Jeera Rice is an Indian style rice dish flavored with cumin seeds. This restaurant-style rice recipe goes very well with Indian Curries and Lentils. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more Rice recipe, that goes perfectly with your festive meals – Saffron Rice, Hyderabadi Bagara Rice, Shahi Zarda Pulao, Paneer Pulao, Restaurant Style Veg Pulao, Matar Pulao, and Kashmiri Pulao.
Jump to:
About This Recipe
Jeera Rice is a very famous Indian preparation where steamed rice is flavored with Cumin Seeds.
Just a touch of cumin seeds crackled in a little ghee and a few whole spices bring a huge transformation in plain steamed rice and takes it on a much higher level.
I heart the flavors that cumin seeds and various spices such as cardamom, bay leaf, cloves grant to the rice. This is also my go-to recipe, whenever I cook North Indian food for house parties or get-togethers.
Cumin Rice hardly takes any time to make and is loved by everyone too. I have prepared it using raw rice, but you can even use cooked leftover rice to make this flavourful rice recipe.
It is also a great way to use leftover rice. And therefore if you are hosting a big crowd, you can make the rice a day before and saute it with cumin, ghee, and other spices the time you want to serve it.
Although Dal Fry Jeera Rice is a combination made in heaven, it can be enjoyed with any Indian curry or Dal preparation.
This dish is,
- Gluten-Free
- Full of Flavour
- Easy & Quick
- Versatile
- Just like the restaurant one
- Perfect for special meals
Ingredients
Rice – Use long grain basmati rice to make Cumin Rice. It has the best fragrance the grains are long and separate after cooker.
If not basmati rice, you can use any rice to make this dish. Even brown rice can be used, but make sure to increase the amount of liquid and time of cooking with brown rice.
Ghee – To make Jeera Fried Rice, you will need ghee. If ghee is not available, you can also use butter, vegetable oil, or any other oil of your choice.
Although ghee gives the best flavor to this dish. If you want to make vegan zeera rice, then substitute ghee with oil.
Cumin Seeds – This is the star ingredient of this recipe. This Jeera rice uses a big amount of jeera that adds a delicious taste in this ghee flavored rice.
Whole Spices – Whole spices like cardamom, cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, and bay leaves are added in this recipe which gives a very nice flavor to the Zeera Rice.
Slightly crush them for the best result.
Green Chillies – Green chili is added for a good kick. You can increase or decrease the amount according to your liking.
Lemon Juice – Add a few drops of lemon juice for nice fluffy rice.
Coriander Leaves – Finally, add some more freshness and a hint of green colour in this rice recipe with some finely chopped coriander leaves.
A sprinkling of Birista or Golden Fried Onion over this rice tastes awesome. Sprinkle them just before serving so that they retain their crunch.
Step By Step Recipe
Wash the rice and soak in 2-3 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drain the water. Heat ghee in a pan.
When the ghee is very hot, add cumin seeds and when they start to crackle, add green chili and fry for a few seconds.
Add cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon. Fry for 20 seconds.
Add the soaked rice, lemon juice, bay leaf, salt, and 2 cups of water.
Cover the pan and cook the rice on low heat till it’s done and all the water is absorbed. Switch off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork after it has slightly cooled. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it in a pressure cooker, follow the same instructions except cook it in a pressure cooker. After putting the lid on, cook for two whistles on high heat and then switch off the heat.
Let the pressure release on its own. Open the lid of the pressure cooker and gently fluff the rice.
To make it in a rice cooker, add water and rice in the pot of the cooker. Make a tadka over the flame and pour it over the rice. Then cook as instructed.
If making this rice over the stovetop in a pan, use a 1:2, rice to water ratio. This ratio also works for pressure cookers and rice cookers.
If making it in an instant pot, then reduce the water to half. The ratio of rice to water in an Instant pot is 1:1. Check out the post to make Rice in Instant Pot here.
If using brown rice to make jeera rice, rice to water ratio is 1:3. Reduce the water if making this in an Instant Pot. Check out the post to make Brown Rice in an Instant pot here.
