Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice)

Restaurant style Instant Pot Jeera/cumin rice served in a bowl with cilantro on the side

5 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice)

Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice) is an easy one pot flavorful rice dish made with perfectly cooked Basmati Rice flavored with jeera and whole spices.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, North Indian

Keyword cumin rice, instant pot, jeera rice

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 424kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Equipment

Ingredients

Whole Spices

Other Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 cup basmati rice rinsed
2 green chilies split lengthwise
1.5 cups water
salt to taste
2 tablespoons coriander (cilantro)

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add ghee or oil and once it's hot add cumin/jeera seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and cloves. Saute for 30 secs (till aromatic).
Then add green chilies. Saute for another 30 secs.
Add Basmati Rice, water, salt, and give a stir.
Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, Do a Quick Pressure Release (QR) Manually.
Lastly, remove the lid away from you, garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander leaves.
Jeera Rice is ready.

Indian Pressure Cooker Method

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat and once it's hot add bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, cumin/Jeera. Saute for 30 seconds (till aromatic).
Then add green chilies. Saute for another 30 secs.
Add basmati rice, water, salt and stir well.
Close the lid of the cooker, Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on medium heat.
When rice is cooled, fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Jeera Rice is ready

Stovetop Pot Method:

To make jeera rice recipe or pulao on a stovetop pot, follow the steps as above until adding water and then cook covered on a low heat until the water is absorbed and then turn off the heat. Allow it to rest for some time and then open the lid and fluff the rice.

Notes

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT

Tips to Make the Perfect Jeera Rice

Basmati Rice: Use good quality basmati rice for making the fragrant Jeera Rice. However, you can use any premium-quality rice.
Rinsing the Rice: Rinse Always rinse the uncooked basmati rice before you cook it. This helps to remove excess starch, make it less sticky, and prevent it from clumping together.
Water-Rice Ratio: To make non-sticky, fluffy cumin rice adjust the water correctly, depending on the quality and type of rice used. I have used basmati rice in this recipe.
Vegan: Use ghee (clarified butter) to get the best flavors in Jeera Rice. To make vegan jeera rice, use either olive oil or any cooking oil.
'Rice' Setting: You can follow the same instructions and Press the Rice button instead of Pressure Cook/Manual mode. It will default to 12 minutes at LOW pressure. The results are pretty much the same.
Vegetable Jeera Pulao: Add 1 cup of mixed fresh/frozen vegetables (like carrot, green beans, and peas) to this recipe to make a Vegetable Pulao/Pilaf. You can also garnish it with some roasted nuts.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition