JEERA RICE

    Jeera Rice - is one of the simplest of all flavoured rice which can be cooked up within minutes. A perfect rice dish which serves best to be served for an elaborate meal or as a simple lunch.  Jeera Rice can be easily sneaked in for a Party Menu when you need to serve something as a Vegetarian Option.  This recipe needs very fewer ingredients & less cooking time.

    This is a Cumin flavoured  Rice. You would just need a good quality Basmati Rice for a perfect Jeera Rice.  Then, when it comes to spices all you need is Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Cardamom & Mace and a little Ghee/Butter. Simple ingredients and an easy recipe, but the taste and aroma of this Rice is amazing, appetizing and all the more satiating.

Jeera Rice pairs well with

• Moong Dhal Fry
• Chana Masala
• Paneer Matar Masala
• Dahiwala Aloo
  
• Zafrani Chicken Korma
  
• Chicken Tikka Masala
  
• Mutton Rogan Josh
• Lucknowi Lamb Korma
• Nawabi Egg Korma
• Kadai Egg Masala
  

Cuisine - North India
Course - Main
Spice Level  - Low
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3- 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes
Soaking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes.
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

HOW TO COOK JEERA RICE 

JEERA RICE

 Jeera Rice can be prepared in two ways.  

METHOD 1:

    The first method which I commonly use while make Jeera Rice is cooking the Rice with spices first. Then tempering the Rice with Cumin/Jeera & green chillies and then garnishing the Jeera Rice with coriander leaves to finish of the dish. This is the most common method and this is how it is prepared in restaurants. In this method, the Rice is cooked al dente and then the excess water is drained off. So Rice Water Ratio is not a concern in this method.

INGREDIENTS:

To Cook Basmati Rice:

Basmati Rice - 2 Cups
Cinnamon(1" Stick) - 1 No.
Cloves - 2-3 Nos.
Green Cardamoms - 3 Pods
Black Cardamom - 1 No.
Mace - a small strand
Salt - To Taste
Water - as required 

 

For Tempering:

Ghee - 3 Tbspns 
Cumin Seeds(Jeera) - 2 Tspn
Green Chillies 4-5 Nos.
Coriander Leaves - Few

METHOD:

To Cook Basmati Rice:

• Wash the Basmati rice until the water runs clear.
• Soak the rice for 20 minutes.
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water.
• Drain it through a fine meshed colander and keep it aside.
  
• Boil the water and add all the spices mentioned under for "To Cook Basmati Rice." 
• Let the Vessel be big enough to hold both Rice & water.
  
• Drain the soaked Rice.
• Carefully add Soaked Rice along with a dash of Salt into the boiling Water.
• Cook until the Rice is done.
• Drain the excess water from the cooked rice, pouring it out into a colander.

For Jeera Rice:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of Ghee in a pan & splutter Cumin Seeds on a very low flame.
• Care should be taken not to burn the Cumin Seeds, which will totally spoil the taste of Jeera Rice.
• Add finely chopped Green Chillies to the above and sauté it for a while.
  
• Now add the cooked Basmati rice and gently mix it.
  
• Fry this for about 5-7 minutes on a very low flame.
• Add another tablespoon of Ghee to the Jeera Rice and fluff  it up.
• Garnish it with finely chopped Coriander Leaves.
• Serve Jeera Rice with preferred vegetarian or non-vegetarian curries of your choice.

 

METHOD 2(ONE POT METHOD):

JEERA RICE

 

INGREDIENTS:

For Jeera Rice:

Ghee - 3 Tbspns
Cumin Seeds - 2 Tspns
Cinnamon(1" Stick) - 1 No.
Cloves - 2-3 Nos.
Green Cardamoms - 3 Pods
Black Cardamom - 1 No.
Mace - a small strand
Green Chillies - 4-5 Nos.
Basmati Rice - 2 Cups
Water - 3 Cups
Salt - To Taste

For Garnishing:

METHOD:

• Wash the Basmati Rice until the water runs clear.
• Soak the rice for 20 minutes.
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water.
• Drain it through a fine meshed colander and keep it aside.
• Meanwhile, boil 3 Cups of Water and keep it aside.
  
• Heat 2 tablespoons of Ghee in a pan & splutter Cumin Seeds on a very low flame.
• Care should be taken not to burn the Cumin Seeds, which will totally spoil the taste of Jeera Rice.
  
• Add all the spices mentioned under "For Jeera Rice," and fry it on a very low flame until aromatic.
  
• Then, add finely chopped Green Chillies to the above and sauté it for a while.
  
• Now add the soaked Basmati rice and gently mix it.
  
• Pour in 3 Cups of Boiling Water to the above.
  
• Add salt and give a quick stir.
  
• Cover the pan and cook the rice on a low flame until the water is totally absorbed and the rice is well cooked.
• Allow it to cool for few minutes.
• Add One tablespoon of Ghee to the Jeera Rice and fluff  it up.
• Garnish it with finely chopped Coriander Leaves.
• Serve Jeera Rice with preferred vegetarian or non-vegetarian curries of your choice.

NOTES:

• Can substitute half the amount of ghee with oil.
• Splutter Cumin seeds on a very low flame.
• Care should be taken not to burn the Cumin Seeds, which will totally spoil the taste of Jeera Rice.
• Can add fried Cashew Nuts, as garnish.
• Adjust the number of green chillies to suit your spice preference.
• Can use Basmati Rice or any long grained raw rice for this dish.