Jeera Rice

Fluffy Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice is a staple rice dish in South Asian households all over the world. It pairs well with many meals and is popular because of it's simplicity and flavour.

 

Ingredients for Jeera Rice

Jeera rice only needs a few simple ingredients:

• Rice
• Water
• Ghee, Butter or Oil
• Bay Leaf
• Cinnamon or Cassia Bark
• Cumin Seeds
• Cloves

Rice to water ratio for Jeera Rice

The perfect rice to water ratio for Jeera Rice is always 1:2. So use 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water.

This makes the rice perfectly fluffy.

To cook in a pressure cooker, use a ration of 1 cup of rice to 2.25 cups of water. Tips to make nonsticky, fluffy and best jeera rice

Tips for making the best Jeera Rice

1. Which rice should I use?  – The best rice for Jeera Rice is a long grained Basmati rice. Aged basmati rice is best bur you can also use parboiled rice known as Sella Basmati Chawal. I use Tilda or Mustafa. Sometimes I use Kohinoor too.

2. Pre soak the rice – If time permits, you should always soak your rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking the rice removes excess starch, reduces cooking time and makes for a more fluffy overall dish. If you do not have time to soak the rice, then just thoroughly rinse the rice before adding it to the pot. Please note that this will change cooking times and quantity of water needed too. Pre soaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soaked.

3. Rinse the rice – Rinse the rice throughly before soaking. This may take several changes of water. This removes some starch from the grains and means the grains will not stick together. You will know when you have rinsed the rice enough when the water runs clear. Initially when rinsing the rice, the water will be cloudy and white. 

4. Rice to water ratio – The rice to water ratio is most commonly 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. In some cases, you may need more. If using a pressure cooker, use 2.25 cups of water to each cup of rice. It is really easy to add too much water to rice. So make sure that you do not add too much, especially if you have pre-soaked the rice.

5. Use whole spices and allow them to sizzle - Doing this at the beginning of the cooking process adds a wonderful depth of flavour and aroma. The cumin seeds and the whole spices have to sizzle and smell aromatic before you proceed further. This happens quickly so keep an eye on it.

6. Timing – The most important thing in this recipe, is the cooking of the rice. Taking it too far will result in mushy rice that is clumped together. The rice grains should be separate after being cooked.

7. Leave the rice to do it's thing undisturbed – Once the rice goes in, it is best to leave it to cook undisturbed. This is so that none of the rice grains break.

Variations

Some people like to add Green Chillies in at the same time as the water/rice.

My mum sometimes add a tiny bit of crushed Garlic in with the whole spices and it tastes so good!

You can add ½ chopped Onion to the ghee after the whole spices have been added and cook till golden before proceeding to the next step.

How to make Jeera Rice

Soak rice in water for at least 20 - 30 minutes.

Drain rice and wash a few times to remove starch/cloudy water. You can do this in a strainer or in a large bowl, tipped slightly.

Heat Ghee/Butter/Oil in pot.

Add Cumin, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon and Cloves.

Once the Cumin Seeds splutter, add water slowly and carefully. Stir in Salt.

Add rice to pot. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Simmer covered for 7 - 10 minutes or until rice grains are cooked.

Other Rice recipes:

Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice

One Pot Peri Peri Chicken and Rice

One Pot Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

Greek Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Soup

What to serve with Jeera Rice:

Chicken Curry

Chana Dal with Chicken

Karahi Chicken

Methi (Fenugreek) Boneless Chicken

Fenugreek Fish Masala – Methi Fish

Masala Fish

Salmon Curry – Indian

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