Hyderabadi Bagara Rice Recipe (Bagara Khana, Bagara Chawal)
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 304kcal
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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Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice or any white rice
- 2 tablespoons ghee use oil for vegan
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 5-6 whole black peppercorns
- 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 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 (slit into half), 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.
Notes
Instant Pot Recipe
Press SAUTE button of the instant pot and follow the recipe until adding mint and cilantro.
Now add 2 and ¼ cups of water, salt, garam masala powder, and 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.
Notes
You can make it healthier and wholesome by adding veggies like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, etc.
This recipe can be easily scaled up or down as per your requirement.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg