Perfect Homestyle Jeera Rice Recipe

Overhead view of homestyle Jeera Rice in a bowl

5 from 16 votes

Perfect Homestyle Jeera Rice Recipe

Jeera rice is a simple, fragrant Indian rice dish made primarily with basmati rice and cumin seeds (called jeera in Hindi). It's often served as a side dish with Indian curries, dals, or other spiced gravies.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Rest Time10

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 254kcal

Author: Deborah

Ingredients

1 cup aged basmati rice
2 cups vegetable broth or filtered water
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1 whole nutmeg or a few strands of mace
1-2 in cinnamon stick
2 star anise
6 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
5 black peppercorns
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves or dried
sea salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Using a strainer, rinse the rice several times until the water is clear. Place rice in a medium bowl, cover with 2 cups of water and soak for at least 20 minutes.
Heat two tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium to large pot. Once hot, but not smoking, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, whole nutmeg, bay leaves, black peppercorn, star anise, green cardamom pods, and whole cloves to pot.
Stir and temper spices on low heat for two to three minutes until crackling and fragrant. Be careful not to burn the cumin seeds which can easily happen if you don't watch them closely.
Add the drained, pre soaked rice in with the spices.
Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Fry rice with spices for another two to three minutes.
Add two cups of vegetable broth or water to the pot. Stir well. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and Let the rice sit for another 10 minutes to make sure all the liquid is absorbed. Add cilantro leaves and sea salt to taste and give it a good stir to fluff it. Serve cooked rice immediately with a side of my vegan garlic naan or my Kashmiri naan.

Notes

If you prefer, you can cook jeera rice in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot instead of a regular pot on the stove. Just be sure to use proper rice to water ratio as pictured in the table inside the post above for the cooking method you prefer.

Be sure to rinse rice for about 2 minutes prior to soaking using a strainer and cold water.

Choose high quality aged basmati rice as this improves both the flavor and texture of the dish.

Don't skip the soak as this removes excess starch and allows the grains to fully absorb all the liquid resulting in a fluffier texture.

Nutrition