Jeera Bhaat | Jeera Rice

Recipe: Jeera Bhaat | Jeera Rice

Jeera Bhaat | Jeera Rice is full of flavour, aromatic, easy to make, fluffy rice. It is usually served with dals or curries. Rice in Gujarati or Maharashtrian language is called Bhaat, while in Hindi it is chawal.  Jeera is cumin, and thus a generous amount of cumin seeds are added along with other spices to make this popular rice dish.

Sharing This Recipe With 2024 Alphabet Challenge Group

If you have been following our alphabetical journey, then you must be eagerly waiting to see all the recipes with letter J. When it comes to J the first thing that comes to mind is Jamun, Java Plum or Indian Blackberry. Use to get plenty of that back in Kenya and India. During the jamun season I’d make jamun smoothies. When in India around July Aug we get to enjoy Jamun Ice Cream.

Unfortunately, jamun is not available in Canada so for a while was blank as to what to prepare with J – using an ingredient or a recipe name with J. Well jam could have been one of them but over last Christmas we landed up with quite a bit of jam as present. Hubby and I don’t eat jam everyday as he is diabetic. It is an occasional treat. Suddenly, the thought of Jeera Bhaat or Jeera Rice came to my head when I made egg curry and decided to serve it with rice rather than naan.

 

Jeera Bhaat | Jeera Rice

Many restaurants will have jeera rice on their menu. However, their preparation is a little different from the way we make it at home. They use ready cooked rice and add the tempering. You will see a lot of cumin seeds in the dish but most times it lacks the flavour. The flavours of the spices are infused in the rice while it cooks. Also the rice colour gets slightly altered to a very faint yellowy colour. Some add onion to the rice but I don’t. While the family love jeera rice with tadka dal, I can have it on its own. Purposely I make extra so the leftover can be prepared into a quick biryani or pulao.

Some Ways Of Cooking Rice

• I like cooking rice in a pan on the stove. This way I am in control of how long the rice needs to be cooked. While old rice is best for that each separate grain kind, it may need a bit more water. Young rice tends to become mushy so again you need to keep an eye. As soon as the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and drain out the excess water.
• Many cook the rice in the pressure cooker but I’ve never been comfortable using this method.
• I sometimes cook rice in the Instant Pot at the rice setting. I have realized that when I soak the rice, it becomes mushy. So now I don’t soak the rice if I am using the IP.
• Another way to cook rice and you get separate grains, is to put the rice with the water in a steamer. Fill a deep pan with water about 3-4 inches deep. When it begins to boil, place the bowl with the washed rice and water in it. Make sure you have a trivet or ring on which the bowl will rest. It should not touch the water. Cook for 20-30 minutes. This is quite an old method that my grandmother and mum use to use. We had a big tall steel tin. It would be filled with water 3-4 inches. A steel ring would be placed in it. At the bottom would go the bowl or pan with soaked dal with water. It is covered with a steel lid. On top would the bowl or pan of rice and water, covered with a lid. On top of the lid would be any vegetables that needed to be steamed like potato, bottle gourd, eggplant, peas, carrots, etc.

 

Some Recipes With J On My Blog

 

Jaggery makes an excellent replacement for brown sugar in bakes. I love the earthy flavour of iron rich jaggery. Check out the recipe for Jaggery Banana Bread.

Jamaican Toto Cake makes a lovely teatime treat or dessert, full of coconut flavour.

Johnny Cakes Caribbean style . So much confusion over johnnycakes, right from the type of flour to whether they should be thick or thin to frying or baking them.

Juar Jo Dhodho | Sindhi Style Jowar Roti is a flatbread made from sorghum and usually enjoyed as breakfast.

 

J Recipes By Members Of  The Group

• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Jeera Bhaat | Jeera Rice
• Sneha’s Recipe: Jhatpat Bhendi Masala 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya 
• Culinary Cam: Bulgogi-Inspired Oven Beef Jerky 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Blueberry Jam Palmiers 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Johnnycake Cobblers 
• Blogghetti: Jam-Filled Corn Flake Muffins 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Brown Sugar Caribbean Jerk Seasoning 
• Magical Ingredients: Jackfruit Paratha 
• Food Lust People Love: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops

Ingredients Required For Jeera Bhaat |Jeera Rice

Rice

Best to use long grain rice like basmati for this recipe. Wash and soak the rice for at least 20-30 minutes if you want separate grains. The general rule is that for every 1 part of rice you need 2 cups of water. If you are going to leave the pan open and cook the rice then you may need ½ cup extra as water gets lost through evaporation. I like to use India Gate Brand either the premium or classic one. If that is not available then I buy Daawat Traditional Basmati Rice.

Water

To wash or rinse the rice and also for cooking the rice. Always use normal tap water and not hot to wash or rinse the rice. I take some rice in a bowl , fill it with enough water, gently rub the rice grains between the palm and fingers. Then I drain out the water. I use that water for the plants. This is repeated 3-4 times till the water appears almost clear. Alternately, you could put the rice in a sieve and wash it under running water.

Ghee |Oil

While ghee (clarified butter) adds a delicious aroma to Jeera Rice, you can use oil for a vegan version.

Spices Required

Star Anise, Cinnamon Stick, Cloves, Bay Leaf, Mace, Cardamom, Big Cardamom, Peppercorns. Add them as whole spices and not powdered.

Cumin Seeds

Also known as jeera, jiru.

Salt

Optional. Some add salt, some don’t. I always add a bit of salt when I cook rice.

Fresh Coriander

Optional, to add as garnish. Wash and chop fresh coriander.

 

 

 

 

 

Watch How To Make Jeera Bhaat | Cumin Rice

 

 

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If you do try this recipe then please either

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