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.
It's 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. It only needs six ingredients, which you probably already have in your pantry. So making this is actually easier than you thought!
- Ghee or Butter
- Whole spices - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves
- Jeera (or cumin seeds)
- Green chillies
- Basmati rice
- Freshly chopped coriander.
Pro tip: Don't forget to keep an eye on the jeera while sautéing it - it tends to burn exactly when you look away 😂😂 But on a serious note, jeera goes from toasted just right to burnt in a jiffy. Making sure this doesn't happen is the only hassle you'll face!
Rice to Water Ratio for 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 traditional pressure cooker, decrease the rice to water ratio to 1:1.5. In the Instant Pot, use a ratio of 1: 1.25. The method to cook it remains the same, the only change occurs in the water ratio and time! Refer to the recipe notes below for clear instructions.
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
Watch the Video
Perfect Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Long grain Basmati Rice
- 2 cups Water + extra for soaking, refer to Note 1
- 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
- ½ - ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Coriander chopped 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 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.
- Toast the rice in the pan for two minutes on a medium flame. This helps add more flavour to the rice, and prevents it from sticking and becoming gluggy
- 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 six minutes, till all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through.
- Turn off the flame and let the rice rest for 5 more minutes. Top with chopped coriander and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Rice to Water Ratio
- Stovetop - 1:2::Rice:Water - 1 cup of rice requires 2 cups of water
- Pressure Cooker - 1:1.5::Rice:Water - 1 cup of rice requires 1.5 cups of water
- Instant Pot - 1:1.25::Rice:Water - 1 cup of rice requires 1.25 cups of water
- Cooking method
- Pressure Cooker - Proceed with the same instructions as mentioned in the recipe if using a traditional pressure cooker. Note that the water amount changes to 1.5 cups instead. Once you add the water and salt, close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook on medium high heat for two whistles. Turn off the gas once you hear two whistles and let the pressure release naturally. Basmati is ready to be served!
- Instant Pot - Turn on the Saute mode and follow the instructions mentioned in the recipe. Note that the water amount changes to 1.25 cups instead. Once you add the water and salt, close the lid of the Instant Pot. Cook the rice by selecting Manual and set the timer for 4 minutes. Once the 4 minutes are up, and the the beeper goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, vent to release pressure manually. Rice is ready for serving.
- Wash the rice at least 3 times. This washes away all the extra starch which would otherwise make the rice gluggy.
- Do not forget to soak the rice. The time measurements given in the recipe are for soaked basmati rice. If you make Jeera Rice without soaking, the time taken will be longer and the rice will not be as fluffy.
- Saute the whole spices and cumin seeds until fragrant. Cumin seeds burn very quickly so be sure to keep an eye on it.
- Toast the rice before adding water and salt. Toasting the rice adds aroma and also prevents the rice from sticking and becoming gluggy
- Do not forget to salt the water and rice before cooking.
Nutrition
Brindha says
hi in the instant pot if i make 2 r 3 cups of rice what changes?
Richa says
Only the amount of water increases, everything else remains the same
Reg says
Great recipe! Love the spices! I was out of a few items so I used what I had on hand (5 minute rice since I ran out of my regular basmati, and bit of ground cinnamon instead of a stick, and pinch of cayenne pepper instead of green chili) to make it work and it was delicious!! Thanks for a tasty recipe!!!
Marialette says
Best rice dish ever! Every grain loose and full of flavour, as promised.
Sadly, I left the predictable surplus on the kitchen work top overnight so couldn't safely freeze it the next morning.
Lesson for next time.
Mamma Bear says
Can I use ground cumin in place of the cumin seeds?
Richa says
No that wouldn't be the same. The flavour of cumin would be over powering
srimayyia says
This is an amazing roundup! I have loved all the recipes I have tried from your site, and am looking forward to trying more of these!
Clair says
Thankyou! That was the first time I made basmati that wasn't mush! Great instructions! I made after work, so very easy to make, and had it with brinjal.
Sam says
Hello why is jeera crunchy? How to make soft
Richa says
Jeera will soften slightly as it cooks with the rice, but won't become completely soft