Jeera rice / Jeera pulao / Cumin rice

 Jeera rice is a flavourful one pot meal. Very simple to prepare. Usally once in a week i prepare one pot meal. If i want to make it simple and tasty , i go for this jeera rice. Any rich onion tomato based gravies or palak based gravies  will be  a suitable side dish for jeera rice. Even daltadka or dal fry will do. Bachelors or working women  can give a try and see. 

Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Water- 1 and 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds/ jeera - 1 tsp 

Bay leaf - 2 nos

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick 

Clove - 1no

Cardamom - 1 no

Star anise - 1 no

Oil- 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Salt - as needed

Method:

1.  Soak Basmati rice atleast for 30 mins. In a pressure cooker, heat  a tbsp of oil and add whole garam masalas like bayleaf, cardamom, cinnamon,  Star anise and  clove. Then add jeera, when it crackles, add 1 and 1/2 cup of water and  salt. Allow it to boil.

2. When water comes to boil, add soaked and drained rice and allow it to boil again without closing the lid of pressure cooker.

3. After few minutes , the grains will  absorb  water,  it will be increased in size and very little water will be left in pressure cooker. If you press rice grain ,it you can feel the tenderness.  At this stage rice will be cooked 80- 90 % . Now close the lid of pressure cooker. Put the whistle(pressure regulating valve) and keep the  stove  to  the maximum lowest  flame for 10 - 12 mins. After pressure subsides fluff it wth a fork and  garnish with coriander leaves.

Now our jeera rice is ready!

 Serve with gravy of your choice. I seved with malai kofta curry...

Notes:

• If you can't put your stove tothe  maximum lowest flame, then place dosa tawa over the stove , now keep the pressure cooker on the dosa tawa and  cook the pulao. Or as soon as water and rice comes to boil, close the lid with whistle and give 2 whistles in medium flame.
  
• You can also add 3 pepper corns while tempering.
  
• If you don't have time to soak the rice , then increase  the quantity ofwater from 1 and 1/2 cups to 2 cups.