This Jeera Rice recipe can also be made using leftover rice. You have to follow the same recipe, and instead of adding raw rice and water, you have to add cooked leftover rice and give it a mix. That’s it.
This dish is not vegan, as I like to prepare my Jeera Rice recipe only in ghee, due to its distinct flavor and aroma. But if you want to make a vegan version, you can use any vegetable oil or olive oil instead of ghee. Other ingredients used in this dish are vegan friendly.
Soaking the rice for 20 to 30 minutes before the preparation of the recipe, gives you separate and fluffy rice. In case you forgot to soak the rice, then saute the raw rice in ghee for about a minute before adding water.
Storage Suggestions
Jeera Rice will last in the fridge for good 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. If you are making it in big quantity, heat only the amount you want to serve.
If you feel Cumin Rice has become a little dry while refrigerating, sprinkle a little water on top, mix, and heat either in the pan on the stove top or in the microwave.
Serving Suggestion
Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice tastes great with almost all the Indian Curries, Kadhi and Dals. Some of my favorite curries and dals to pair this Zeera Rice with are Dal Tadka, Bhuna Gosht, Lauki Chana Dal, Laal Maas, Amritsari Chole, Kashmiri Rajma, Vegetable Kadhi, Paneer Butter Masala, etc.
But my personal favorite is Dal Makhani Jeera Rice combination with a side of Raita and Papad. You must give this combination a try for your everyday meals.
You can also serve it with a flavourful Raita such as Cucumber Raita, Carrot Raita, Beetroot Raita, Palak Raita, etc for a simple meal.
Pro Tips by Neha
Use very good quality long grain Basmati Rice to make jeera rice. Long grain and aged rice are the best.
Add cumin in the ghee, when it is really hot. The cumins will crackle immediately releasing all their flavor in the ghee.
This simple trick makes a huge difference in the taste of this rice dish, so do not ignore it.
Slightly crushing the whole spices before adding them in hot ghee makes it even more flavourful.
Adding a few lemon drops in rice is my age-old trick to get fluffy rice each time.
Even if you are making plain white rice, add a few drops of lemon to it.
It will also keep the color of the rice white.
Do not stir the rice while cooking. It will break the grains.
After the rice is cooked, make sure to rest it for 5-10 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
You might also like
Recipe Card
Jeera Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Long Grain Basmati Rice
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Green Chilli (Chopped)
- 2-3 Green Cardamom
- 3-4 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 3-4 Black peppercorns
- 2-3 drops Lemon Juice
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak in 2-3 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water.
- Heat ghee in a pan.
- When the ghee is very hot, add cumin seeds and when they starts to crackle, add green chilli and fry for a few seconds.
- Add cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon.
- Fry for 20 seconds.
- Add the soaked rice, lemon juice, bay leaf, salt and 2 cups of water.
- Cover the pan and cook the rice on low heat till it’s done and all the water is absorbed.
- Switch off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork after it has slightly cooled.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
Alexia
This rice dish looks lovely. I was wondering if it could be made in advance and then just reheated?
Neha Mathur
Yes, it can be easily microwaved.
Manimegalai
Hi neha…i made jeera rice and dhal makhani….came out nice….your receipes are very inspiring to actually cook something new everyday….very motivated????
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot for trying 🙂
Shobha
Prepared this recipe… Tastes ???? yummy thanks a lot for the guidance.
Neha Mathur
Thnx for trying 🙂
Roxanne
Simply brilliant, we enjoyed this rice immensely, Triple it of course.. Thank you
Neha Mathur
I am glad you liked it 🙂
Amber
If we don’t have specialty stores near us, what substitutes would you use instead of the cumin seeds, green cardamom & fresh coriander? I have regular cumin & dried cardamom pods but not sure if it’s the same. Excited to try with our chicken makhani tonight even if it doesn’t turn out quite the same…
Neha Mathur
Hey Amber, do you mean ground cumin? If yes, then I suggest you don’t use it. If it’s whole cumin, then it’s the same as cumin seeds. Dried cardamom works fine and coriander is cilantro 🙂