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    Home » Recipes » Rice

    Published: Apr 18, 2018 · Modified: Mar 22, 2023 by joskitchenlarder · 9 Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Easy Indian Rice

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    Close up of bowl with rice.

    This Easy Indian Rice dish is made with basmati rice and array of spices to make it fragrant & delicious. Ready in under 20 minutes it's a great accompaniment to any curry.

    Bowl of garnished Easy Indian Rice.

    This quick and easy Indian rice is my favourite go-to recipe to serve with curry. It's much more special than serving plain basmati rice yet doesn't really require much more effort. This delicious rice side dish is vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free as well.

    Ingredients

    Basmati Rice - Rinsed well to get rid of all the excess starch.

    Rapeseed Oil/Ghee/Unsalted Butter - I use rapeseed oil when making Indian rice to make it vegan/dairy-free but you can use ghee (clarified butter used widely in Indian cooking) or regular unsalted butter instead.

    Cardamom Seeds - These aromatic little pods add heaps of flavour to your rice. Make sure you don't forget to bash/bruise them gently before using here.

    Cloves

    Bay Leaves (fresh or dried)

    Cinnamon stick

    Black Mustard Seeds

    Fennel Seeds

    Sea Salt

    Freshly Boiled  Water

    Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) to garnish

    Although it might seem like a lot of different spices, once you buy them, you will find yourself using them over and over again to make this Indian rice so don't you worry about the waste. Don't forget that spices should be kept in well sealed containers to preserve their freshness.

    Herbs and spices.

    Best way to cook basmati rice

    I've used absorption method for this recipe which means that the rice cooks as it absorbs all the liquid. Personally, I think this method results in perfectly cooked rice as long as you follow couple of easy rules:

    1. Always rinse your rice under the cold tap until water runs clear to get rid of excess starch. The easiest way to do it is using a sieve.
    2. Don't stir the rice during cooking. Once all the liquid has been absorbed there will be time for fluffing your rice up with the fork but no stirring until then!

    That's really all there is to it! Quick and uncomplicated.

    Storing & Freezing Easy Indian Rice

    If you happen to have some leftover Indian rice make sure to cool it down as soon as possible (ideally within one hour) and put it in the fridge in the airtight container where you can store it for up to a day. Make sure you do not reheat it more than once and reheat it until it's piping hot!

    To freeze, cool your rice quickly as per above, place in the freezer safe container and freeze for up to 1 month for maximum flavour. I usually reheat it straight from the freezer by popping it in the microwave until pipping hot, giving it a little shake every so often. You can also defrost it overnight in the fridge and heat up in the microwave or on the hob with a splash of water.

    Bowl of rice - close up.

    What to serve with Indian Rice?

    This delicious, gently spiced Indian rice dish will complement any curry under the sun (definitely any Indian curry). Try one of my favourites you can find on the blog:

    Celeriac & Chard Vegetable Curry (Vegan)

    Chickpea and Spinach Curry

    Easy Butter Chicken Curry

    Easy Cauliflower & Lentil Curry (Vegan)

    Tarka Dhal with Spinach (Vegan)

    Jamie Oliver's Inspired Chicken Tikka Masala

    To add something extra to your feast of curry and rice, try my Easy Naan Bread Without Yeast recipe - perfect, fluffy naan bread without tandoor oven in sight! Alternatively, my Easy Flatbread (No Yeast) would be another one to try. Oh and don't forget this cooling, homemade Cucumber Raita sauce!

    If you like this recipe you might want to check out my Easy Turmeric Rice as well.

    How to make Easy Indian Rice - Step-By-Step Instructions

    • Rinse basmati rice by placing it in a sieve and running under the tap until water starts running clear. Set aside.
    • Heat up oil in a pan with a lid and add all the spices and bay leaves. Let them fry for approx 30 sec. until they start becoming fragrant.

    Frying herbs & spices in oil or butter.

    • Add rinsed basmati rice and stir it well so that it is well coated in oil.

    Adding rinsed basmati rice.

    • Add freshly boiled water and salt and stir well. Bring it back to the boil and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to minimum and let the rice simmer for approx. 10 min at which point lift the lid and check whether all the liquid has been absorbed.

    Freshly boiled water added to rice and spices.

    • Take the pan off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Put the lid back on and let the rice stand approx. 5 min while you chop your coriander.

    All the liquid has been absorbed.

    • Add chopped coriander, adjust seasoning if necessary and serve garnished with some extra coriander leaves.

