Jeera Rice
Fluffy basmati cooked with cumin seeds crackled in ghee, with a bay leaf and a few whole spices. The everyday partner for dal and any North Indian curry.
Prep 5 min · Cook 20 min · Total 25 min + 20 min soaking · Serves 3
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 ¾ cups Water
- 1 tsp Salt
Tempering
- 1 ½ tbsp Ghee
- 1 ½ tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3 Green cardamom pods
- 4 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 Green chilli, slit
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
Method
- Wash and soak. Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs almost clear, then cover with fresh water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain well in a sieve.
- Crackle the cumin. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot with a tight lid over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and, once they sizzle and darken a shade, the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and green chilli.
- Toast the rice. Tip in the drained rice and stir gently for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in ghee and smells nutty. Stir carefully so the soaked grains don't break.
- Cook. Pour in 1 3/4 cups water and the salt and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly and cook for 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Rest and fluff. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, scatter over the coriander and serve with dal tadka, rajma or any curry.
Tips
Soaking and resting are what make long, separate grains. Use a fork, never a spoon, to fluff it, and pick out the whole spices before serving to children.