This recipe makes the perfect jeera rice and is the only one you’ll need when you want fluffy, perfectly cooked rice which is full of flavor, but super simple to make. You won’t believe it but this takes under 10 minutes to cook!
Before you call me out for sharing recipes that are ‘too simple’, lets pause and take a look at this picture 👆
Do you see how every grain of rice is separate? It’s not overly greasy or undercooked or gluggy. We are talking about the perfect jeera rice, that is steamed and takes about 10 minutes to make. Yes, only 10 minutes! And I’m going to teach you how to make jeera rice just like this.
Its a really simple process, but I knew it needed to be written down. Because I have screwed this up many many times, and have been left with rice thats stuck to the bottom; undercooked or too mushy. But if you’ve ever eaten at an Indian restaurant or ordered jeera rice outside, you’ll know that its none of those things. And its the perfect side to dals and curries. I can literally eat this plain, because good quality basmati rice has so much flavor on its own.
What do you need for Jeera Rice?
Jeera rice only needs a few simple ingredients. Ghee or Butter, whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves), jeera (or cumin seeds), green chillies, basmati rice and freshly chopped coriander. Thats all of six ingredients which you probably have in your pantry, so making this is actually easier than you thought!
Rice to Water Ratio for steamed Jeera Rice
The perfect rice to water ratio for jeera rice is 1:2. Which means for every cup of rice, you need two cups of water. The rice is steamed in the liquid in a pan which is covered so that the steam does not escape. This rice to water ratio ensures that the rice is cooked just right – where every grain is fluffy and separate from each other. However, if you are cooking this in a pressure cooker, increase the rice to water ratio to 1:2.25.
Because the number of ingredients in this recipe are so few, I recommend using really good quality basmati rice. I used Daawat’s extra long Basmati Rice which is aged for two years, and smells amazing!
Are you seriously tempted? Did I manage to push you over the edge? Are you running to the grocery store to pick up some basmati rice?
Pair this recipe with dal fry, chana masala, mughlai chicken and paneer butter masala.
Perfect Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain Basmati Rice
- 2 cups Water + extra for soaking
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 4-5 Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Jeera Cumin Seeds
- 1 Green Chilli or Serrano Pepper, chopped finely
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped Coriander for topping
Instructions
- Wash the basmati rice a few times, and then soak it in enough water so that the rice is completely soaked and has an inch of extra water on top. Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes.
- When you are ready to cook, drain all the water from the rice and set the rice aside.
- Heat ghee in a pot and add the whole spices and cumin seeds to it. Once the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the chopped green chilli and drained rice to it. Saute the rice in the pan for two minutes on a medium flame. This helps add more flavor to the rice.
- Add two cups water and salt to the rice and mix well. Bring the rice to a quick boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for approximately five to six minutes, till all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through. Top with chopped coriander and serve hot.
I added too much jeera how do I fix it? 🙂
Umm hard to fix it really. You can add more rice to it
So simple so delicious. Thanks a ton!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment Varshitha! So happy you enjoyed it!
Hi there Ashiyana do you cook rice covered or uncovered, and would I change anything for brown basmati? Thank you much.
Best jeera rice I’ve ever cooked. Thanks for this brilliant simple recipe, was perfect!
I’m glad this was a winner Subbu!
Amazingly simple and delicious. Thank you so much.
Glad you liked it Prashali
Nice recipe. Should I double the quantity of ingredients if I cook two cups of Basmati rice? Thank you.
Yes, that’ll work!
I want to prepare the jeera rice with 2 cups of basmati rice. Should I double the other ingredients? For example: jeera 2 teaspoons, green chili 2.
Hey Noel, yes, you can double the jeera, but adjust the green chilli to your taste
I tried it was nice simple recipe
Thanks Kalpana!
This might be a stupid question but is it better to soak the rice in cold or warm water? x
Just regular tap water works
Made this jeera rice and I was surprised. Soaking brought the rice to a whole new level. Simple and yummy. We had it with some rajma. Perfect in every way. Finger licking and satisfying. Well done you!
Thanks Ashiyana! So glad you liked it
Perfect, I have basmati rice on stock, I will surely try this recipe.
I hope you like it!
Absolutely delicious and so simple to make. A really nice touch to any meal!
Thank you!
Trying to make this in my insta pot. How long should I cook the rice for?
3 minutes should be enough to cook basmati rice in the instant pot
Turned out tummy thanks for the lovely dish
Thanks Vandana
Amazing! I have been trying to get this right for years and this recipe showed the way! Soaking the rice made all the difference. I will be making this all the time now. Thank you so much.
Thanks so much Libby! Really glad you liked it
Hi, this was easy and fantastic. To go with any meat or chicken curry. Thanks looking forward for some nice Smokey Khabab Rescipe. Alicia
Hey Alice! So glad you liked it. I’ll share a kebab recipe soon.
Came out tasty!! Thanks for the recipes
Well how much ghee i need to add? Whenever i try to prepare jeera rice it’s always greasy..
If you read the recipe properly, the amount of ghee to be added is clearly mentioned.
Very good recipe. But most of the basmati rice varieties becomes sticky if we cook over 25minutes, I recommend to use AMIRA BASMATI RICE to get a fluffy nature of rice and to add the deliciousness to the basmati rice recipes. Check the site in the form. You can get more info here at: https://www.amira.net/distributor/brands/premium-basmati-rice/
I wanted something to go with my butter chicken and OMG, this was the perfect companion. Thank you!
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
Easy to follow and very tasty recipe. I followed the initial part of the recipe but finished it off in the rice cooker. It was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken xacuti! Many thanks
Thanks Gary!
Thank you, Richa, this is an amazing rice recipe, I do not like gluggy rice, I love loose fluffy rice,the way you cook it in this recipe, thank you. I tried your recipe and just loved it, this is now my best ever method of cooking rice when I serve a curry dish, or just with chicken portions for a light meal. Thank you.
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
I tried.. nd it’s yummy..thnk
Thank you Suchita!
How long does it take if cooked in pressure cooker?
This rice cooks in 6-7 minutes on the stove which is pretty fast. If you are cooking in a traditional pressure cooker, two whistles is enough.
um???? Were is the Utensils
Wonderful guide. I just made my first Jeera Rice by my own with this guidance and trust me it tastes awesome. A big Thank You. Do you have any app available in Google play store ?
Thank you so much Swarnendu! And no, I don’t have an app available.
I tried it. It was awesome. Thanks.
Thanks Varshith!!
Thanks for sharing….same way I cooked and it turned out yummy😍
So glad you liked it Suvarna!
I wouldl like to know from where you got the nice serving dish for the jeera rice. You can respond @ whatsup 416 937 9549. Or my [email protected]
Hey Saroj, I bought the bowl from a site called Kettle + Brine. You can find them online. The pot that I cooked the jeera rice in is from Fujihoro
I remember eating this rice in my visits to India, but didn’t know what it was called. Now I can make it at home. Thanks for sharing the recipe and your technique.
Unique recipe…I am successful in my first attempt…Thanks..
I love anything curry and basmati rice but I can’t stand coriander and also I am not fond of cumin, but as long as it’s seed and not powder I can live with that. When I prepare basmati rice I use star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds and/or coconut milk. My rice sometimes is sticky so I loved this recipe, I will try it next time (without the coriander leaves). Thank you very much.
Thanks Julia! Washing rice before cooking can take away extra starch and result in less sticky rice. Really glad you liked this recipe!