Think simple and think sumptuous and today’s recipe that I am sharing for Instant Pot jeera rice is just that! It is by far one of the easy and flavorful rice dishes you will prepare. I agree to be sent email.
If cooking rice in Instant Pot is overwhelming for you, you are not alone. I still get a lot of questions from my readers about the finer details of cooking rice in an instant pot. If this is still overwhelming, I am sharing other ways to prepare Jeera rice with a traditional rice cooker. The procedure is largely the same except for a few sequences of steps. But the end result is what you are after and that is the restaurant-quality fluffy rice with every rice grain in perfect texture and packed with cumin flavor.
Ingredients notes
Basmati rice: The quality of rice matters a lot for this recipe. It’s visible when the boiled rice grains are long, firm, and aromatic. I have tried several brands of basmati rice and my favorite brands are the Extra-long Reserve and the Extra-long Laxmi brand.Cumin seeds: This is yet another key ingredient for this recipe. You can add them whole or crushed. Crushing them lightly helps in releasing more flavor. Vegan butter: Use vegan butter to get closer to the authentic taste. Pure coconut oil can also be a great substitute for vegan butter.Spices: Aroma is the key here. Aromatic spices like green cardamoms, cinnamon, and bay leaves are great for this dish. Every spoonful of authentic Jeera rice is infused with the sweet aroma of cardamoms.
How to make jeera rice - 3 ways
Instant Pot method Cooking with the Instant Pot is so easy that even bachelors like it! It is just like how you would use a traditional steam cooker except for the fact that you have one pot for sauteing and cooking and the procedure is made simple with pre-programmed buttons. If you don’t have an Instant pot, just follow the same method that I have detailed below, with a pressure cooker. Wash the basmati rice with clean water to remove all the starch and then soak them in water for 15- 30 mins. Add vegan butter or oil to the inner pot in Instant Pot and press the ‘sauté’ setting. As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom, and bay leaf. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add green chilies, cinnamon sticks and continue to stir for at least another 10-15 seconds. Add the soaked (and drained) basmati rice along with salt and mix them well. Add 2 ¼ cups water and give it a good stir one last time. Close the lid of the instant pot and turn the steam release handle to a “sealing” position. Select the pressure cooking option (high pressure) and set the time for 4 minutes. When time is up, open the lid using natural release. Using a stovetop pan or pressure cooker If you do not have an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, you can always use any pan over a stovetop to cook rice. First cook plain basmati rice on the stovetop, with just enough water to make them soft but not mushy. Then saute all the spices with oil in a different pan then mix the cooked basmati rice. You could also add more veggies and fried onions for additional flavor. Using leftover rice If you have leftover rice, Jeera rice is a wonderful way to perk up the flavor and serve it in a creative way! Just steam the rice for 5-10 minutes and follow the same procedure for sauteing the spices and add them to the rice.
Few tips and suggestions
First and foremost, the look and appeal for any rice dish start with the kind of rice you use. The best option for this recipe is to use long grain basmati rice. Basmati rice packs in its own natural aroma.To make it more interesting add a few other spices like cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks. You can even add green chilies if you prefer a spicy note to the dish.
Best side dish
Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice needs an equally aromatic and complementing side dish to make it a sumptuous meal. It is quite common to pair it with mixed vegetable dal as it brings a full serving of vegetables and protein. Apart from any kind of Dal, Jeera rice can also be paired with kurma, spinach dal, Indian-style pickle, or vegan yogurt. I hope that you will enjoy this dish as much as I and my family did. In my next recipe, I will share the recipe for making your own Dal fry with the Instant Pot. So be sure to come back! Check out my other Instant Pot rice recipe here Vegetable rice Mushroom rice Matar pulao Related recipes If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Follow me on social media Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Just subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious vegan recipes such as this sent directly to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
