Bagara Rice (Bagara Chawal, Bagara Annam, or Bagara Khana) is a traditional Hyderabadi dish made using 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 in an instant pot (vegetarian, gluten-free, can be easily made vegan).
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About Hyderabadi Bagara Rice (Bagara Khana, Bagara Chawal)
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 basically tempered rice and hence the name.
Bagara Chawal is very flavorful and comes together in no time using simple ingredients.
This one pot rice dish is made for special occasions like weddings and festivals. You can even make it for your everyday meals with a side of dal or curry.
This Hyderabadi bagara rice recipe can be easily scaled up or down as per your requirement.
You can make it healthier and wholesome by adding veggies like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, etc.
Bagara annam is vegetarian and gluten-free and can be easily made vegan.
Do try my Jeera Rice and Ghee Rice recipes too.
Here are some more Hyderabadi recipes that you may like
Ingredients
Rice – I like to use long-grain basmati rice to make this dish as it is very flavorful and the grains are separate and fluffy.
Having said that, use any white rice that is easily available.
You can also make it using brown rice, quinoa, or couscous but the cooking time and rice-to-water ratio will differ.
Onions – Use any variety of onions. I use red onions as they are full of flavors.
Whole Spices – Whole spices like green cardamoms (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 Chillies 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 – Make this recipe in ghee for the best taste.
You can replace ghee with oil to make this 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 to make this recipe but you can go ahead and use vegetable stock or chicken stock. It will make this rice dish even more flavorful.
To make this dish wholesome and healthier, add veggies like carrots, green peas, green beans, cauliflower, etc.
How To Make Bagara Rice On Stovetop
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.
Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Once the ghee is hot, add
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms
- 3-4 cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 5-6 whole black peppercorns
and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
Add 10-12 whole cashew nuts and fry until they turn slightly brown (40-60 seconds). Keep stirring while frying.
Add
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Now add 1 tablespoon roughly chopped mint leaves and 1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro and saute for a minute.
Add
- 3 and ½ cups of water
- 1 and ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
to the pan and stir well.
Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the pot and stir gently.
Reduce the heat to low.
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 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.
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 SAUTE button on the instant pot.
Add 2 tablespoon ghee to the pot.
Once the ghee is hot, add 2-3 whole green cardamoms, 3-4 cloves, 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, and 5-6 whole black peppercorns, and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
Add 10-12 whole cashew nuts and fry until they turn slightly brown (40-60 seconds). Keep stirring while frying.
Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions, 3-4 green chilies (slit into half), 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Now add 1 tablespoon roughly chopped mint leaves and 1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro (coriander) and saute for a minute.
Add 2 and ¼ cups of water, 1 and ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, and 1 teaspoon lime juice to the pot and stir well.
Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pot and stir gently.
Close the lid of the pot 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.
Fluff the rice gently using a large fork and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it in an electric rice cooker, add the soaked rice to the rice cooker along with 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, and add this tempering to the rice cooker. 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 heat and let the pressure release naturally. Fluff and serve.
Saute the onions, spices, and herbs in ghee, and then add cooked rice to the pan. Mix everything well.
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.
It is popularly served with Chicken Curry, Mutton Dalcha, Mutton Curry, or Mutton Korma. Vegetarian dishes like Bagara Baingan, Mirchi Ka Salan, or Tomato Salan are some other options that go very well with it.
Bagara Rice is also very delicious on its own. So if you are in the mood to eat something simple, have it with raita on the side.
Storage Suggestions
Bagara Rice stays good in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days.
Reheat it in a pan or in a microwave before serving. If you feel it has become a little dry, sprinkle some water on top, while reheating.
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Recipe Card
Hyderabadi 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). Keep stirring while frying.
- 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 saute 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.
Nagina Shaheen
Thank you for the simple and tasty recipe 🙂
Neha Mathur
Thanks