Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)
Jeera rice is a simple rice dish flavored with cumin seeds. Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice makes a delicious side dish that can be served with any kind of gravy meal and makes it festive.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice I preferred basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 4 whole dried red chili (sabut lal mirch)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dal chini)
- 2 cardamoms crushed (Malachi)
- 2 bay leaves (tajpat)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (hara dhania)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons ghee clarified butter for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash the rice gently and soak it in lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan moderately. Oil is the right temperature when one cumin seed drops into the oil cracks immediately.
- Add the cumin seeds. When they crack, add all the spices red chili, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom, and stir for a few seconds.
- Add the rice. Stir-fry one minute.
- Bring the water and salt to a boil, and turn the heat to low. Cover the pan.
- Cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat add cilantro and fluff the rice. Jeera rice is ready, serve hot.
- Garnish the rice with ghee but this is optional. Jeera rice is very aromatic and delicious. This can enhance any meal.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Master Art of Jeera Rice: A Guide to Indian Cumin Rice Recipe
Jeera rice is commonly served as a side dish in Indian cuisine and pairs well with a variety of main courses. It is often served alongside dishes such as Toor Dal, Kala Chana, Palak Kadhi, Urad Dal Tadka, Dal Tadka, Aam ki Dal Vegetable curries, or paneer dishes. The mild and aromatic flavor of jeera rice complements the rich and spicy flavors of these dishes, making it a popular choice to balance out the meal.
Additionally, jeera rice can also be enjoyed on its own with a dollop of yogurt or raita for a simple and satisfying meal. Overall, jeera rice is a versatile and delicious dish that adds a fragrant and flavorful touch to any Indian meal.
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Preparing the Rice: Washing and Soaking
To start this flavorful jeera rice recipe, gently wash the rice and then soak it in lukewarm water for approximately 15 minutes. This step helps to ensure that the rice grains absorb enough water, resulting in a perfectly cooked and fluffy texture. After soaking, drain the water from the rice and set it aside, ready for the next stage of preparation.
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Heating the Oil: Ensuring the Right Temperature
In a saucepan, heat the oil to the right temperature. You’ll know the oil is ready when a cumin seed dropped into it crackles immediately, indicating that it’s at the perfect temperature for cooking. This ensures that the jeera rice will be infused with the rich flavors of the spices and cumin seeds.
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Tempering the Spices: Infusing Flavor
Once you’ve completed the crucial step of tempering the spices in your jeera rice preparation, it’s time to introduce the rice to the flavorful mixture. Adding the rice to the saucepan after the spices have been tempered ensures that it absorbs the rich aromas and flavors, resulting in a truly delicious jeera rice recipe.
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Adding the Rice: Stir-Frying for Flavor
As you add the rice to the saucepan, begin stir-frying it for about a minute. This process allows the rice grains to come into contact with the aromatic spices and oil, enabling them to absorb the flavors deeply. Stir-frying the rice ensures that each grain is coated with a flavorful mixture, thereby enhancing its taste and aroma.
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Cooking the Rice: Simmering to Perfection
Once the rice is stir-fried, bring the water and salt to a boil in the saucepan. Then, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Allow the rice to cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes, or until it is tender and the water has evaporated. This gentle simmering process ensures that the jeera rice cooks evenly and achieves the desired fluffy texture.
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Finishing Touches: Adding Freshness
After the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add freshly chopped cilantro. Gently fluff the rice with a fork to incorporate the cilantro and distribute the flavors evenly. This final step adds a burst of freshness to the jeera rice, enhancing its aroma and visual appeal. Your delicious Indian cumin rice is now ready to be served and enjoyed as a flavorful side dish or accompaniment to your favorite curry.
If you loved our recipe of jeera rice then you must also check out other variants of Rice: Vegetable Biryani, Masala Khichdi, chole biryani, Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf, and Lemon Rice.
JULIUS
September 29, 2021 at 7:02 amTHANK YOU !!!!!
Manjula Jain
October 7, 2021 at 12:02 pmThank you
Manjula Jain
October 7, 2021 at 12:09 pmthanks
pushpa venkatesh
August 23, 2016 at 1:14 amNamaste Manjulaji,all your vegetarian recipes are very tasty,thank u madam,give us more,& more recipes.
thankamoni
August 22, 2016 at 11:30 pmInstead of basmathi rice u can use jeer rice also. Pour ghee while cooking. Smell wil be nice
Manjula Jain
August 24, 2016 at 6:56 amThankamoni, any long grain rice will work
Pratishruti
August 22, 2016 at 11:24 pmThanks for dis easy n beautiful dish
Sanjay
August 22, 2016 at 5:35 pmcan we make jeera rice with goldana rice.thanks for recipe
Manjula Jain
August 22, 2016 at 9:13 pmSanjay, Yes
R. Seetha
August 22, 2016 at 4:08 pmI am trying yr recipes. Every item is very yaamini and I became yr fan. Thank u for yr many recipes. We r enjoying it vysya cooking and tasting.
Manjula Jain
August 22, 2016 at 9:13 pmSeetha, Thank you
Laxmi Krishna
August 22, 2016 at 9:50 amHello! Mam I luv dishes vry much as they are very tasty ???? n so easy to prepare……..tq for ur variety foods
Manjula Jain
August 22, 2016 at 9:14 pmLaxmi, Thank you
Usha Kanagasabai
July 19, 2016 at 6:24 amHello dear Manjula,
I love your dishes so much. Thank you for sharing them!
Question: i have to make a rice sidedish in a large amount. It has to serve about 40-50 guests. I will have to make it in the morning and we will serve it in the evening… which of your rice recipes do you suggest is the best to make?
Thank you so much,
Loving greeting Usha
Manjula Jain
July 19, 2016 at 7:43 amUsha, any rice dish will work depends on your menu, lemon rice, yogurt rice, mango rice can be served at room temprature
Geeta Gohrani
August 22, 2016 at 9:19 pmHi manjula..thanx fr sharing ur recipes..how to make rice dhokla..plz share
Manjula Jain
August 22, 2016 at 10:29 pmGeeta I am planning to do soon
Azruddin
June 14, 2016 at 11:50 pmUr dishes are mouth watering thanks for it..
aruna
March 28, 2016 at 12:47 amvery nice recipes thank u much i ll try it today itself thanq very much
Pramod
January 29, 2016 at 6:08 amI like your recipes and I am going to try your all recipes.
Manjula Jain
January 29, 2016 at 2:52 pmPramod, Thank you, enjoy cooking
Alok
January 5, 2016 at 11:23 amUse Tilda brand that’s best.
Sonal
January 3, 2016 at 10:59 amHi
Which brand basmati rice need to use which has long grain and real smell of basmati ?
Manjula Jain
January 4, 2016 at 10:08 amSonal,
so many different brand basmati rice available, just try some, lately I am using laxmi brand
Priya
December 13, 2015 at 2:51 amhi,
Very nice Post….
Thank u for sharing…
samia khan
December 10, 2015 at 6:54 pmRecipes from you are always tempting…. Kindly suggest some diet recipe for weight loss
Manjula Jain
December 11, 2015 at 1:27 amSamia, You will find many recipes in every category also check this link https://manjulalive.wpenginepowered.com/special-diets/low-fat/