Jeera Rice - Cumin Rice

I have already posted a jeera rice recipe before along with the Shahi Paneer.

But this time I tried Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe and added a few extra ingredients from the old recipe as well. Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe involves cooking the rice along with the jeera and allowing the water to reduce completely at exactly the same time the rice is cooked. So the quantity of rice and water is important. The previous recipe involves cooking rice separately and draining it. Then the jeera (cumin seeds), onions, nuts, etc are fried and the rice is added to it. Both ways work great.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cups (I use Saffola Arise - Everyday)

Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons
Ghee - 1 1/2 tablespoons
Bay leaf - 1
Black cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 2 two inch stick

Onion, sliced finely - 1 medium

Green Chilly - 1 long, slit

Salt to taste

Cashewnuts - few

Method:

Wash rice thoroughly and soak in water for half an hour. Drain. Heat ghee in a pan. Add cashews and toast them till they turn brown. Keep it aside. In the same pan, into the remaining ghee, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, black cardamom and cinnamon. When cumin seeds crackle, add the green chilly and sliced onion. Fry till the onion turns brown and then add rice. Add salt to taste. Stir till ghee coats every grain of rice and it looks glossy. Add three cups of water. Bring to a boil. Stir once. Reduce heat to minimum and cover the pan with a lid. Leave a little gap, otherwise water will boil over. Rice will be done when holes appear on the surface and water has been completely absorbed. Fork the rice out onto a serving dish. This will separate each grain. Serve hot with any curry.

 

Jeera Rice served with Chicken Tikka Masala: