Zeera Rice

Zeera rice or jeera rice or cumin rice is a tempting rice dish of Punjabi cuisine. In its simplest form, it is a steamed rice with nice flavor of pan fried cumin seeds (Jeera) and whole spices. Cumin seeds and select whole spices sauteed in ghee add plenty of flavour to basmati rice when cooked together. With a final garnish of fresh coriander leaves a plate of zeera rice served piping hot is the ideal form of comfort food. Have it with dal, sabzi, curry or just some yogurt and pickle. A zeera rice will always come through in satisfying your taste buds.

Ingredients:-

1&1/2 cup basmati rice

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon shahi biryani food essence

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 bayleaf

1 green cardamom

10 black pepper corns

2 cloves

2 inches cinnamon stick

Small piece of star rise

Salt as per taste

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

3 tablespoons clarified butter

Method:-

Heat clarified butter in wok on low flame.

Add cumin seeds, bayleaf, cloves, black pepper corns, cinnamon, green cardamom and star rise. Saute it for minute when seeds stop crackling.

Add water and shahi biryani food essence. Mix it.

Add rice and salt mix it well and cook it on medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the lid and again cook on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add coriander leaves n gently mix it with cooked rice. Cover the lid and keep aside for 15minutes.

Serve this zeera rice with veg or nonveg curry.