Name: Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 400 g (2 cups) basmati rice, soaked 20 min; 2 tbsp ghee or oil; 1½ tbsp cumin seeds; 1 bay leaf; 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 cloves (optional); 700 ml water; Salt to taste; Fresh coriander to garnish

Jeera rice, fluffy basmati with toasted cumin seeds — Photo: Choudhuryabir · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Jeera rice is one of the simplest and most useful dishes in the Indian kitchen: fluffy basmati fragrant with toasted cumin seeds and a little ghee. It takes minutes, uses a handful of ingredients, and turns any curry into a complete meal — which is exactly why it appears on menus everywhere.

Servings: 4
Prep: 5 minutes (plus 20 min soaking)
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Rice: Long-grain basmati

Ingredients

8 items

4Servings

Cook it withDhoqan – White Steam BasmatiWhite Steam · Extra Long (8.5+ mm)

Method

Tick a step to mark it done.

Step 1: Heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds; let them sizzle and turn fragrant (don't burn).
Step 2: Add the bay leaf and optional whole spices.
Step 3: Add the drained rice and stir gently to coat in the ghee.
Step 4: Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low until absorbed, 12–15 minutes.
Step 5: Rest 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and garnish with coriander.