    📋 Recipe

    Bowl of garnished Easy Indian Rice.
    Print Pin
    5 from 6 votes

    Easy Indian Rice

    This Easy Indian Rice dish is made with basmati rice and array of spices to make it fragrant & delicious. Ready in under 20 minutes it's a great accompaniment to any curry.
    Course Rice Dish, Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian
    Keyword Indian rice, Pilau rice

    Equipment

    • Saucepan*
    • Sieve*
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 11 minutes minutes
    Resting time 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time 16 minutes minutes
    Servings 4 generous servings
    Calories 355kcal
    Author Jo Allison
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 300 g white basmati rice rinsed well
    • 2 tablespoon rapeseed oil see notes
    • 7 cardamom pods bashed/bruised slightly
    • 7 cloves
    • 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 600 ml freshly boiled water
    • small bunch fresh coriander/cilantro chopped and some leaves left whole as garnish

    Instructions

    • Rinse basmati rice by placing it in a sieve and running under the cold tap until water runs clear. Set aside.
    • Heat up oil in a pan with a lid and add all the spices and bay leaves. Let them fry for approx 30 seconds until fragrant.
    • Add rinsed basmati rice and stir it well so that it is well coated in oil.
    • Add freshly boiled water and salt and stir well. Bring it back to boil and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to minimum and let the rice simmer for approx. 10 min at which point lift the lid and check whether all the liquid has been absorbed.
    • Take the pan off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Put the lid back on and let the rice stand approx. 5 min while you chop your coriander.
    • Add chopped coriander, adjust seasoning if necessary and serve garnished with some extra coriander leaves. 

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate, per serving and should be treated as a guideline only.
    • Indian Rice is vegan and dairy-free if prepared with oil. However, feel free to use 20g of ghee (clarified butter) or unsalted butter instead.
    Storing & Freezing
    Cool any leftover rice as soon as possible (ideally within one hour) and put it in the fridge in the airtight container where you can store it for up to 4 days. Make sure you do not reheat it more than once and reheat it until lit's piping hot!
    To freeze, cool as per above and place in the freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Reheat straight from the freezer by popping it in the microwave until pipping hot, giving it a little shake every so often. You can also defrost it overnight in the fridge and heat up in the microwave or on the hob with a splash of water.   

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Indian Rice
    Amount Per Serving (0 g)
    Calories 355 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Sodium 1169mg49%
    Potassium 125mg4%
    Carbohydrates 64g21%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 49mg5%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in April 2018 and updated in January 2020 with updated recipe card, useful info and better layout improving user experience.

    Rice and curry in a bowl.

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    Have you tried my Easy Indian Rice? Leave a comment and rating at the bottom of this post, I love reading them!

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    Close up of bowl with rice.

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    *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more. I only recommend products I own or really like and which caught my attention. Thanks in advance for supporting Jo’s Kitchen Larder!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Alex says

      February 14, 2020 at 6:09 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! Thank you Jo for creative and flavourful Indian rice dish! For some reason I had a slight grey tinge to the dish...perhaps next time I might add a pinch or 2 of turmeric to offset the colour. I noticed in your picture your rice is snowy white which looks beautiful. Again...so tasty! Thank you, Jo!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        February 15, 2020 at 8:01 pm

        It's music to my ears, thank you Alex! 🙂 I'm not sure why the grey tinge, perhaps the brand of your basmati rice? Really not sure but am so pleased you enjoyed the flavour. Idea with turmeric sounds good to me although it will change the flavour slightly. Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, it's really appreciated!

        Reply
    2. Thomas says

      August 31, 2018 at 8:29 am

      5 stars
      I do think making rice like this using the absorption method makes so much difference to the texture and flavour and I love the combination of spices in it too!

      Reply
    3. Corina Blum says

      April 25, 2018 at 9:48 am

      5 stars
      This sounds so good! I do think making rice like this using the absorption method makes so much difference to the texture and flavour and I love the combination of spices in it too! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        April 26, 2018 at 10:13 am

        Thanks Corina! 🙂 Absorption method seems to work best for pilau type rice dishes without a doubt. This one had become our favourite of late for sure. 🙂 x

        Reply
    4. Jessica says

      April 24, 2018 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      Sometimes It's hard to get rice right. We cheat and use a rice cooker usually but this recipe looks so simple, I'll give it a go next time! Thanks for linking up to my World Food linky! x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        April 26, 2018 at 10:09 am

        Thanks Jess! Rice is definitely a tricky one to get right sometimes but this one here is fool proof and really tasty too. I don't blame you for using rice cooker especially if it works well. I've got rice cooker function in my Instant Pot I'm yet to try and I will lol. x

        Reply
    5. jacqui says

      April 21, 2018 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      sounds like the perfect accompaniment to any Indian curry, thank you for sharing on #CookBlogShare

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        April 22, 2018 at 7:47 am

        Thank you Jacqui! It's just a bit more special than plain Basmati and if you are making fake-away curry than it's best to get the full experience, rice included lol

        Reply

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