Indian-Style Basmati Rice

This savory Indian rice is flavored with whole spices and sautéed onions. See more

READY IN 45 mins

Indian Style Basmati Rice

Read Reviews (137)

"This is a savory Indian style rice dish flavored with whole spices and fried onions. Soaking the basmati rice before cooking makes all the difference. Serve with your favorite Indian curry or dal (lentils). Make sure you warn people not to bite into the whole spices!" — DHANO923

Directions

Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the onion to the pot. Saute the onion until a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the rice, and stir into the pot. Cook and stir the rice for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. Add salt and water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 25 mins
READY IN 45 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 26, 2005

I thought this recipe was very good but I should have listened to my intuition and reduced the amount of cumin seed it called for. 1 tablespoon of cumin seed is WAY TOO MUCH for the amount of rice indicated. It totally overpowered the rice and muted all the other great flavours going on in the dish. I would definitely make this again but I will use about 1 teaspoon of cumin seed next time and probably add green peas to it, as a matter or preference. I also used jasmine rice, so I did not soak it, but I washed it thoroughly until the water was clear and let in drain in a colander until the rice is relatively dry. I find this is essential in making rice dishes like this so the rice sautes better and doesnt taste bland or waterlogged. I also reduced the cooking time slightly, since I was using a different type of rice and reduced the water to 2 cups, but kept the amount of rice used the same.

—Me

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 28, 2011

I loved it, but the husband didn't. Boo...so I won't be making it again.

—Amber D

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212 Ratings

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Jun 24, 2006

Great recipe. out of necessity used 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom. I make basmati rice all the time but never thought about browning it first. This changes the flavor for the better! Oh this was wonderful served with "Maharaja Curry" and it was a restaurant-quality meal. I did add Saffron and frozen peas to the rice for color and substance. Thanks for this nice recipe!

—TUNISIANSWIFE

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Mar 03, 2007

I just finished preparing this recipe... it was tasty, but nothing spectacular - hence my 4 star rating. I followed the directions for the most part - except I didn't bother soaking the rice - because in my experience, the rice is easier to toast if you skip the soaking step. Also, I doubled the recipe and used about 1/2 less cumin seeds, a few extra pods of cardamom and an extra clove or two. I added a pinch of saffron too! Note: If you decide to use ground spices in place of the whole ones, be careful with how much you use - otherwise you won't get the right flavor. Too much cinnamon can ruin the dish, and typically the cardamom is essential with Indian cooking.

—Serena

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Jan 03, 2006

This tasted very good, however I had to make some changes to it because I had to use white rice and substitute ground spices. For the cinamon I used one teaspoon ground, and cardamon also suffered because I couldn't find pods. So I used 2/3 of a teaspoon and the rice was great. Extremely easy to make and flavorful.

—AgnesPterry

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Oct 24, 2011

This is very good. I was a little disappointed in the hieroglyphics I had to go through to figure out the "ground equivalents" of the spices. So, thanks to the internet, here they are: 1 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp cardamom 1/2 tsp cloves 1 tsp cumin I thought it could use a little more salt, too, maybe 1 1/2 tsp. Othewise, a keeper!

—janetbellu

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Feb 02, 2006

this was just what we needed for our indian food fix! i spent some extra time sauteing the rice after it was soaked to toast it to a light golden color, it really brought out the rich flavor of the basmati. i doubled the onions (personal preference) and threw in 1/2 cup frozen (but thawed) mixed vegetables for color and added texture. served this with the indian tandoori chicken on this website. it was fabulous!

—MAGBOR

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Oct 29, 2006

This was very good. I skipped the cardamom completely, used ground cinnamon instead of sticks, and used ground cumin instead of cumin seeds (but reduced the amount to 2 tsp). I seemed to need a bit of extra oil when browning the rice so that it didn't stick. The rice turned out to be tender and flavorful.

—annanthony

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Nutrition

Calories
216 kcal
11%

Carbohydrates
38.9 g
13%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
5.4 g
8%

Fiber
1 g
4%

Protein
3.9 g
8%

Sodium
394 mg
16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Indian Style Basmati Rice

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 216
Calories from Fat: 48

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5.4g 8 %
** Saturated Fat 0.9g 5 %
** Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
** Sodium 394mg 16 %
** Potassium 39mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 38.9g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 1g 4 %
Protein 3.9g 8 %
** Sugars 0.6g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C 2 %
Calcium 3 %
Iron 10 %
** Thiamin 1 %
** Niacin < 1 %
** Vitamin B6 1 %
** Magnesium 2 %
** Folate 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.