Instant Pot Jeera Rice Recipe (Indian Cumin Rice)

Jeera rice is a cumin-flavoured aromatic rice dish made with whole cumin seeds, fragrant spices and basmati rice. This flavoured Indian rice, also called zeera rice or cumin rice, goes well with most side dishes and curries. It makes a fabulous weeknight meal or a great addition to the party menu.

Prep Time5

Cook Time18

Natural Pressure Release (NPR)10

Total Time33

Course: Main Course, rice

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 1518kcal

Author: Geetha Priyanka

Equipment

1 Instant Pot
1 Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml

360 gms (or) 1 ½ cups Basmati Rice
20 gms (or) 2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Bay Leaf
½ inch Cassia
3 Cloves
8 gms (or) 1 Tablespoon Cumin Seeds
2 Green Chillies each slit into two lengthwise
handful Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
2 ¼ cups (or) 312 ml Water
Salt as required

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Wash rice 3-4 times in a colander under cold tap water until the water runs clear.
360 gms (or) 1 ½ cups Basmati Rice
Soak it in sufficient water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, plugin Instant pot.
Press the saute button.
Melt butter in the inner pot of instant pot.
20 gms (or) 2 Tablespoons Butter
Once butter melts, add the aromatic spices - bay leaf, cassia, cloves and fry for a few seconds until aromatic.
1 Bay Leaf, ½ inch Cassia, 3 Cloves
Now fry cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a minute or until it releases a pleasant aroma.
8 gms (or) 1 Tablespoon Cumin Seeds
Now add green chillies and cook for a couple of minutes.
2 Green Chillies
Press the cancel button to turn the saute mode off.
Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pot.
360 gms (or) 1 ½ cups Basmati Rice
Add coriander, salt, water and gently stir.
handful Fresh Coriander Leaves, 2 ¼ cups (or) 312 ml Water, Salt
Close the pot with lid of the instant pot move the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
Press PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL button, set the timer at 6 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off and the IP beeps, let it naturally release pressure for 10 minutes (NPR - Natural Pressure Release).
After 10 minutes, move the pressure valve to the VENT position to release the pressure manually.
Once the pressure is completely released, the knob next to the pressure valve drops.
Now open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Notes

The key step is to fry the cumin well until it crackles and releases an enticing aroma and flavours. This ensures the cumin flavor dissipates well and makes rice more flavourful.

Make sure to deglaze the pot before setting the timer to prevent the BURN message.

Cooking time might vary depending on the hardness of the water and the type of rice you use. Higher the hardness of the water, the longer the cooking time.

The basmati rice I use requires 1.5 cups of water for one cup of rice. However, the ratio varies depending on the type and the quality of rice you use.

Nutrition