Jeera Rice (cumin rice)
from http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/

Jeera rice is a simple rice dish flavored with cumin seeds. Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice makes a delicious side dish which can be served with any meal and makes it festive.

Its versatility is unsung. There is not a dish that doesn’t taste great with a side of jeera rice. Have it with dal, sabzi, curry or just some yogurt and pickle – a jeera rice will always come through in satisfying your taste buds.

1 cup rice (I preferred basmati rice)
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
4 whole dried red chili (sabut lal mirch)
1inch piece of cinnamon stick (dal chini)
2 cardamoms crushed (ilachi)
2 bay leaves (tajpat) - see note below*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cilantro chopped (hara dhania)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons ghee clarified butter for garnishing

Wash the rice gently and soak in lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan moderately. Oil is the right temperature when one cumin seed dropped into the oil cracks immediately.

Add the cumin seeds. When they crack, add all the spices red chili, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom, stir for few seconds.

Add the rice. Stir-fry one minute.

Add the water and salt bring to a boil, and turn the heat to low. Cover the pan.

Cook 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat add cilantro and fluff the rice.

Jeera rice is ready, serve hot.

Garnish the rice with ghee but this is optional. Jeera rice is very aromatic and delicious. This can enhance any meal.

This recipe will serve 4.

*Teja Patta, the Indian Bay leaf, tastes more like cinnamon, but milder, and is indeed the leaf of the Cassia tree. The Laurel Bay leaf, common in the West, has a completely different flavour profile, and is not a good substitute for the Indian bay, even if the recipe indicates that it is. There are no similarities between the two. The best thing to do if you don’t have Teja Pata is to leave it out altogether, or add a little cassia, cinnamon or an extra clove instead.