This is one of the most simple ways to serve rice, which is seasoned with cumin seeds, peppercorns and nutmeg. Bright green pearls as I like to call it or green peas adorn this dish. It is simple no doubt, but the seasoning ingredients and some butter or ghee makes the dish delectable. It is a plain canvas but is a”must-have” item on all menus and when combined with some curries this dish is definitely drool-worthy. 

Cooking rice and making sure each grain is separate is also an art. Of course when I started cooking I had problems making this dish, sometimes the rice would turn mushy and sometimes undercooked.  Also make sure to use basmati rice when you make this as the grains are long and look pretty too. Not sure of the basmati rice we get in grocery stores whether they are really basmati. I’m saying this because there is no fragrance that is associated with it anymore, except for a few of them. I’ve tried almost all brands available in Indian grocery stores over the years. 

 I remember when I was little every Sunday my amma cooked a special Sunday lunch for us. Ghee rice as it is called in Karnataka was one such delicacy. She had special fragrant basmati rice, nuts and dry fruits toasted in ghee. Every time she made it the fragrance of basmati wafted in the air. What a treat we had! 

 Jeera rice is complementary to almost all North Indian dishes such as matar paneer, chole, dal makhni, malai kofta or even plain dal.