Instant Pot Jeera Rice

Looking for a simple, flavored Indian rice? Try this Jeera rice or cumin flavored rice. This is flavored with cumin seeds, other whole spices, and ghee. I make this rice using Instant Pot. Rice grains are sauteed in ghee and aromatic spices and garnished with nuts and raisins. Flavors are simply amazing! This is a quick and easy recipe that pairs well with a lot of Indian curries and sabjis. You will find detailed ingredients, instructions, and serving suggestions. (Don't be worried about the 1-hour total time which includes prep time + cooking time - it is mostly unattended).

ingredients run down

Full recipe + measurements + video can be found in the recipe card below.

Jeera rice can also be called Indian cumin rice - an Indian rice dish that is flavored with cumin seeds or jeera. Here is what you will need to make this fluffy flavored rice:

• Rice
• Ghee
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Cardamom pods
• Cashew Nuts
• Raisins
• Jeera/Cumin Seeds
• Whole Black Pepper

Rice - Rice is rinsed, soaked, and then drained to get the best results.

Jeera/Cumin Seeds- Jeera is a must-have spice in the Indian pantry. It is widely used in Indian cuisine, both South Indian and North Indian cuisine. It can be used as a whole or a spice powder in dishes. Here we use the whole cumin seeds.

Ghee - Ghee is clarified butter and sautéing (or frying) the rice and other whole spices in ghee add a lot of flavor to the jeera rice.

Whole Spices - We use whole spices like Cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom pods to add warmth and flavor.

Whole Black Pepper - Whole black pepper imparts a little heat to the dish. Since we are not using any other peppers, this rice is pretty mild.

Cashew nuts and raisins - These are mainly used as garnishes add also a little crunch and a hint of sweetness respectively.

step by step instructions

We are using Instant Pot to prepare the cumin rice. It makes it extremely simple to make this; it also keeps the daana separate (grains are separate and not mushy).

You can find the detailed instructions and video on the recipe card. But here are the instructions in a nut shell.

• Rinse the rice in water 4-5 times.
• Soak in water for 15 minutes and then drain for 15 minutes to get the best results.
• Instant pot in Saute mode.
• Sauté (fry) the spices and garnishes in ghee.
• Sauté (fry) the rice in ghee.
• Add the required quantity of water (see recipe card for details) and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
• Release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes and do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
• Open the lid and fluff the rice gently. Serve hot.

Told ya! It is pretty easy to make instant pot jeera rice.

utensils/equiments needed

This is an instant pot recipe to make jeera rice/cumin rice.

• Instant Pot
• Bowl to rinse, soak and drain the rice.
• Sieve to drain the rice (as shown in the video in the recipe card) [If you have another technique to drain the rice, use that].
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cooking spoons
• Serving dish

a quick note about salt 🙂

Salt is a very hard measurement to provide in a recipe. Individual taste and preference vary when it comes to saltiness. 🙂 . You can start by adding ¾ teaspoon of salt and taste. Keep in mind that the liquid (in this case, water), should be a tad bit saltier than the final dish. Add more little by little if required until you are satisfied. (I typically use one teaspoon of salt for 1 cup of rice).

types of rice you can use

Typically made with aromatic Basmati rice, I make this cumin flavored rice with different varieties of rice, based on the availability. I make this with:

• Basmati Rice
• Sona Masoori Rice
• Jeeraga Samba Rice

Basmati Rice - This is the most popular Indian rice variety and almost has a royal feeling attached to it. :). This is long-grain rice and is quite popular to make Indian flavored rice varieties, biryanis, etc.

Sona Masoori Rice - This is a medium-grain and is popular in South Indian cuisine for day-to-day consumption. Though it does not have the typical Basmati rice flavor or aroma, it does work in the jeera rice recipe.

Jeeraga Samba Rice - Jeeraga Samba rice, grains are small and have a distinct flavor and aroma to them. The name comes from the fact that grains of this variety are shaped like cumin seeds and are small in size.

