Indian Rice
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jun 25, 2025 
This flavorful Indian Rice recipe combines basmati rice with aromatic spices like cardamom, cumin, and turmeric for a deliciously fragrant side dish that is perfectly fluffy and tender.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Rice is one of those ingredients that would be very difficult for me to give up. Whether it’s jasmine, basmati, or wild rice, the smell and texture are endearing and alluring. In fact, most of my favorite comfort foods revolve around rice.
There are rice dishes, and then there are rice dishes. This particular Indian Rice dish is the latter… light, fluffy, aromatic, and bursting with intense flavor, making it so much more than a side dish. To make Indian-style rice, you could always boil up a pot of rice and add a little curry powder. The difference in this Indian rice dish, is that we aren’t using curry powder, the blend of dried spices regularly used in Indian cooking. Instead, we’re using whole spices to create vibrant complexity with delicately balanced exotic tones.
Why You’ll Love Indian Rice
- Bold flavors – This rice dish is packed with bold and aromatic Indian flavors thanks to a medley of fresh spices.
- Meal-prep hero – Make a big batch of this Indian Rice dish and enjoy it throughout the week with your favorite protein.
- Side dish perfection – Whether it’s curries or grilled meats, this rice dish is the perfect side dish.
Sound appealing? If you like playing with spices, you are going to love this!
Ingredients You Need
- Basmati rice – Use basmati for the most authentic Indian rice.
- Ghee clarified butter – Coconut oil can also be used for a dairy-free option.
- Vegetables – You’ll need chopped onion, garlic and freshly grated ginger.
- Spices – Use cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, preferred chile pepper, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and salt.
- Curry leaves – Use fresh curry leaves and make sure that they’re whole.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Legumes – Give this rice dish a protein boost by mixing in some chickpeas and lentils.
- Nuts – Toss in some slivered almonds or chopped cashews.
- Vegan – Swap the ghee with coconut oil.
How To Make Indian Basmati Rice
This delicious Indian Rice dish comes together in a few simple steps that include sautéing spices, boiling the rice and serving it with some crispy curry leaves.
Find the full Indian Rice recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat leftovers in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a sprinkle of water if the rice is too dry.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this aromatic Indian style rice as a fragrant side dish to complement any of your favorite curries, grilled meats, or seafood! Its rich, spiced flavor pairs perfectly with creamy dishes like paneer tikka masala, lamb curry, chicken madras curry, or creamy saag paneer. The rice is also a great accompaniment to crispy foods such as tandoori chicken tikka skewers, chicken pakora, or Indian chicken drumsticks.
For a lighter, vegetarian option, pair it with a simple crockpot chickpea curry. The aromatic spices and fluffy texture make it an excellent base for soaking up savory sauces.
And don’t forget to make a side of this simple roti to serve with your meal. This rice is also perfect served alongside a refreshing cucumber raita to balance out the spices!
Indian Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons ghee clarified butter
- 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 cardamom pods cracked
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 dried chile pepper bird, serrano, cayenne…
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup whole fresh curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add the ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon, chile, fenugreek, and cumin seeds. Saute until the onions are soft and the fenugreek seeds have started to soften, about 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the rice, turmeric, salt and water. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and lower the heat again to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water and there are steam holes in the top of the rice. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover and set aside to steam for 5-10 more minutes.
- Add the oil to a small skillet. Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s very hot, add the curry leaves and step back–herbs contain a lot of moisture and will pop when frying. Fry the curry leaves for 10-20 seconds, just long enough for the popping to stop. Then scoop them out of the oil and and place them on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle the curry leaves with salt. When ready to serve, scoop the rice into a large bowl, removing the cardamom pods, chile, and cinnamon stick. Top with flash fried curry leaves and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe does not call for soaking the rice grains before cooking on the stovetop.
It’s subtly spicy, but if you want it to be a little bit more mild, lessen the amount of spices used.
Can’t wait to try this!
Everything in this is right up my alley and I completely agree with your comment, “I love digging through those little strip-mall markets for lesser known ingredients like this. Totally worth the drive and time, in my opinion.” It’s that attention to detail and passion for the final product that drives me, too. Beautiful photos!
What gorgeous rice Sommer- I just LOVE all of the spices and flavors that you included!
Love roasting whole spices… was just talking to Heather about fenugreek!
One of my favorite rice recipes!
This rice looks amazing and sounds even better! I love the authentic Indian rice but have never tried to make it myself. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Love this rice! So pretty too!
Wow! The rice looks lovely. I am so surprised to see that you like the flavor of fenugreek seeds! I know many many Indians ( including my family) scowling at it. The raw seeds are bitter, but they mellow down beautifully after cooking. Do you know that you can grow fresh fenugreek leaves at home? They also taste wonderful and are extremely aromatic. You can actually sprout fenugreek seeds and add them to your salads. They are a powerhouse of nutrition, especially iron. Happy blogging, and btw, I Love your page :-)
Fanugreek seeds are the bomb of vitamin and minerals. They contains all amino acids and as you say iron which is really rare. For more information about fanugreek seeds you can check HappyForks site. Ambika, do you have recipes for other meals in which we can add fanugreek?
Love a good rice! This one looks perfect!!
Rice is by far one of my very favorite sides/grains/foods. We love it over here and I am a huge fan of indian so this is some good looking rice!
Wow! I love the time and love that goes into the recipe to really get that flavor!
I have been thinking that I haven’t made rice in too long. Being a food blogger I feel ALL the pressure to make everything quinoa.
But, we are hyooooge Indian fans, so you’ve inspired me to get back on the rice train! Pinned!