Coriander Rice | Indian Cilantro Rice
Coriander rice presents itself as a aromatic, flavorsome, and nourishing spiced rice preparation, incorporating fragrant cilantro leaves, basmati rice, vegetables, herbs, and spices. This dish serves as a wholesome and satisfying meal, wonderfully complemented by a vegetable salad or raita.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice – rinsed and soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 4 to 5 black peppers
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 or 2 single strands of mace
- 1 medium sized onion – thinly sliced or ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions
- 1 pinch turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 medium sized potato – peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup green peas – fresh or frozen
- 1.5 cups water
- salt as required
For The Coriander Paste
- ½ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 to 3 green chilies – chopped
- ½ to 1 inch ginger – chopped
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened desiccated coconut or 2 tablespoon grated coconut
- 3 to 4 medium garlic – chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 to 3 tablespoon water for grinding
Instructions
Prepping Rice
- Rinse the basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak the rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Then drain the water and keep the rice aside. Prep the other ingredients when the rice is soaking.
Making Coriander Paste
- Take coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, unsweetened desiccated coconut, garlic, cumin seeds and fennel seeds in a small grinder or blender or chutney grinder.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and grind or blend to a smooth paste. Keep this green cilantro paste aside.
Making Coriander Rice
- Heat 2 tablespoons of any neutral flavored oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add the following whole spices – cloves, black peppers, cinnamon, green cardamoms and single strands of mace. Fry till the spices become fragrant. This takes a few seconds.
- Add the thinly sliced onions. On a low to medium flame, stir and saute the onions till they become golden.
- Keep on stirring often so that the onions have a uniform golden color and do not get burnt.
- Lower the flame and add the ground coriander-spices paste. Add a pinch turmeric powder. Stir very well.
- Add chopped potato and green peas. You can use any mix vegetables of your choice or even skip them. Stir again.
- Then add the drained rice. Stir gently and saute the rice for a minute.
Cooking Coriander Rice
- Add 1.5 cups of water and salt as required. Stir again. Taste the stock and it should feel a bit salty.
- Cover and pressure cook rice for 2 whistles or for 7 to 9 minutes on a medium to high flame.
- When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.
- Serve coriander rice hot with side raita or salad or a pickle. It can also be packed for tiffin box and will make for a very healthy meal.
- While eating you can drizzle some lemon juice to add some brightness and tang to the dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 509mgPotassium: 564mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 328IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg
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