Jeera rice

Name: Jeera rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 300 g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes; 1½ tbsp ghee; 2 tsp cumin; 1 leaf bay leaves; 2 cardamom (optional); 550 ml water; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped (optional)

Vegetarian

जीरा राइस · jeera rice

Fluffy basmati rice cooked with ghee-fried cumin seeds and a few whole spices. The everyday companion to North Indian curries and dals.

Jeera rice is an Indian rice dish, ready in about 40 minutes and made with basmati rice and cumin. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Freshly prepared jeera rice served with chutney, yogurt, and salad. — Photo: Milton Das / Pexels · Pexels License

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 15 min
Rest: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 322

Ingredients

4 servings

300 g Basmati rice (opens in a new tab), rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
1½ tbsp (20 g) Ghee (opens in a new tab)Swap: Neutral vegetable oil (Makes it plant-based.)Contains milk
2 tsp (4 g) Cumin (opens in a new tab)Whole seeds.
1 leaf (0 g) Bay leaves (opens in a new tab)
2 (0.5 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab) (optional)
550 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (6 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (1 g) Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), chopped (optional)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak for 20 minutes and drain.
- 2 min
2
Step 2
Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a saucepan (opens in a new tab), add the cumin (opens in a new tab), bay leaf (opens in a new tab) and cardamom (opens in a new tab) and let the cumin sizzle and darken slightly.
- 1 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Add the rice and stir gently for a minute to coat. Pour in the water and salt and bring to the boil.
- 3 min
- high heat
4
Step 4
Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and scatter coriander.
- 17 min
- low heat
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: North India, India · Commonly attributedAlso popular in Pakistan, United KingdomMore food from India
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Side dishes
Cooking method: Boiled, Steamed
Taste: aromatic / warmly spiced, mild, buttery
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · One-pot · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Basmati rice · Cumin · Ghee · Bay leaves
Techniques: Boiling · Steaming · Tadka (tempering)

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

322 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 220 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 7%
Carbohydrate 76%
Fat 16%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	322 kcal	146 kcal
Protein	5.6 g	2.5 g
Carbohydrate	60.5 g	27.5 g
Net carbohydrate	59.4 g	27 g
Sugars	0.1 g	0.1 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	1.1 g	0.5 g
Fat	5.8 g	2.6 g
Saturated fat	3.3 g	1.5 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	13 mg	6 mg
Sodium	591 mg	268 mg
Salt equivalent	1.5 g	0.7 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 106 mg
Calcium: 46 mg
Iron: 4 mg
Magnesium: 25 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 43 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 290 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: cardamom, coriander leaves.
Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Common mistakes

Stirring rice while it cooks breaks the grains and makes it sticky.

Serve with

Serve with dal makhani, rajma, chole or any North Indian curry.

Food safety

Cool leftover rice quickly and reheat only once.

Storage

Cool quickly and refrigerate within an hour; keeps 1 day.

Reheating

Reheat with a sprinkle of water, covered, until steaming hot throughout.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Lauki raita (bottle gourd raita)Dip

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes300 g
Ghee1.5 tbsp · 20 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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