Quick and easy jeera rice recipe made perfectly in a pressure cooker. Also known as cumin rice, it's fluffy, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes. Simple, delicious, and satisfying, perfect for busy weeknights. Here's a step-by-step guide with pictures and a quick video tutorial. Serve with this restaurant-style dal fry or any of your favorite curry.

close-up of jeera rice served on a white plate.

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About this Pressure Cooker Jeera Rice
Ingredients Notes
How to make Jeera rice in Pressure Cooker
Tips to make Best Jeera Rice in Pressure Cooker
What to serve with Jeera Rice?
Recipe Card

Jeera rice is an absolute staple in my kitchen. It’s a perfect side dish that goes with any curry from spicy paneer masala dhaba style to creamy chicken korma. You can make it with leftover rice too. Instructions are given in the post.

This quick and easy pressure cooker jeera rice recipe is a lifesaver for busy mornings when packing lunches for the kids. My kids love this cumin rice, it's their favorite. It's so flavorful, you have to try it, I am sure you will love it.

About this Pressure Cooker Jeera Rice

Did you know that 'jeera' is another name for 'cumin'? It's the Indian word for it. So, "jeera rice" is just cumin rice. It's one of the popular rice dishes that is mostly ordered in Indian restaurants.

To make Jeera rice in pressure cooker, sauté the whole spices and cumin in ghee (clarified butter), and add rice and water. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. So simple yet the aroma and flavors of this Jeera rice are amazing.

If you have leftover rice, you can flavor it with cumin and the whole spices. Just saute the cumin and whole spices in the ghee/clarified butter, add the leftover rice, and mix it gently for 2 minutes or until warm. Jeera rice is ready to serve.

You may also like these other popular pressure cooker recipes from this website:

Ingredients Notes

This easy recipe uses a handful of ingredients and fresh herbs. You can transform plain rice into a fragrant and satisfying meal. Here's what you will need to make this pressure cooker jeera rice recipe. Trust me, it's ready in no time.

Basmati Rice - Use long-grain-aged basmati rice for the best flavor. Basmati rice has a distinctive, delightful aroma. However, any other variety of long-grain or medium-grain rice can also be used.
Ghee/Clarified butter - This is the key ingredient that makes the rice aromatic, rich, and flavorful. It will give your rice that restaurant-style flavor. Don't skip it. However, if you're vegan, you can use vegan butter or oil instead.
Cumin (also called Jeera) - It's the star ingredient that flavors the rice.
Salt - To flavor the rice. Add it according to taste.
Whole spices - The addition of cinnamon, bay leaf, mace, cloves, and green cardamom to the tempering flavors of the rice. So, add whatever whole spices you have in your kitchen pantry.

Check out the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Jeera rice in Pressure Cooker

Prepping the rice and ingredients

1) Rinse the rice 2-3 times under tap water until the water runs clear. Soak it in water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain the excess water from the rice in a colander.

2) Have all the whole spices, cumin, and green chili (optional) ready.

Collage image of 3 photos showing ingredients to make jeera rice in pressure cooker.

Making the cumin rice

1) Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee or clarified butter in the pressure cooker over low heat. Add the whole spices and sauté them for a minute. Once they begin to release their aroma in the hot oil, immediately add cumin.

2) Let the cumin crackle in hot oil. Next, add green chilies. Saute for a minute. Be careful not to burn the whole spices.

collage image of 2 steps showing sauteing whole spices and cumin to make jeera rice or cumin rice recipe.

3) Add the rice. Gently fry the rice in ghee for a minute, ensuring each rice grain is well coated with ghee.

collage image of 2 steps showing how to make jeera rice in pressure cooker. It shows sauteing rice with whole spices and cumin.

4) Now add water and salt, then pressure cook for 2 whistles. Turn off the heat.

collage image of 2 steps showing pressure cooking jeera rice.

5) Let the pressure settle down on its own. Open the lid of the pressure cooker. Fluff the rice with a fork. Your cumin rice is ready to serve. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve jeera rice with dal fry or any of your favorite curry.

collage image of 2 steps showing cooked jeera rice in pressure cooker and serving it.

Tips to make Best Jeera Rice in Pressure Cooker

If you want to make restaurant-style jeera rice, using long-grain, aged basmati rice is essential. The aroma of basmati rice enhances the flavor of the dish.
Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes before you start cooking it.
Every rice is different. For me, the ratio of 1:1.5 works but sometimes the rice may require more or less water. So the ratio may be 1:2 or 1:1.25.
Use Ghee/clarified butter instead of oil for making Jeera rice. This is important as it increases the flavor of the overall dish makes it more delectable.
Add whatever whole spices you have. But add at least a few whole spices to the tempering.

What to serve with Jeera Rice?

Jeera rice is like a warm hug in a bowl. Its fragrant cumin aroma and fluffy texture make it the ultimate comfort food. It's a versatile dish that pairs beautifully with almost anything. Here are a few suggestions:

Pairs best with Dal Fry, Pressure Cooker Dal Makhani, Paneer Masala Dhaba Style, or Mushroom Masala
If you are non-vegetarian, serve it with any chicken curries like Indian Butter Chicken, Chicken Pasanda, Chicken Tikka Masala, or Restaurant Style Chicken Curry.
You can pair it with any of these curry recipes.

Jeera rice in Pressure Cooker (Cumin Rice)