Perfectly cooked Basmati Rice flavored with cumin and whole spices, prepared in Instant Pot. Enjoy these aromatic Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice) with any curry or lentil.

One of the reasons to love the instant pot is perfectly cooked rice. You don’t need to keep that extra rice cooker anymore and can free up the counter space.

I have shared the Basmati Rice recipe before, however I actually prefer a little more flavor to my rice. One of the regulars in our house is this Jeera or Cumin Rice. Cumin Rice is very commonly made in North India with any curry.

Jeera Rice is so much more flavorful that plain rice. I highly recommend trying it out. Cumin Rice goes well with curries and lentils such as Chole Masala, Paneer Butter Masala, Chicken Curry and Dal Makhani.

If you love cooking rice in your instant pot, check out a variety of Instant Pot Rice Recipes we love!

Benefits of Cumin Seeds

Cumin is very commonly used in Indian cooking. Cumin is Carminative, which means that it relieves you from gas troubles and thereby improves digestion and appetite. You can check out detailed health benefits of cumin here.

How to make Cumin Rice or Jeera Rice in the Instant Pot?

In this recipe, I add whole spices along with cumin. The whole spices add a wonderful aroma to the rice. I usually add the whole spices when preparing rice for a gathering. For everyday rice, I just add cumin seeds.

I used Basmati Rice in this recipe. If using another variety of rice, adjust the rice to water ratio accordingly. I like to have rice al dente, and separate. I don’t like sticky or mushy rice. The ghee/oil in this recipe certainly helps to get well done separate grains. That said, everyone has different preferences for rice, so feel free to adjust the recipe to your taste.

1 – To start preparing, wash and drain the rice. This is a no soak recipe, but if you prefer you can soak the rice. If you soak the rice, you can use a rice to water ratio of 1:1.

2 – Heat the instant pot in sauté mode (normal) and add ghee or oil. Then add the whole spices and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to splutter add the rice and stir well. Be careful when adding the rice as there might be some splutters. Add the water and salt. I use a rice to water ratio of 1:1.25 for this recipe.

3 – Change the instant pot setting to manual / pressure cook mode for 4 minutes, at high pressure with vent in sealing position. When the instant pot beeps, do a 5 minute natural pressure release, which means manually release the pressure 5 minutes after the instant pot beeps.

Fluff the rice and let them rest for another 5 minutes. Jeera rice are ready to be enjoyed with your favorite curry.

Main things to remember for Perfect Jeera Rice

No soaking of rice

Rice to water ratio – 1:1.25

Pressure Cook / Manual for 4 minutes (high pressure, vent sealed)

5 minute NPR – Manually release the pressure 5 minutes after the instant pot beeps

Pro-tips for perfect Jeera Rice

Choose good quality Basmati Rice. I use Royal Basmati Rice or Tilda Extra Long Grain Basmati rice for my cooking.

Wash the rice well. You can was in a strainer until the water runs clear or in a bowl by changing the water a few times until the water is clear.

We love to add ghee while making jeera rice. Ghee enhances the flavor a lot. If you are vegan, use your favorite plant based oil.

Don’t forget to add the aromatic spices. I just add a few black peppercorns, star anise, bay leaf and green cardamom. It is totally fine to skip if case you don’t have these in your pantry.

Do not overcook the rice. I like to take the steel insert in which I cooked the rice out of the instant pot after opening, so the lower layer is not overcooking.

What to pair with Jeera Rice?

Jeera rice pairs well with any curry or lentils. We love it with the below North Indian dishes:

Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating by clicking the stars below Print Recipe Pin Recipe 4.6 from 15 votes Jeera / Cumin Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instant Pot Jeera Rice is made with basmati rice flavored with cumin and whole spices. A North Indian favorite side, enjoy with your favorite curry or lentil. Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 25 minutes Servings 4 Calories 207 kcal Author Meeta Arora Ingredients 1 cup Basmati Rice

1 1/4 cup Water

1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1 tsp Salt adjust to taste

1 tbsp Ghee or Oil Whole Spices 10 Black Peppercorns

2 Star anaise

2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)

2 Green Cardamom (Elaichi) Instructions Wash and drain the rice.

Heat the instant pot in sauté mode and add ghee or oil to it. Then add the whole spices and cumin seeds.

When the cumin seeds start to splutter, add rice, water, salt and stir.

Change the instant pot setting to manual / pressure cook mode for 4 minutes, at high pressure with vent in sealing position.

When the instant pot beeps, do a 5 minute natural pressure release, which means manually release the pressure 5 minutes after the instant pot beeps.

Fluff the rice and let it rest for another 5 minutes. You can take the steel insert out of the instant pot, so the bottom layer of rice does not overcook.

Cumin Rice is ready to be enjoyed with any curry or lentil. Notes To simplify this recipe, you can skip the whole spices.

You can double or triple the recipe, without any change in the cooking time.

Be careful when adding the rice as there might be some splutters.

You can garnish jeera rice with roasted nuts such as cashews.

Choose good quality Basmati Rice. I use Royal Basmati Rice or Tilda Extra Long Grain Basmati rice for my cooking. Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator. Nutrition Nutrition Facts Jeera / Cumin Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Amount Per Serving Calories 207 Calories from Fat 36 % Daily Value* Total Fat 4g 6% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Cholesterol 9mg 3% Sodium 588mg 25% Potassium 73mg 2% Total Carbohydrates 38g 13% Protein 3g 6% Vitamin C 0.3% Calcium 2.2% Iron 4.8% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe? Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

♥ Spread the Love If you make this recipe, share your food photo with hashtag #pipingpotcurry on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and others can enjoy it too! Thank you ♥

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for tasty videos. Looking for Instant Pot recipes, check out my Instant Pot Recipes board on Pinterest.