The "doneness" of the rice varies with the individual. I personally do not like to have the bite in the rice so I cook it for 5 minutes on HIGH in my instant pot and then let it "cook" for another 10 minutes (by releasing the pressure naturally for 10 minutes). If you like to have a slight bite to the rice, release the pressure manually immediately after the instant pot beeps.

leftovers?

If you have jeera rice leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

serving suggestions

Click on the recipe names to go to the individual recipes. Along with these, consider adding a simple onion or mixed-vegetable raitha (Indian yogurt dip) to complete the meal. If you like papad (deep-fried thin lentil wafers), look for Lijjat papad brand [BTW, this is not a sponsored post] in your local Indian stores or online.

vegetarian

• Bell Pepper Curry
• Cauliflower with chickpeas curry
• Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts

non-vegetarian

• Spicy oats crusted chicken thighs
• Green Chutney Chicken
• Cilantro Chicken Curry

frequently asked questions

additonal notes

• 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish). Use the same cup (that you used to measure the rice) to measure the water.
• 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
• Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.
• Serving size - this serves my family of three for a pretty heavy meal along with one of the dishes I have mentioned in the serving suggestions. Always adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.
• Want it spicy? You can add a slit green chilli while sauteeing the rice to add an additional level of heat to the dish.
• I have tried to keep this a no-onion, no-garlic jeera rice. But if you like the flavors of garlic. you can add ½ tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste while sauteing the spices and rice. Make sure you cook out the raw flavor of ginger and garlic before adding water.
• 30 minutes of prep time is mostly unattended - this is the time required to soak and drain the rice.
• The Instant pot takes about 8-10 minutes to build up the pressure. This is also included in the cooking time.

Jeera Rice Recipe

Looking for a simple flavored Indian rice? Try this Jeera rice or cumin flavored rice. This is flavored with cumin seeds, other whole spices, and ghee.

Print Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 2 -3

Ingredients

  

• 200 grams 1 cup Rice
• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 1- inch Cinnamon
• 2-3 Cloves
• 2-3 Cardamom pods
• 10-12 Cashew Nuts
• 10-12 Raisins
• ¾- 1 teaspoon Jeera/Cumin Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Rinse rice in plenty of water 4-5 times. Soak for 15 minutes and then drain for 15 minutes.
• Turn on the Instant Pot in sauté mode
• Add ghee and let it melt.
• Add whole spices - cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. Fry for a few seconds until aromatic.
• Add cashew nuts, raisins, cumin seeds, and peppercorns. Fry for a minute or two until aromatic.
• Add drained rice and fry for a minute. 
• Add 1 ½ cups of water and salt. Mix well. 
• Press the Cancel button on the Instant Pot. 
• Cover and lock the lid into position. Set the Pressure Release to SEALING.
• Pressure cook (OR MANUAL mode in some models) on HIGH for 5 minutes. [It will take approximately 8-10 minutes for it to reach full pressure.] Release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release to let go of any remaining pressure. 
• Open the lid. 
• Fluff gently with a fork. Transfer to serving dish. 
• Serve hot garnished with cashew nuts and raisins.

Video

Notes

• 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish). Use the same cup (that you used to measure the rice) to measure the water.
• 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
• Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.
• Serving size - this serves my family of three for a pretty heavy meal along with one of the dishes I have mentioned in the serving suggestions. Always adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.
• Want it spicy? You can add a slit green chilli while sauteeing the rice to add an additional layer of heat to the dish.
• I have tried to keep this a no-onion, no-garlic jeera rice. But if you like the flavors of garlic. you can add ½ tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste while sauteing the spices and rice. Make sure you cook out the raw flavor of ginger and garlic before adding water.
• 30 minutes of prep time is mostly unattended - this is the time required to soak and drain the rice.
• The Instant pot takes about 8-10 minutes to build up the pressure. This is also included in the cooking time.