Jeera rice or zeera rice is steamed, aromatic Basmati rice flavored with cumin and other whole spices. It is a simple gluten-free side dish ready in 20 minutes in your instant pot or stovetop. Serve with dal fry for a full meal. Both instant pot and stovetop methods included!
Nothing in this world can beat the wholesomeness of simple, home-cooked food at the end of a long day, and when it comes to everyday Indian food, zeera or jeera rice along with dal tadka is at the very top of my list. In fact, it really can't get more simple than that ... ideal if you're looking for a tasty, no-fuss meal ready in minutes.
What goes into this jeera rice recipe?
Simple rice recipes like this one need just a few ingredients. Here's the complete list.
- 2 cups Basmati rice - long grain, aged Basmati rice is the best.
- 2.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons ghee or oil - ghee gives a wonderful aroma to the rice, but if you want a vegan zeera rice, go for oil.
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves (optional)
- 2 green cardamom (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Throw in the cloves and cardamom if you have them at hand otherwise don't bother. The rice tastes great without these spices too since the star of this recipe is cumin or zeera.
How to make fluffy jeera rice
Preparation - Rinse the rice a few times in a colander, then soak it in 2.5 cups water. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.
Note: if cooking 2 cups rice on the stovetop, soak it in 3 cups water. This is because water evaporates a lot more in an open vessel compared to a pressure cooker so you need a little more.
Instant Pot Method
Step 1 - Switch on the saute mode on your instant pot and add the ghee or oil. When it melts, add the cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves and cardamom (if using). Let the spices sizzle in the hot ghee for a few seconds or until they change color.
Step 2 - Add the rice along with the water in which it was soaked, lemon juice and salt.
Step 3 - Cancel the saute mode and switch on the pressure cooking (manual) mode. Close the vent, secure the lid and set the timer to 5 minutes.
Step 4 - When the timer beeps, release the pressure after 5 minutes. Open the cooker and fluff the rice with a fork.
Serve with a dal or curry of your choice.
Note: Jeera rice in a rice cooker also follows the same steps as above, right down to the amount of water used.
Stovetop method
Step 1 - Melt the ghee or oil in a saucepan on medium heat and add the cumin and the rest of the spices. Let the spices sizzle in the hot ghee for a few seconds or until they change color.
Step 2 - Add the rice along with the water in which it was soaked, lemon juice and salt. Let the liquid come to a roiling boil.
Step 3 - Reduce the heat and let the rice simmer in the saucepan until most of the water has been absorbed.
Step 4 - Now cover the pan and let the rice cook in its own steam for 3-4 minutes on the lowest heat possible.
Step 5 - Remove from the hob and let the pot rest for a few minutes more, covered. Take off the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and serve with a curry of your choice.
Things to remember for making the best cumin rice
1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. This gets rid of the excess starch and reduces stickiness. It also removes the impurities, if any, in the rice.
2. Do soak the rice for a minimum of 15 minutes for soft, plump grains after cooking.
3. Use the exact amount of water mentioned in the recipe for perfect, fluffy rice. You can of course, halve it or double it depending on the amount of rice.
4. The lemon juice separates the grains and prevents them from sticking to each other. Do use it.
5. Long-grain, aged Basmati rice is the go-to variety for making this zeera rice recipe. Tilda or Dawat are good brands that yield excellent results.
6. If you are one of those people who don't like you rice grains to stick even one teeny bit, discard the water in which the rice was soaked and then add the strained rice to the ghee. Fry the rice in the ghee for 2 minutes until fragrant. Now add fresh water to the pot and continue.
What to serve with this jeera pulao recipe
Yes, this does taste like pulao minus the veggies or meat. Thanks to the ghee, cumin and all those spices, its fragrance will spread everywhere once you open the cooker!
Anyhow, since this is not something you can have by itself, here are a few ideas to get you started. Basically anything in a sauce goes with cumin flavored rice, but these dishes, in particular, taste terrific with jeera rice.
📖 Recipe
Jeera Rice
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot Duo
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati rice long-grain, white
- 2.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Switch on the saute mode on your instant pot and add the ghee or oil. When it melts, add the cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves and cardamom (if using). Let the spices sizzle in the hot ghee for a few seconds or until they change color.
- Add the rice along with the water in which it was soaked, lemon juice and salt.
- Cancel the saute mode and switch on the pressure cooking (manual) mode. Close the vent, secure the lid and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, release the pressure after 5 minutes. Open the cooker and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve with a dal or curry of your choice.
- Note: Jeera rice in a rice cooker also follows the same steps as above, right down to the amount of water used.
Stovetop Method
- Melt the ghee or oil in a saucepan on medium heat and add the cumin and the rest of the spices. Let the spices sizzle in the hot ghee for a few seconds or until they change color.
- Add the rice along with the water in which it was soaked, lemon juice and salt. Let the liquid come to a roiling boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the rice simmer in the saucepan until most of the water has been absorbed.
- Now cover the pan and let the rice cook in its own steam for 3-4 minutes on the lowest heat possible.
- Remove from the hob and let the pot rest for a few minutes more, covered. Take off the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and serve with a curry of your choice.
Notes
- If you're vegan, substitute the ghee with an equal amount of cooking oil.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
- Use the exact amount of water mentioned in the recipe for perfect, fluffy rice. You can of course, halve it or double it depending on the amount of rice.
- The lemon juice separates the grains and prevents them from sticking to each other. Do use it.
- Long-grain, aged Basmati rice is the go-to variety for making this zeera rice recipe. Tilda or Dawat are good brands that yield excellent results.
- If you don't like your rice grains to stick even one teeny bit, discard the water in which the rice was soaked and then add the strained rice to the ghee. Now add fresh water to the pot and continue.
Nutrition
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Sarah says
How do I sauté the spices when using a rice cooker? I definitely want to try this recipe, looks so delicious!
Saima says
Sarah, follow the same steps as outlined in the recipe. Just switch on the cooker, add oil and spices, let the spices sizzle in the oil for a minute and add the rice and water. Then let the cooker do its thing.