Jeera Rice (cumin rice) is an everyday Indian and Pakistani rice dish made with different spices, but mainly whole cumin seeds. It’s my absolute favourite way to prepare rice as a side dish for my curries, or similar!!
I love it so much that I often shovel spoonfuls of it into my mouth before I'm actually having dinner. And even when I’m full, there’s nothing better than stuffing a few more spoonfuls of Jeera Rice in!
Contents
Ingredients
It’s very easy to make—you just need the spices, and you’re good to go!
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Rice: I prefer Basmati rice because it has more flavour than regular white rice. But you could use any rice, really. The cooking time may vary a bit then.
Spices: I reckon every family has their own recipe for Jeera Rice but this is the combination that I prefer the most. Some people also like adding black cardamom (1 pod in this Jeera Rice recipe), mace (1 in this recipe) or chilli (fresh or flakes, as much as tolerated).
Instructions
Step one. Prepare rice as described below (after instructions), if you like. It’s optional.
Step two. Place all the spices in a small bowl or something, just so you have it all ready to go. It makes it easier, trust me.
Step three. In a pot or saucepan, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot enough, add all the spices and fry for about a minute until the spices release their flavours (you can smell it in the air!). You need to frequently stir so you don’t burn them.
Step four. Now add the rice and fry it with all the spices before you add the water. You want to let the rice turn translucent before adding the water (this should take less than a minute).
Step five. Add water and salt (I usually add 1 teaspoon) and bring it to a boil. Cook for a minute without putting the lid on, then stir vigorously for a few seconds.
Step six. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and put the lid on. Let the Jeera Rice cook for 15 minutes. Do not stir the rice or it’ll get sticky and won’t be fluffy!
Step seven. Then you remove the pot/saucepan from the heat and let it stand for another 10 minutes. The steam will cook and soften the rice even further.
Step eight. The last step is to take out the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. You can eat the cumin seeds, leave them in. Normally, the spices are all on the top, so it should be easy to get them out.
How to achieve perfect, fluffy Jeera Rice
- Rinse the rice before cooking to remove the starch. The starch makes the rice sticky and we don’t want this to happen with this dish. Also, washing your rice before cooking rinses off any debris and dust from the production (whether regular or organic) as well.
- Soak the rice for about 15 minutes before cooking to reduce the cooking time. Drain and give it a quick rinse.
- The water-to-rice ratio is important: use 250g/1 ¼ cup rice to 500ml/2 cups water.
- Don’t stir the rice when it’s cooking. Don’t worry, it won’t burn because you keep it on low heat.
- Let the Jeera Rice sit for about 10 minutes after it’s cooked. The steam will cook it even further.
Storage
If you’ve got some leftovers you can keep them in the fridge for several days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Top Tip
If you prepare this Jeera Rice recipe as a side dish for your curry (check out my curry recipes: Korma or this quick Tomato Curry), start with making it first, as in preparing your rice.
I usually cook my curry and the rice at the same time but often I get the Jeera rice cooking first before concentrating on my curry.
If your rice is cooked before your curry, that’s fine. It’ll stay hot in the pot or saucepan for quite a while as long as you keep the lid on.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 250g / 1¼ cup Basmati rice
- 2 tbsp oil I use coconut oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 4 cloves (whole)
- 2.5cm / 1" piece of a cinnamon stick
- 2 small bay leaves
- 500mL / 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Wash rice to get rid off any debris. Soak it in cold water for about 15min.
- Heat oil in a pot or saucepan. Drain the rice and have it ready to go. Once the oil is hot, add all the spices. Make sure to stir frequently so they don’t burn! Fry for about a minute until the spices release their flavours (you can smell it in the air!).
- Add rice and fry for another minute or two until it turns translucent. Season with salt.
- Pour in water and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute without a lid on, then stir vigorously for a few seconds.
- Reduce heat to its lowest setting and put the lid on. Cook for 15 minutes. Don’t stir the rice!
- Take the pot/saucepan off the heat and let it stand for another 10 minutes. THe steam will cook the rice even further
- Now you need to take out the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves (normally they float somewhere on the top). You can eat the cumin seeds, no need to remove them.
- Serve hot with your curry! Garnish with fresh parsley or coriander leaves.
Notes
- Basmati rice is used traditionally, but any other white rice will do. Brown rice will definitely take much longer to cook.
- You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few days or you can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
