Quick Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice) Recipe
Quick Jeera Rice is a fragrant and flavorful Indian cumin rice dish made with basmati rice, ghee, cumin seeds, and green chili. It’s a simple yet aromatic side dish that complements many Indian meals and comes together quickly with fluffy, separate grains infused with warm spices.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Cooking Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon ghee (substitute avocado oil if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (increase to 1½ teaspoons for more fragrance)
- 1 Thai green chili, finely chopped (substitute Serrano chili)
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse and soak rice: Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly in cold water at least three times until the water is mostly clear. Cover the rinsed rice with fresh water and soak for 20-30 minutes. Drain just before cooking.
- Heat ghee and toast cumin seeds: With about 5 minutes left on the soaking timer, heat the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until aromatic and sizzling, about 30 seconds, allowing the seeds to darken slightly but not turn black.
- Add green chili: Stir in the chopped green chili and cook for about 20 seconds without letting it brown to infuse the oil with mild heat.
- Add and toast rice: Drain the soaked rice and gently add it to the saucepan. Stir gently to coat the grains with the spiced ghee and toast for 1-2 minutes carefully, taking care not to break the grains or let them stick to the bottom.
- Cook rice: Add water and kosher salt to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and simmer for 4-6 minutes.
- Check doneness and finish steaming: At about 4 minutes, check if most water has evaporated and rice is tender. If so, turn off heat and let the rice sit uncovered for 2 minutes to finish steaming and dry out excess moisture.
- Fluff and garnish: Fluff the rice gently with a fork, sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro over the top, and serve hot.
Notes
- For a more fragrant cumin flavor, increase cumin seeds to 1½ teaspoons.
- Soaking rice prior to cooking is important to ensure even cooking and fluffy texture.
- Stir gently when toasting and adding the rice to avoid breaking the delicate grains.
- When using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add about ¼ cup more water and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a natural release of a couple minutes, then quick release.
- To refresh leftover rice, sizzle spices in a pan and pour over the reheated rice.
- Add ¼ cup frozen peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking for extra protein.
Keywords: Jeera rice, cumin rice, basmati rice recipe, Indian rice side dish, quick cumin rice, aromatic rice
