With fried whole cumin seeds plus onion and garlic together with basmati rice, this Jeera Rice (cumin rice) recipe is packed with flavour and is so easy to make.
Jeera rice (cumin rice) is a popular everyday rice dish from India.
It's known as jeera rice because zeera (pronounced jeera) is the Indian term for cumin seeds, the spice star of this rice recipe.
After seeing a similar dish on a recent episode of MasterChef, I decided to make my own version.
I love the taste of cumin, but never thought of putting it in rice - but now that I have this will be our staple rice side dish here at home from now on!
Table of Contents
Why you will love jeera rice
- Easy to make.
- Packed with flavour.
- Puts an end to boring old white rice!
- Makes your usual rice game just that little bit fancy!
What you need to make jeera rice
- basmati rice
- cumin seeds
- a brown onion
- garlic cloves
- ghee (a type of clarified butter from India)
- water
- salt
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make jeera rice
- Heat the ghee in saucepan.
- Add cumin seeds and chopped onion.
- Fry over low heat until onion is soft.
- Add washed and drained basmati rice and crushed garlic.
- Stir over low heat to coat rice and cook garlic.
- Add water and salt, then bring to boil and cover with a lid.
Top tips
- When you are cooking the onions we don't want them to get brown, just sweat down a little and get nice and soft.
- Once your rice has come to the boil and you put the lid on, don't lift it up to have a look, even when you turn it off to let it sit for the last 10 minutes! Use your kitchen timer and trust the process! If you lift the lid this lets out the heat and steam that we are using to cook the rice.
Basmati rice with whole cumin seeds.
Variations and serving suggestions
- Stir through some chopped coriander (cilantro) or parsley just before serving.
- You could substitute vegetable oil for the ghee.
- Serve with curry, casseroles, or anywhere you would usually serve a side of rice.
Other recipes you may like
Lamb with Cumin and Rosemary - moist, tender, pull apart lamb that is so soft it shreds with just two forks.
Cumin Lamb Ribs - mix up a few simple ingredients then bake in the oven. Tasty, moist and easy finger-licking lamb ribs.
Lamb Stifado - a meltingly tender, slow-cooked stew of lamb shoulder with onions in a sauce spiced with cinnamon and cloves.
Beef In Beer - beef, mustard, and onions are slow cooked in beer for a tender, melt-in-you-mouth stew that you want to eat all year round!
Lamb Cutlets - tender, juicy lamb cutlets with a simple fresh herb and garlic crust grilled to perfection.
Shawarma Rice - a Middle Eastern inspired one pot chicken and rice dish using thighs marinated in shawarma spices for a quick and easy dinner.
Easy Jeera Rice - Cumin Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 small brown onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves cores removed and crushed
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Heat the ghee in a saucepan over low heat.1 tablespoon ghee
- Add cumin seeds and chopped onion and fry over low heat until onion is soft.1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 small brown onion
- Add basmati rice (washed and drained) and crushed garlic and continue to stir over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes to coat the rice and cook the garlic.1 cup basmati rice2 garlic cloves
- Stir in water and salt, then bring to the boil.2 cups water½ teaspoon fine salt
- Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat for 15 minutes (without peeking!).
- At the 15 minute mark, turn the heat off and leave to sit for 10 minutes (with lid still unopened).
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Notes
- When you are cooking the onions we don't want them to get brown, just sweat down a little and get nice and soft.
- Once your rice has come to the boil and you put the lid on, don't lift it up to have a look, even when you turn it off and let it sit for the last 10 minutes! Use your kitchen timer and trust the process! If you lift the lid this lets out the heat and steam that we are using to cook the rice.
Loved this. Really simple and great taste. Thanks.
My pleasure Andi. Glad you enjoyed it!