Instant Pot Jeera Rice

Basmati rice is getting a makeover! We’re adding cumin seeds and whole spices to make instant pot jeera rice!

“Having a good rice technique seems so simple, but it’s essential, and this recipe is the right answer. Came out perfect – not mushy, not hard; just right. Didn’t even need to fluff it. Obviously an adaptable recipe. I added peas at the end, and toasted some cashews too.”

H.S.

There’s only so much I can say about jeera rice without boring the heck out of you (and me). So instead, I’m going to share this silly and, well, kind of ridiculous story that I made up about jeera rice. Enjoy 😉

We’re about to enter the set of a cheesy rom-com (romantic comedy). Basmati rice is the star and I’m playing the role of the supportive best friend.

Basmati is heartbroken. The bamboo bowl of her dreams has told her she’s not good enough to fill him up. She wonders how she will EVER find anyone as wonderful as bamboo. Basmati turns to me, Ashley, her loyal but very misguided friend… and I tell her that all she needs to do to change her life is… to get a revenge makeover. (🙄)

(Cue movie makeover montage. Cyndi Lauper’s girls just want to have fun is playing in the background)

We’re suddenly at the hottest place in town: the inside of a stainless steel pot. 😳 I toss some ghee into the pot and tell Basmati she just NEEDS some cumin in her life. I add more whole spices, insisting that this will make everything better. I say things like, “Oh Basmati, you are about to smell SO good. Bamboo bowl is gonna be ALL over you.” Then I toss Basmati into the pot – tell her that in a total of 16 minutes, Basmati’s life will forever be changed. Basmati is going to be buttery and nutty, AND aromatic. Basmati is going to be the best version of herself.

(16 minutes later…)

The valve drops and Basmati steps out and looks into the mirror… she looks and feels SO different. She’s no longer… plain.

Basmati’s grains are perfectly soft and fluffy and separate and coated with ghee. Basmati is speckled with toasty cumin seeds and decked out with some serious statement jewels like cinnamon and cardamom and cloves and peppercorns and a giant bay leaf because Basmati is now extra. 😍

What happens next? Here’s a quick summary.

To pay for this new makeover and instant pot, Basmati must pretend to be this nerdy fragile blue pottery bowl’s girlfriend. But then they actually fall in love. Bamboo bowl comes back into the picture and tells Basmati he was being shallow and insists he’s much deeper now, thanks to an extra few bamboo strips he stuck onto the top of his bowl. But Basmati has this profound realization that being cool like Bamboo isn’t what really matters in a bowl, so she sticks with the blue pottery bowl and hopes she doesn’t break him. 🤞🏽🥣

Oh, at the very end of the movie, she becomes the prom queen and finds out she’s actually a princess. So there will definitely be a second movie. It’ll probably take place in Genovia. 👸🏽🍚

Don’t read too much into the plot. Silly rice rom-com, remember?

(and the movie is finally over; you may exit your seats. just so you know, for the future, the exit “jump to recipe” button is located at the top of my posts.)

I hope you love this jeera rice! This recipe is simple and delicious as written, but it’s also very easy to adapt if you’re in the mood to switch things up. You can use cumin seeds and leave out the other whole spices for something simpler, or you can add some chopped onion or green chili or frozen veggies for a little something extra (if you’re going to take that route, try my Pea Pulao). I personally love this brand of basmati rice – it turns out perfect every time.

Use this cumin rice anywhere you’d use Plain Basmati Rice. It’ll go well with any Indian dish!

Instant Pot Jeera Rice

Instant Pot Jeera Rice

4.88 from 16 reviews

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Servings 4

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 1 cup basmati rice I like this brand
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons ghee or oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 bayleaf
• ▢ ½ cinnamon stick
• ▢ 3 cardamom pods
• ▢ 2 whole cloves
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15-30 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
• Press the sauté button and allow the pot to heat up for a minute.
• Add ghee/oil and swirl it around the pot then add the whole spices and sauté until aromatic and the cumin seeds begin to brown.
• Add the rice, water and salt to the pot and mix well.
• Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
• Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!

You waited until after the credits didn’t you? Alright, here are some dishes that you can make with this jeera rice: