DESCRIPTION:

Jeera rice or Zeera rice is an Indian dish consisting of rice and cumin seeds. This rice dish is known as "Zeera rice" in Pakistan. It is a popular dish in North India, an everyday rice dish. It is easy to prepare, unlike a biryani. "Jeera" is the Hindi word for cumin seeds, a mispronunciation of the Urdu word, Zeera. The ingredients used are rice, cumin seeds, vegetable oil, onions and coriander leaves.

Jeera rice is generally garnished with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, but is also garnished with onion rings in some Indian hotels and restaurants.

PREPERATION:

Preperation time: 10 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins

INGREDIENTS:

-2 cups basmathi rice 
-2 ½ to 3 tsps. Jeera / cumin 
-1 bay leaf
-1 strand mace
-2 to 4 green cardamoms
-2 inch cinnamon stick
-4 to 6 cloves
-Salt as needed
-2 tbsp ghee 
-1 large onion thinly sliced
-2 to 3 green chili slit
-3 ½ cups water

STEPS:

1. Wash basmathi rice properly and soak it for 20 mins. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mace and jeera on a medium to low flame until jeera begins to smell good.
3. Add thinly sliced onions, slit green chilies. 
4. Saute until the onions turn golden. 
5. Add rice and Saute for 2 to 3 mins.
6. Add water,salt and stir.
7. Cover and pressure cook on a high flame for 1 whistle. Switch off before it whistles. 
8. When the pressure goes off, open the lid.
9. Fluff up gently. And serve it hot.

Servings: 4-5