adds to the deliciousness of this Hyderabadi Bagara Rice.
Green Chillies – This will add the much needed spiciness to this Bagara Rice recipe.
You can adjust the amount of green chilies, depending upon how spicy you need it. If making for kids, you can skip adding it too.
Cashew Nuts – This is optional, but I would recommend you to not miss this, as it adds to the richness and also gives a nice crunch. You can also add some raisins if you like.
Ghee – Make this recipe only in ghee, for the best taste. But if you do not add ghee, you can use oil too.
Other Ingredients – Other than these, we will need ginger, garlic, mint leaves, coriander, water, salt, and lemon juice.
Mint and Coriander Leaves adds a freshness in this fluffy rice recipe, and also gives it a nice touch of green color. Makes sure the leaves are fresh and not wilted.
Lemon juice adds that nice tang, that makes Bagara Rice even more delicious.
Step by Step Recipe
Wash the rice and soak in water for 30 minutes. Add ghee in a pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Add cashew nuts and fry until they turn slightly brown.
Add onion, green chili, ginger and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until onion is slightly browned.
Now add mint leaves and coriander and saute for a minute.
Add water, salt, and lemon juice.
Drain the rice and add it in the pan.
Cover the pan and simmer the heat to low.
Cook until rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed. Remove the pan from heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with fried onions and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it in Rice Cooker, add the rice in the Rice Cooker along with water, mint leaves, coriander, lemon juice, and salt.
In a pan, heat ghee and add the whole spices followed by cashew nuts, onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilies and add this tempering in the rice cooker.
Now cover the lid and cook until rice is cooked.
To make it in a pressure cooker, follow the same method as mentioned below. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook the rice on high for 2 whistles.
Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Traditionally it is prepared with raw rice, which is cooked when water is added into the Bagara. But if you have leftover rice, you can add that to Bagar instead of raw rice and water.
Once you add the cooked leftover rice, give it a mix, and your Bagara Rice is ready.
This Hyderabadi Rice recipe is prepared using ghee, and therefore it is not vegan. To make the vegan version of the same, you can use vegetable oil instead of ghee.
Serving Suggestions
Bagara Rice is a versatile recipe that tastes great with any dish. Be it a Dal, Curry, or Kadhi, this will go with it and that’s the reason I like to even more.
It is popularly served with Dalcha or Mutton Dalcha and Mutton Curry or even with Mutton Korma.
You can also make it with Non-Vegetarian Mutton and Chicken Curries. It just tastes yum!
It is also very flavorful on its own. So if you are in a mood to eat something simple, you can just have it with a delicious Raita too.
Storage Suggestions
Bagara Rice stays good in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days. Reheat it properly while serving. If you feel it a little dry, sprinkle some water on top, while reheating.
But I will recommend you to make it fresh, as it tastes the best when served out of the Kadhai hot and aromatic.
Reheat it in a pan or in microwave until nice and warm, before serving.
Pro Tips By Neha
Soak the rice for 30 minutes before cooking, as it will give you fluffy and separate rice.
Use long grain basmati rice, as they turn out very tasty and aromatic.
Green Chilies are added for spiciness, so you can adjust it according to your taste.
Cook the thinly sliced onions on low medium heat to get that nice brown caramelized taste and color.
To make it more wholesome, you can add in vegetables such as Carrot, Beans, Baby Corn, Potatoes, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, Broccoli, etc.
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Recipe Card
Bagara Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati Rice
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2-3 Green Cardamom
- 3-4 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 10-12 Cashew Nuts
- 1 cup Onion (Sliced)
- 3-4 Green Chillies (Slit into half)
- 1 tsp Ginger (Chopped)
- 1 tsp Garlic (Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Mint Leaves (Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
- 3 and ½ cup Water
- 1 tsp Lime Juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak in water for 30 minutes.
- Add ghee in a pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add cashew nuts and fry until they turn slightly brown.
- Add onion, green chilli, ginger and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until onion is slightly browned.
- Now add mint leaves and coriander and saute for a minute.
- Add water, salt and lemon juice.
- Drain the rice and add it in the pan.
- Cover the pan and simmer the heat to low.
- Cook until rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork.
- Garnish with fried onions and serve hot
