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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot Recipes

    Jeera Rice Instant Pot

    Published: September 12, 2019 · Modified: March 12, 2021 by Uma Raghupathi · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 4 Comments

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    Jeera rice or cumin rice is one of the oldest recipes for flavored Indian rice. It is nothing but fluffy rice steam cooked with cumin and other spices. I prepared this with Basmati rice in an instant pot pressure cooker. As simple as it sounds, the dish is complete only when you find the right complement to pair it with. 

    A black iron pot is filled with jeera rice and its on the table with golden spoon this recipe
    Jeera rice
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients notes
    • How to make jeera rice - 3 ways 
    • Recipe FAQ’s
    • Few tips and suggestions
    • Best side dish 
    • 📖 Recipe

    Think simple and think sumptuous and today’s recipe that I am sharing for Instant Pot jeera rice is just that! It is by far one of the easy and flavorful rice dishes you will prepare.

    If cooking rice in Instant Pot is overwhelming for you, you are not alone. I still get a lot of questions from my readers about the finer details of cooking rice in an instant pot.

    If this is still overwhelming, I am sharing other ways to prepare Jeera rice with a traditional rice cooker. The procedure is largely the same except for a few sequences of steps.

    But the end result is what you are after and that is the restaurant-quality fluffy rice with every rice grain in perfect texture and packed with cumin flavor. 

    Ingredients notes

    • Basmati rice: The quality of rice matters a lot for this recipe. It’s visible when the boiled rice grains are long, firm, and aromatic. I have tried several brands of basmati rice and my favorite brands are the Extra-long Reserve and the Extra-long Laxmi brand.
    • Cumin seeds: This is yet another key ingredient for this recipe. You can add them whole or crushed. Crushing them lightly helps in releasing more flavor. 
    • Vegan butter: Use vegan butter to get closer to the authentic taste. Pure coconut oil can also be a great substitute for vegan butter.
    • Spices: Aroma is the key here. Aromatic spices like green cardamoms, cinnamon, and bay leaves are great for this dish. Every spoonful of authentic Jeera rice is infused with the sweet aroma of cardamoms.

    How to make jeera rice - 3 ways 

    Instant Pot method

    Cooking with the Instant Pot is so easy that even bachelors like it! It is just like how you would use a traditional steam cooker except for the fact that you have one pot for sauteing and cooking and the procedure is made simple with pre-programmed buttons.  If you don’t have an Instant pot, just follow the same method that I have detailed below, with a pressure cooker.

    Wash the basmati rice with clean water to remove all the starch and then soak them in water for 15- 30 mins.

    An instant pot is filled with vegan butter and cumin seeds over the heat

    Add vegan butter or oil to the inner pot in Instant Pot and press the ‘sauté’ setting. As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom, and bay leaf. Saute for 30 seconds. 

    Pot is filled with green chilies and bay leaf

    Now add green chilies, cinnamon sticks and continue to stir for at least another 10-15 seconds.

    A pot is filled with basmati rice and water

    Add the soaked (and drained) basmati rice along with salt and mix them well. Add  2 ¼ cups water and give it a good stir one last time.

    Close the lid of the instant pot and turn the steam release handle to a “sealing” position. Select the pressure cooking option (high pressure) and set the time for 4  minutes. When time is up, open the lid using natural release.

    Using a stovetop pan or pressure cooker

    If you do not have an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, you can always use any pan over a stovetop to cook rice. First cook plain basmati rice on the stovetop, with just enough water to make them soft but not mushy. Then saute all the spices with oil in a different pan then mix the cooked basmati rice. You could also add more veggies and fried onions for additional flavor.

    Using leftover rice

    If you have leftover rice, Jeera rice is a wonderful way to perk up the flavor and serve it in a creative way! Just steam the rice for 5-10 minutes and follow the same procedure for sauteing the spices and add them to the rice. 

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What is the ratio of water to rice in an instant pot?

    I use 1¼ cup of water for every cup of rice. But that also depends on the age and type of rice. For basmati rice, this ratio usually works out perfectly.

    How many minutes do you cook rice in the instant pot?

