Jeera Fried Rice
Lynley Jones
Classic Indian-style rice with cumin seeds and peas. Perfect with any Indian meal, including Mughlai Indian Chicken Curry or Kerala Chicken Curry.
This recipe originally appeared in the Why Did the Chicken Cross the Globe? recipe series.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Jeera Fried Rice in the Adventure Kitchen, shown with South Indian Vegetable Curry.
1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups basmati rice
3 cups lightly salted Chicken Stock or broth, or vegetable broth (use a light-colored broth to retain the traditional white color of Indian-style rice)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan with a well-fitting lid, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, sauteeing them in the oil for 1-2 minutes. Add the onions, turn the heat to medium-high and saute for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute briefly, just until fragrant, then add the rice. Saute the rice in the oil with the other ingredients for about 3 minutes. The grains of rice will become opaque, but should not brown.
2. Add the broth, peas and salt. Stir to combine everything, being sure no grains of rice are clinging to the sides of the pan. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then cover and turn the heat to low. Cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Briefly lift the lid and check the rice. If there is still unabsorbed liquid in the pan, cover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Check again and repeat if needed (unlikely). If the liquid disappears before the rice is fully cooked, add another 1/4 cup liquid to the pan, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes.
4. When rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed, stir and taste; add another pinch of salt if needed. When finished, stir with a fork to fluff the rice, remove from heat and remove the lid (so the rice doesn't overcook and become sticky).
Notes:
This is another recipe from my friend Bhavani, who rattled this off over the phone as a side dish for a couple of Indian entrees (this one and this one) we were including in a fundraiser cookbook for my daughter’s elementary school. Since then, this dish also had a star turn on India day in my summer cooking camp based on my recipe series called Why Did the Chicken Cross the Globe?
It’s a pretty straightforward dish with classic Indian flavor. Enjoy. :)
Our flavorful organic cumin seeds come from India and Turkey. These high-quality cumin seeds have a robust flavor and a gorgeously deep brown color, flecked with green and gold. Cumin is a classic ingredient in cuisines around the world, including Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern and many others. Use them whole in rice, curries, beans and soups to infuse the dish with flavor. Or crush them with a mortar and pestle to sprinkle on meats and taco toppings.
1/2 cup-sized jar.
Thank you to Bhavani Balasubramanian for the original version of this recipe.