Easy Indian Rice

5 from 6 votes

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

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 11

Resting time 5

Total Time 16

Servings generous servings

Calories 355kcal

Author Jo Allison

Equipment

Ingredients

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

Metric - US Customary

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