Instant Pot Jeera Rice Recipe (2024)

Jeera Rice is a famous Indian fried rice flavoured with cumin. It perfectly complements all Indian curries. And the best part is you can make fluffy, aromatic cumin rice in under 15 minutes in an instant pot.

What is ‘Jeera Rice’?

In Hindi, the cumin seeds are called Jeera. Hence, the cumin-flavoured basmati rice is known as Jeera Rice. It is a vegetarian, one-pot, gluten-free rice dish with a subtle spices flavour and a fluffy, non-sticky texture.

You do not need fancy pulao or flatbread if you know how to make perfect jeera rice. It effortlessly fits as a side dish with every Indian main course.

Earlier, like my mother, I used to make jeera rice in a casserole over the stovetop. It is a failproof but time taking process. I always say that instant pot has been a total game-changing equipment for my Indian kitchen.

From making The 100 Best Curries for my debut cookbook to rice dishes, I cook it all on my instant pot.

So I am sharing a tried and tested instant pot method to make the BEST jeera rice in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients Required

Rice: Use long-grain, best-quality basmati rice. I would not recommend using short to medium-grain, starchy rice.

Ghee: It gives a sweet aroma and taste to the rice. For vegan jeera rice, use flavourless vegetables or refined oil.

Cumin: It is the star ingredient of this fried rice recipe. Use whole cumin seeds (jeera) and not the powder.

Whole Spices: Green Cardamom, Cloves, and Bay Leaf. Use whole spices and not spice powders.

Other Ingredients: Salt, Water

How To Make

Step 1) Rinse basmati rice with water 2 to 3 times or till water runs clear.Soak washed rice in water for 30 minutes (images 1 & 2).

Step 2) To make cumin rice, set the sauté mode of the instant pot for 5 minutes.

Step 3) Add ghee to the inner pot. Once the ghee is melted and hot, add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds. Fry them for 40 to 50 seconds to release the aroma of the spices (images 3 & 4).

Step 4) Add soaked rice without water. Do not discard the water. Gently fry the rice for a minute to infuse the rice grain with the flavour of spices and ghee (image 5).

Step 5) Add soaked rice water and an additional ¼ cup of water and salt. Stir to combine (image 6). Cancel the sauté mode. Close the lid of the instant pot. Set the steam valve to the sealing position. Set the PRESSURE COOK mode for 3 minutes.

Step 6) Once the set timing is over, you can either wait for a natural steam release or do a quick release manually.

Step 7) Open the lid, fluff the rice using a fork, and sprinkle chopped coriander or cilantro leaves (images 7 & 8). Allow jeera rice to sit for 1 minute.

And then serve hot with your favourite curry or dal.

Serving Suggestion

My favourite comfort food combination is jeera rice and arhar dal fry. Apart from dal fry, I like to serve it with Rajasthani Boondi Kadhi, Paneer Curry, or a bowl of Chana Saag.

At many Indian restaurants, the popular combination is jeera rice and chicken curry or jeera rice and paneer butter masala.

It is one of those Indian side dishes that taste delicious with all types of gravies and curries.

My Tried & True Tips

Long-Grain Rice:I think basmati rice is the best choice for making Indian jeera rice. You can substitute it with other aromatic, less starchy, medium to long-grain rice.

Rice To Water Ratio:1 ¼ cup of water to 1 cup of basmati rice. This ratio of rice to water always gives me fluffy, non-sticky rice in an instant pot.

Soak & Roast:Soaking rice for 30 minutes helps each grain fluff up while cooking. Roasting the soaked rice while cooking gives a lot of flavour to the dish.

DO NOT COOK for too long.In aninstant pot, the jeera rice takes only 3 minutes. On a stovetop pressure cooker, 2 whistles over medium heat are enough. If you cook the rice too long, each grain will break apart and become mushy.

More Indian Rice Recipes

Curd Rice

Lemon Rice

Chana Pulao

Coconut Rice

Mushroom Pulao

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