Aromatic Indian Rice Recipe
Aromatic Indian Rice Recipe โ This flavorful rice recipe combines basmati rice with aromatic spices like cardamom, cumin, and turmeric for a deliciously fragrant side dish. Perfectly fluffy and tender, this rice is an excellent accompaniment to any Indian meal.
Why We Love This Indian Style Rice Recipe
Rice is one of those ingredients that would be very difficult for me to give up. Whether itโs jasmine, basmati, or wild rice, the smell and texture are endearing and alluring. In fact, most of my favorite comfort foods revolve around rice.
There are rice dishes, and then there are rice dishes. This particular rice dish is the latterโฆ light, fluffy, aromatic, and bursting with intense flavor, making it so much more than a side dish. To make Indian-style rice, you could always boil up a pot of rice and add a little curry powder. The difference in this Indian rice dish, is that we arenโt using curry powder, the blend of dried spices regularly used in Indian cooking. Instead, weโre using whole spices to create vibrant complexity with delicately balanced exotic tones. Sound appealing? If you like playing with spices, you are going to love this!
Ingredients You Need
- Basmati rice โ use basmati for the most authentic Indian rice
- Ghee clarified butter โ coconut oil can also be used for a dairy-free option
- Onion โ chopped
- Garlic cloves โ minced
- Ginger โ fresh and grated
- Spices โ cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, preferred chile pepper, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, tumeric, and salt
- Water โ for simmering the rice
- Vegetable oil โ for frying the curry leaves
- Curry leaves โ fresh and whole
How To Make Indian Basmati Rice
- Heat a large pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add the ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon, chile, fenugreek, and cumin seeds. Saute until the onions are soft and the fenugreek seeds have started to soften, about 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the rice, turmeric, salt, and water. Raise the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, cover and lower the heat again to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water and there are steam holes in the top of the rice. Fluff the long-grain rice with a fork, cover, and set aside to steam for 5-10 more minutes.
- Add the oil to a small skillet. Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Once itโs very hot, add the curry leaves and step backโherbs contain a lot of moisture and will pop when frying. Fry the curry leaves for 10-20 seconds, just long enough for the popping to stop. Then scoop them out of the oil and place them on a paper towel to drain.
- Sprinkle the curry leaves with salt. When ready to serve, scoop the rice into a large bowl, removing the cardamom pods, chile, and cinnamon stick.
- Top the Indian rice with the crispy curry leaves, and be ready to breathe a deep sign of satisfaction when you taste it.
Get the Full (Printable) Indian Style Basmati Rice Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this aromatic Indian style rice as a fragrant side dish to complement any of your favorite curries, grilled meats, or seafood! Its rich, spiced flavor pairs perfectly with creamy dishes like paneer tikka masala, lamb curry, chicken madras curry, or creamy saag paneer. The rice is also a great accompaniment to crispy foods such as tandoori chicken tikka skewers, chicken pakora, or Indian chicken drumsticks.
For a lighter, vegetarian option, pair it with a simple crockpot chickpea curry. The aromatic spices and fluffy texture make it an excellent base for soaking up savory sauces.
And donโt forget to make a side of this simple roti to serve with your meal. This rice is also perfect served alongside a refreshing cucumber raita to balance out the spices!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store this cooked rice recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 days and then up to 6 months in the freezer.
This recipe does not call for soaking the rice grains before cooking on the stovetop.
Transfer the rice to a microwave-safe bowl. Add a tablespoon of water per cup of rice to keep it moist. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel or a microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stir, and heat in 30-second intervals until warm.
Looking for More Delicious Indian Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Indian Chicken Drumsticks
- Grilled Indian Chicken
- Butter Chicken Sliders
- Lamb Tikka Masala
- Irresistible Mung Daal
Get the Full (Printable) Indian Style Basmati Rice Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Indian Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons ghee clarified butter
- 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 cardamom pods cracked
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 dried chile pepper bird, serrano, cayenneโฆ
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup whole fresh curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add the ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon, chile, fenugreek, and cumin seeds. Saute until the onions are soft and the fenugreek seeds have started to soften, about 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the rice, turmeric, salt and water. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and lower the heat again to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water and there are steam holes in the top of the rice. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover and set aside to steam for 5-10 more minutes.
- Add the oil to a small skillet. Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Once itโs very hot, add the curry leaves and step backโherbs contain a lot of moisture and will pop when frying. Fry the curry leaves for 10-20 seconds, just long enough for the popping to stop. Then scoop them out of the oil and and place them on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle the curry leaves with salt. When ready to serve, scoop the rice into a large bowl, removing the cardamom pods, chile, and cinnamon stick. Top with flash fried curry leaves and serve warm.
This recipe is delicious, I love it.
Iโve made this recipe twice now and have received raves about the flavours . It will be one of my regulars . I have it in my recipe box.
Delicious and super easy! I had to make a couple small adjustments to the spices because some were not it stock at the store โ but it was still amazing! Iโll be ordering those online for the next time. (I used ground cumin for cumin seed; chili powder for dried chilis, and coriander seeds for fenugreek.) Definitely a hit for the whole family.
Delicious and super easy! I had to make a couple small adjustments to the spices because some were not it stock at the store โ but it was still amazing! Iโll be ordering those online for the next time. (I used ground cumin for cumin seed; chili powder for dried chilis, and coriander seeds for fenugreek.) Definitely a hit for the whole family.
You even try basmati rice and Kala Namak Rice.
Mine best is Kala Namak, its smell its wow and yummy.
You even try basmati rice and Kala Namak Rice.
Mine best is Kala Namak, its smell its wow and yummy.