How to Make Jeera Pulao Perfectly | Masala Pulao

Name: How to Make Jeera Pulao Perfectly | Masala Pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 Servings
Cuisine: Indian,World Cuisine

Jeera Pulao | Zeera Pulao 2 ways

Features:

Cuisine:

Step by step process to make pulao perfectly.

30mins
Serves 2
Medium

Directions

Jeera Pulao or Zeera Pulao, call it whatever you want but one cannot deny that it is one the most popular dishes served along with Indian food. Cooking jeera (cumin) pulao is simple and easy with my recipe here. This step by step recipe of making pulao will help the first timers a lot and at the same time if you are an expert at cooking rice, some of my tips may come handy to enhance your cooking rice.

Pulao is very famous in India and ofter contested with Biryani and Tehri. If you want to know the difference between a pulao and biryani and tehri then click below.

Difference between Pulao & Biryani & Tahri

Jeera Water for Good Digestion

Ingredients

For Plain Jeera Pulao

Oil – 4tbsp

Black cardamom – 1nos

Cumin – 2tsp

Water – 1¼ cups

Salt – ¾ tsp

Basmati rice – 1cup

For Masala Jeera Pulao

Oil – 3tbsp

Butter – 1tbsp

Bayleaf – 1no

Black cardamom – 2nos

Cumin – 2tsp

Green chilli – 1no

Ginger chopped – 2tsp

Garlic chopped – 2tsp

Onion sliced – 1cup

Chilli powder – 1½ tsp

Turmeric – ¾ tsp

Coriander powder – 1tbsp

Tomato chopped – 1cup

Salt – 1tsp

Water – 1½ cups

Kasoori methi – ½ tsp

Basmati rice – 1cup

Steps

1 Done	For Plain Jeera Pulao Wash & soak the rice in water for at least 30mins, keep aside. Heat a kadai or a deep vessel. Drizzle oil and let the oil heat to high. Press the black cardamom (moti elichi) on the table to crack it open. Add it to hot oil, stir and sprinkle jeera. Once the jeera crackles add water to it. Sprinkle salt and bring the water to a boil.
2 Done	Drain all the water from the soaked rice and add the rice to the boiling water. Do not stir the rice with a laddle instead hold the pan and swirl it for rice to mix up. At this stage turn on the gas to a high and boil the rice till the level of water and rice come to the same level. At this stage of cooking, lower the heat to low and cover with a high fitting lid and let it cook till all of the water is absorbed by the rice. This will take 3-4mins approx. once all of the water is absorbed turn off the heat, but do not remove the lid. Let the jeera pulao sit in there for 10mins, as this will allow rice to absorb flavours and cook through and through.
3 Done	After 10 mins remove the lid and using a fork or a thin slicer scoop and fluff up the rice. Never use a laddle (Karchi) or spoon to open rice. Always serve jeera pulao or any rice on to a platter as this will ensure that rice does not break while serving. Serve it hot with the choice of your curry.
4 Done	For Masala Jeera Pulao Wash & soak the rice in water for at least 30mins, keep aside. Heat a kadai or a deep vessel. Drizzle oil, add butter and once the butter melts add in bayleaf, black cardamom and cumin. Once the cumin crackles add green chilli, ginger and garlic. Stir them for a 30secs on high heat. Drop in the onions, you can slice them or even chop them. On high heat stir the onions for a minute. We do not have to brown the onions.
5 Done	Sprinkle chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir them so that they all release their flavour and colour. Quickly add tomatoes and salt. On high heat stir and cook the tomatoes for 2 mins. Pour water, sprinkle kasoori methi powder and let the water comes to a boil. Drain out all the water from the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook on high heat till the level of the rice and water come to the same level.
6 Done	At this stage of cooking, lower the heat to low and cover with a high fitting lid and let it cook till all of the water is absorbed by the rice. This will take 4-5mins approx. Once all of the water is absorbed turn off the heat, but do not remove the lid. Let the masala jeera pulao sit in there for 10mins, as this will allow rice to absorb flavours and cook through and through. After 10 mins remove the lid and using a fork or a thin slicer scoop and fluff up the masala pulao rice. Never use a laddle (Karchi) or spoon to open rice. Always serve masala jeera pulao or any rice on to a platter as this will ensure that rice does not break while serving. Serve it hot with the choice of your curry or yo can eat it as is or with curd.

Chef Kunal Kapur

Having served the world with his delicious delicacies, Chef Kunal Kapur is revered by every food connoisseur. An all-in-one Indian celebrity chef, restaurateur, and media personality, Kunal Kapur has helped all of us get a taste of his cooking secrets through his cookbooks.