A simple way to liven up basmati rice, this oil-free jeera rice with cumin seeds complements all of your favorite Indian curries. Think of it like an interesting but mellow sidekick to spicy saag paneer, tikka masala or vegetable korma.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
This simple, oil-free jeera rice recipe calls for:
- cumin seeds (not ground cumin)
- basmati rice
That's it! You can make this rice even more fragrant and aromatic by adding a few whole cloves and a whole cinnamon stick, as well.
🔪 Instructions
The first step is to rinse your rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water. This removes some of the starches so the rice is fluffier.
Then, you'll want to heat up a medium-large pan.
- For making rice, it's best if you have a heavy-bottomed pan, so the rice cooks more evenly and doesn't burn.
- But, use whatever pan you have or what you normally cook rice in.
Add cumin seeds and dry roast them in the hot pan for 1-2 minutes, until they are fragrant. This helps bring out their flavor.
Then, add water and salt and bring to a boil.
Add rice, stir and bring back to a boil.
Then, stir one more time. Then, cover, reduce heat all the way to low and let cook for 20 minutes. Do not remove cover until the 20 minutes has elapsed.
Fluff your rice and serve with your favorite curry! We love this rice with Vegan Saag Chana or Vegan Saag Paneer.
☕️ Tea pairing
This cumin seed jeera rice is delicious paired with hot or iced chai tea latte! Never had chai? What does chai taste like? I'm sure you'll love it!
❓ FAQ
3 cups of water. For fluffy basmati rice cooked on the stovetop, you need 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice.
No. Common white rice you find in the grocery store is not the same as the basmati rice variety. There are many different varieties of rice in the world, all with different flavors, properties and shapes. Basmati rice is a fragrant, long-grain rice that is common in Indian dishes. You can buy brown basmati rice or white basmati rice.
💜 More recipes you'll love
- Vegan Saag Paneer - Indian Spiced Creamy Spinach with Tofu
- Instant Pot Chickpeas (no soak!)
- Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice (vegan)
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📖 Recipe
Cumin Seed Basmati Rice (oil-free jeera rice)
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan with tight-fitting lid
- Fine mesh strainer for rinsing rice
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds whole
- 4 ½ cups water
- 3 cups white basmati rice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
To make White Basmati Jeera Rice (oil-free)
- Rinse rice in a fine mesh strainer with cool water and set aside.
- Heat a medium sized dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot that has a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat.
- Add cumin seeds and dry roast them for 1-2 minutes, until they smell fragrant.
- Add water and salt to pan. Bring to a boil.
- Add rice, stir and bring back to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes. Do not open cover until 20 minutes has elapsed.
- Uncover, remove from heat and fluff rice. Serve with vegan saag paneer, vegan saag chana or other favorite curry.
To make Brown Basmati Jeera Rice (oil-free)
- To make brown basmati cumin seed rice, follow the same method, but instead cook the rice for 45 minutes instead of 20 minutes.
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