How to make Jeera Rice - Cumin Rice
An Indian rice side dish of partly fried basmati with warming spices. Follow this easy recipe for perfect fluffy rice every time.
Jeera rice, cumin rice or jeera bhaat is an Indian dish of rice and cumin seeds. It's a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent as an everyday rice dish.
Finely chopped onions are an additional ingredient as is the deseeded green chilli.
Some people use red chilli, it's a matter of choice and of course, you can leave it out altogether.
Cardamon Pods - difference between green and black
Green cardamom pods have a sweet flavour reminiscent of eucalyptus, making it a more common spice for savoury and sweet dishes, including desserts.
Black cardamom has a smoky flavour and menthol notes, making it more common in savoury dishes such as stews and curries.
Therefore black cardamom should not be used if a recipe states green cardamom and vice versa as the two pods have extremely different tastes.
Ingredients for jeera rice
- 250g uncooked basmati rice
- 500ml water
- 30g (2 tablespoons) ghee or melted unsalted butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 ½ teaspoons jeera (cumin) seeds
- 1 green chilli - very finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve
Serve with Indian dishes such as Chicken Tikka Masala
How long does jeera rice keep in the fridge?
Never eat rice if it has been sitting at room temperature for over an hour. Cooked rice must be stored correctly to avoid food poisoning.
If you want to keep rice, allow it to cool and then put it into a suitable air-tight container and store it in the fridge. Be sure to consume within 3 days.
Can you freeze Jeera rice?
Yes, you can. Again, allow it to cool, then put it into a suitable, air-tight food storage container. It will freeze well for up to 6 months.
How do you reheat Jeera rice?
The easiest way to heat up your jeera rice is in a microwave. Jeera rice from the fridge should heat up in about a minute.
You can microwave your jeera rice from frozen in the covered container in 3 to 4 minutes but do check that it is piping hot before eating.
Recipe top tips!
Always wash the rice grains in at least 4 changes of water. This will remove the excess starch and ensure your jeera rice is fluffy and not clumpy or sticky.
Soak the rice for 30 minutes - an important step for fluffy rice. 😉
How to make jeera rice
Rinse the rice under cold running water, then add enough water so that the rice is completely covered plus another inch of extra water on top.
Soak the rice for 30 minutes. When you're ready to cook, drain all the water from the rice and set the rice aside.
Heat the ghee or butter in a large frying pan and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom pods and cumin seeds.
Once the cumin seeds only just start to crackle (don't let them burn), add the chopped green chilli and drained rice to the pan.
Fry the rice in the pan for two minutes on medium heat, this will help add more flavour to the rice and help prevent it from sticking together.
Add the water and the salt to the rice and stir well.
Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes, until all the water has gone and the rice is cooked through.
Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve while still nice and hot.
People, don't eat the cinnamon stick - it's only in the picture for show! 😃
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
Jeera Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g uncooked basmati rice
- 500 ml water
- 2 tablespoons ghee or melted unsalted butter (30 g)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 ½ teaspoons jeera (cumin) seeds
- 1 green or red chilli - very finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold running water, then add enough water so that the rice is completely covered plus another inch of extra water on top. Soak the rice for 30 minutes - this is important for fluffy rice.
- When you're ready to cook, drain all the water from the rice and set the rice aside.
- Heat the ghee or butter in a large frying pan and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom pods and cumin seeds.
- Once the cumin seeds only just start to crackle (don't let them burn), add the chopped green chilli and drained rice to the pan.
- Fry the rice in the pan for two minutes on medium heat, this will help add more flavour to the rice and help prevent it from sticking together.
- Add the water and the salt to the rice and stir well.
- Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until all the water has gone and the rice is cooked through. Check at 5 minutes and go from there.
- Now, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve while still nice and hot.
No comments
Post a Comment
I love to hear from everyone so thanks for taking the time to comment. Please note comments containing links will NOT be published.
Cheers
Jan