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 this cumin rice like an interesting but mellow sidekick to spicy saag paneer, tikka masala or vegetable korma.
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This simple and easy rice with cumin recipe is naturally gluten-free, vegan, plant-based and oil-free.
This mellow cumin basmati rice is delicious with any Indian curry or dal, but the mild cumin flavor also pairs well with TexMex dishes, Caribbean food and Middle Eastern recipes.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
This simple, oil-free basmati jeera rice recipe needs only 2 ingredients (besides water & salt).
- White basmati rice - Basmati rice has a beautiful fragrance, super long grains and becomes fluffy when cooked. It's grown in India and is the best rice to use for this recipe.
- Whole cumin seeds - Use whole cumin seeds, not ground cumin, to make this recipe. I buy whole cumin seeds by the bag at a very affordable price at our local Indian grocery store. There are several recipes where I use the seeds whole. But, when I run out of ground cumin, the very best tasting way to replace that is to grind your own cumin seeds (I use a coffee grinder). So, that's what I do with extra whole cumin seeds I have on hand, since ground cumin is an ingredient I use all the time in my TexMex cooking.
📋 Substitutions and variations
Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:
- White basmati rice - Use brown basmati rice instead (recipe adjustment for brown rice: add rice in when you add the water and cook for 45 minutes instead of 20). Or, use white masoori rice or other long-grain white rice.
- Whole cumin seeds - Use other spices, such as whole cloves, saffron threads, sliced ginger, garlic and/or a cinnamon stick.
- SOS-free - To make this SOS-free, skip the salt.
- WFPB - To make this whole food plant-based, use brown basmati rice instead (recipe adjustment for brown rice: add rice in when you add the water and cook for 45 minutes instead of 20).
Switch things up with these variation ideas!
- Spicy - add whole or chopped hot pepper to make this spicy jeera rice
- More aromatic - You can make this rice even more fragrant and aromatic by adding a few whole cloves and a whole cinnamon stick, as well.
🔪 Instructions
- Step 1: The first step is to rinse your rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water. This cleans the rice and removes some of the starch so the rice is fluffier. Then, heat a pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and dry roast for a few minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Roast until fragrant and popping.
- Step 2: Add water and salt to pan with the cumin seeds and bring to a boil.
- Step 3: Add rice to pan and stir. Bring back to a boil and stir one more time.
- Step 4: 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 another favorite curry or dal.
⭐️ Expert tips
- Dry-roasting or dry-toasting your whole spices is a technique to use a dry, heated pan to bring out the flavor of the spice, without using oil. This method works really well, but you have to be careful not to burn the spices. Keep stirring and be ready to either remove the spices from the pan to cool down or continue with the recipe quickly. In this recipe, have your measured water ready to pour in the pan as soon as the cumin seeds are roasted.
- 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, as long as it has a tight-fitting lid.
☕️ 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.
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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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