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Jeera (or cumin) rice is a flavoured dish made by cooking basmati rice with ghee, cumin and other fragrant spices in a pressure cooker.
The process is simple and only a handful of ingredients - pantry staples - are needed. Cumin is rich in iron, zinc, copper and other nutrients.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Soaking time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients: Basmati rice: ¾ cup Ghee: 1 tbsp Cumin seeds: 1 tsp Lemon juice: 2 tsp Salt: As needed Green chilli (optional): 1 Water: 1 cup Coriander leaves: Few
Method: 1) Wash and soak the basmati rice in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. 2) In a pressure cooker, place 1 tbsp ghee. 3) Once the ghee becomes hot, add the slit green chilli and cumin seeds. 4) Adding cumin seeds once the ghee is hot brings out the best flavour of the jeera rice. 5) Drain the water from the rice and keep the water aside. 6) Add the rice to the cooker and saute for two minutes. 7) Add the water which was drained earlier. 8) Add salt and lemon juice. 9) Lemon juice makes the rice fluffier and gives it a nice, white colour. Mix well. 10) Cover the cooker and cook for either two whistles or cook for one whistle and keep in very low flame for seven minutes. 11) Switch off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally. 12) Open the cooker and gently mix the rice from the sides. 13) Add a few chopped coriander leaves. 14) Serve with any paneer-based gravy or simple dal.
Notes: a) I tried adding ¼ tsp of ginger-garlic paste and it was yummy. b) Adding lemon juice will not cause any sour or bitter taste. c) Sauteing the rice in ghee helps each grain to get cooked well.
d) Restaurant-style jeera rice tastes best with dhaba-style dal tadka.
Jeyashri Suresh runs the vegetarian food website www.jeyashriskitchen.com
