Easy Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Cumin Basmati Rice)

Easy Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Cumin Basmati Rice)

Make the perfect Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice) in the Instant Pot. Basmati Rice is very popular for it’s aroma and is widely used for making Pulav & Biryani all over the world. So, try making the simple staple dish “Jeera Rice” made using the same fragrant Basmati rice in Instant Pot, and serve it with a curry of your choice!

Jeera rice is a very simple everyday Indian staple, which serves as an accompaniment to curries in a complete home cooked meal. Rice and Chapati are the two staples which are prepared in every Indian household (and surely at many other parts of the world too).

Cooking in Instant Pot is a little tricky, as you have to be sure about the mode and the time to be set on the particular mode. But, once you get a grasp of how the modes work and how much time a particular dish takes to prepare, there’s no looking back.

Since most of the dishes that we make in Instant Pot don’t require baby-sitting, it acts as a really powerful gadget in the kitchen. For many of the dishes, it’s like, just add the ingredients, set the mode and time, close the lid, and you are done!

As I told, rice is a staple meal accompaniment in many of the homes, so if you can prepare rice in Instant Pot, it really helps with one part of the meal. If you are preparing Basmati rice on stove-top, you need to constantly check if the rice is done. Even if you don’t check multiple times, there is still a check required at least twice. But if you prepare the same in Instant Pot, after you close the lid and set the mode, you can forget about it. If you like this recipe, try this Oil-free Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala) recipe that will go well with the Jeera rice!

I have used the “RICE” mode of the Instant Pot to prepare the Basmati rice here. By default, the mode takes 12 minutes as the set time, but, it generally takes few minutes for a mode to start, so that time also adds to the total time taken. But, if you are not in a hurry and 30-40 minutes is not a problem (I have added the natural steam release time too), then definitely go ahead and use this recipe.

Usually, some recipes call for washing the rice and then soaking it for few minutes to an hour, but this one is a “No Soak” recipe. Just wash the rice 3-4 times, and you are ready to use it.

I have also added some dry spices for flavor here, along with Jeera (Cumin). The spices I have used here are just 2 cloves and 2 small pieces of cinnamon. You can skip these as well, or you can even add more spices as per your liking, for example, bay leaf, star anise, black cardamom or black peppercorns.

I really like using Basmati Rice from India Gate brand, they have always been flavorful and amazing.

When you make Basmati rice on stove top, the ratio of rice to water is 1:2. But, for Instant Pot Basmati rice, the ratio of rice to water to be used is:

For 1 cup of rice, you use 1 cup plus 3/4 cup of water.

For this particular recipe, I am assuming you have a basic understanding of how Instant Pot is setup and also basic usage of different modes available on it. You can find YouTube video tutorials for the same.

Also, continuing the tradition, here comes my 28th recipe under My Julie & Julia Project. For those who don’t know, I had started this project last year, under which I had planned to post 100 recipes from my kitchen by the end of the year 2019. But since I got busy with other priorities in life, I have planned to continue the tradition in 2020. So, this is the Recipe #28 for you all.

If you like this recipe, you might want to check out these Instant Pot recipes as well.

• Instant Pot Vegetable Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Noodles

Apart from the Instant Pot recipes, listing here my favorite Lasagna bakes (both vegetarian and chicken versions). Do try if you like having Lasagna in your meal, these two will not disappoint.

• Classic Vegetable Lasagna
• Butter Chicken Lasagna – The Perfect Indo-Italian Fusion

For now, lets get straight to the recipe of Instant Pot Jeera Rice!!

Method (Step-by-step with pictures)

• Take one cup of Basmati rice in a bowl and wash it 3-4 times under running water. Drain the water and keep the rice aside to be used later.

• Switch on the Instant Pot.
• Start the “Saute mode” on the Instant Pot. And add oil.
• After 5-10 seconds, add the cumin seeds.

• Once the cumin seeds are fragrant (don’t burn them), add the water.

• Now add drained rice, salt, cloves and cinnamon.

• Press “Cancel” and close the lid.
• Press “Rice” button on Instant Pot (You will see 12 minutes on the Panel). Turn the “Steam Release Valve” to “Sealing” position.
• Once the cooking is done and the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Once the float valve (metal pin) drops down, the pressure is released (mostly it takes around 10-15 minutes), turn the “Steam Release Valve” to “Venting” position. Once all the pressure is released, open the lid of Instant Pot.
• Stir the rice gently, you will see each rice grain cooked properly and not sticking to each other.

• Turn off the Instant Pot. Jeera Rice is ready to be served. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve it with a curry of your choice!