    I cook for 4 minutes on high pressure. Sometimes I rinse and soak for 10 minutes before setting it on high pressure. Sometimes I rinse the basmati rice 3 times in water and skip the soaking step.

    Few tips and suggestions

    • First and foremost, the look and appeal for any rice dish start with the kind of rice you use. The best option for this recipe is to use long grain basmati rice. Basmati rice packs in its own natural aroma.
    • To make it more interesting add a few other spices like cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks. You can even add green chilies if you prefer a spicy note to the dish.

    Best side dish 

    Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice needs an equally aromatic and complementing side dish to make it a sumptuous meal. It is quite common to pair it with mixed vegetable dal as it brings a full serving of vegetables and protein. Apart from any kind of Dal, Jeera rice can also be paired with kurma, spinach dal, Indian-style pickle, or vegan yogurt.

    I hope that you will enjoy this dish as much as I and my family did. In my next recipe, I will share the recipe for making your own Dal fry with the Instant Pot. So be sure to come back!

    A black iron pot is filled with jeera rice and its on the table with golden spoon

    Check out my other Instant Pot rice recipe here

    Vegetable rice

    Mushroom rice

    Matar pulao

    Related recipes

    • Lemon Rice Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Tomato Rice
    • Easy Instant Pot Coconut Rice
    • Sona Masoori Rice Instant Pot

    If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Follow me on social media Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

    Just subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious vegan recipes such as this sent directly to your inbox.

    📖 Recipe

    A plate of food on a table, with Rice and Cumin

    Jeera Rice Instant Pot

    Uma Raghupathi
    Jeera rice is one of the oldest recipes for flavored Indian rice. It is nothing but fluffy rice steam cooked with cumin and other spices.
    4.5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time:15 mins
    Cook Time:10 mins
    Total Time:25 mins
    Course :Main Course
    Cuisine :Indian
    Diet :Vegan
    Allergen :Dairy free, Gluten free
    Difficulty :Easy
    Servings 5 people
    Calories 226 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups long grain basmati rice
    • 2 tablespoon vegan butter or coconut oil
    • 3 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 4 green cardamoms
    • 4 clove spice
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 green chilies
    • ½ inch cinnamon sticks
    • Salt to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the basmati rice with clean water to remove all the starch and then soak them in water for 15- 30 mins.
    • Add vegan butter or oil to inner pot in Instant Pot and press the ‘sauté’ setting.
    • As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf. Saute for 30 seconds.
    • Now add green chilies, cinnamon stick and continue to stir for at least another 10-15 seconds.
    • Add the soaked and drained basmati rice along with salt and mix them well.
    • Add 2 ¼ cups water and give it a good stir one last time.
    • Close the lid of the instant pot and turn the steam release handle to “sealing” position.
    • Select the pressure cooking option high pressure and set the timer for 4 minutes.
    • When time is up, open the lid using natural release.
    • That’s it! Instant Pot jeera rice is ready! Serve it hot with a side of dal or Indian curries.

    Notes

    • First and foremost, the look and appeal for any rice dish start with the kind of rice you use. The best option for this recipe is to use long grain basmati rice. Basmati rice packs in its own natural aroma.
    • To make it more interesting add a few other spices like cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks. You can even add green chilies if you prefer a spicy note to the dish.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @simplesumptuouscooking or tag #simplesumptuouscooking!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maya

      March 25, 2020 at 11:36 pm

      I made this recipe Uma. We all loved it. I save d this recipe for future also.5 stars

      Reply
      • Uma Raghupathi

        March 25, 2020 at 11:37 pm

        Thank you Maya 😊

        Reply
    2. Sylvia Torrez

      December 18, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      Haven't made it yet but it better turn out great since I am having guests. I think the recipe for Instant Pot Vegetable Rice is poorly written. Never said anything about soaking rice nor for how long. AND powdered cloves? Does he know we have many cloves.3 stars

      Reply
      • Uma Raghupathi

        December 19, 2019 at 8:10 pm

        Hi.
        Without making how you rated my recipe? I mentioned above how long we should soak the rice in vegetable rice. And about the cloves, I mentioned in ingredients that 2 cloves powdered.

        Reply

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