Jeera Rice is an easy and quick way to make fragrant rice seasoned with cumin. It is one of the dishes prepared with minimal ingredients and time yet tastes delicious with the aroma of cumin seeds.
Cumin is an earthy, spicy-sweet flavour seed, one of the most essential ingredients of Indian cuisine. It is an essential spice for its flavour in tadka (tempering spices). Generally used as dry roast, coarsely ground or powdered in curries, rice, side dishes and spice blends. It is an essential spice used in day-to-day cooking in almost all Indian households and a mandatory spice in a pantry.
Jeera rice/cumin rice is one of the favourite and much preferred dishes in Indian restaurants. This recipe method is used in restaurants where cooked rice is tossed with fried cumin and onion. This cumin rice is usually served with dal tadka, however, it tastes equally delicious with simple vegetable curries. On weekdays instead of plain rice, make this flavourful cumin rice and enjoy it with simple curries such as my chickpea spinach curry, vegetable chettinad, baby corn masala and green peas masala. This flavourful cumin rice served with curry, salad and papad make a comforting weekday meal.
This is a great way to use up leftover rice. Check out my corn fried rice, coconut rice, lemon rice made with leftover rice.
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Ingredients
Oil & Ghee
Onion & Coriander
Cooked Rice
Salt
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
In a pan, heat the oil and ghee over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and saute until fragrant. Let them crackle and release a nice aroma.
Now add the chopped onion and saute for a couple of minutes or until onions are soft.
Reduce the heat a little, add salt, rice and coriander.
Gently mix the rice until well combined, making sure not to break the rice grains. Turn the heat off.
Delicious and fragrant Jeera Rice is ready to enjoy with curry or any side dish of your choice.
Variations
You may add more spices like cassia, green cardamom, black cardamom and bay leaves to make it more flavourful.
The method I have shown here is a restaurant style that can be made in a jiffy. A second method involves cooking rice along with tempered spices.
Add green chillies for a spicy kick.
Substitutions
Substitute the ghee with oil or vegan butter for a vegan version.
Cooked brown rice, sona masoori, ponni and easy cook rice could be used instead of basmati rice.
Storage
As this is made with leftover rice I would suggest finishing it off the same day. However, if you prepare this cumin flavoured rice with freshly cooked rice then you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat the required quantity in the microwave until piping hot and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Jeera rice and tadka dal is a classic combination and easy to make in midweek for dinner.
For a change from the usual dal, try pairing it with mango dal or spinach dal.
It pairs absolutely well with simple vegetable curries such as butternut squash chickpea curry or capsicum masala.
Great to serve guests on special occasions. It pairs well with paneer curry such as paneer makhani, kadai paneer, malai matar paneer.
It's an ideal option to pack in a lunch box along with a simple side dish such as bombay aloo/ aloo gobi.
Tips and Tricks
Fry the cumin well and ensure it crackles once they are dropped into the oil. Make sure the oil/butter is medium hot before adding cumin so that the enticing aroma and flavours are released.
Do not fry the cumin in a very hot oil/butter as you will end up burning it.
Ensure the rice is not overcooked, rather perfectly cooked with each grain separate.
Ensure to reheat leftover rice in the microwave if it is stored in the fridge. Cover the container with cling film or a lid and then reheat. This ensures that the moisture of the rice is retained and prevents it from getting dry. Gently stir the rice halfway through heating.
Restaurant Style Jeera Rice
Video
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 2 cups (or) 370 gms Rice Cooked
- 2 Tablespoons Cumin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- ¼ cup (or) 1 small Onion finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Coriander finely chopped
- Salt as required
Instructions
- In a pan, heat the oil and ghee over medium heat.1 Tablespoon Oil, 1 Tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and saute until fragrant. Let them crackle and release a nice aroma.2 Tablespoons Cumin seeds
- Now add the chopped onion and saute for a couple of minutes or until onions are soft.¼ cup (or) 1 small Onion
- Reduce the heat a little, add salt, rice and coriander.Salt, 1 Tablespoon Coriander
- Gently mix the rice until well combined, making sure not to break the rice grains. Turn the heat off.2 cups (or) 370 gms Rice
- Delicious and fragrant Jeera Rice is ready to enjoy with curry or any side dish of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Recipes
Saffron Rice 
Carrot Rice 
Lemon Rice
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this easy restaurant style jeera rice. I love hearing from you all. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online.
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Jeera Rice is one of my favourite variety of rice. It can go well with daal as well as curry. Easy to make yet so flavourful . Beautiful share..
Thanks a lot Ruchi...
Jeera rice is one such dish which requires minimal ingredients and tastes awesome. It is so versatile and goes well with any dal , curry or gravy dishes..both veg and non veg. Yours looks great and perfectly done.
Thanks Poonam.
Jeera rice Is my favourite rice . Thanks for Sharing this quick and tasty rice recipe.
Thank you Pavani. Do let me know how it turned out when you try this recipe.
Jeera rice with dal fry is always my fav. You have made this just perfect. Lovely share !!!
Thanks Geetanjali...
restaurant style jeera rice really looking like one. Love these brass utensils. Jeera rice is perfect with dal tadka.
Thank you.
I end up making this dish many times cause of its simplicity. It can be paired with anything even dal.
Even I prefer to make this whenever we feel to have something simple yet flavourful instead of plain rice....
There is something so fanciful about the restaurant recipes always. I love the way you have recreated that magic.
Thank you. I hope you get t try this recipe sometime.
True Jeera rice is one of the dishes prepared with minimal ingredients and time yet tastes heavenly when eaten with any curry or dal.
I can almost smell the aroma of cumin while looKing at the beautiful clicks.
Thanks Lata.
There is something about this simple dish that takes my heart away all the time, love this with dal makhni specially, loved your detailed recipe thanks for sharing.
So true Soma, this simple yet flavourful dish never fails to impress us....
This sounds so flavorful and good !!!! I most of the time prefer to make this in normal days 😉 Lovely share
Thanks Sasmita...
Jeera rice comes first to my mind when I have sudden guests...simple, quick and yummy!! Looking super tempting and yummy!!
This is a much needed recipe. I never get the perfect restaurent style texture in jeera rice 🙂
Jeera rice and tadka dal.. what more do we need. Whenever I come home after travelling this is the first thing I make.
This sounds so good! I remember having jeera rice in India when I travelled there but I've never made it at home.
I hope you do try sometime Mandy. I am sure you will like it.
always looking for good rice recipes and it seems simple enough
Yes Karl, it is very quick and easy to prepare, yet flavourful and tasty.