The rice tempered with spices is a common one in Indian cuisine.
Rice is the staple in most states and the additional tempering provides second layer of flavour to the otherwise simple rice. Few among these are the jeera rice, tadka rice, bagara rice, neichooru. These simple spiced rice are often accompanied with a heavy gravy style preparation and the combination makes it heavenly.
The Bagara rice is an aromatic rice preparation, which follows up from the Hyderabadi cuisine / Deccan cuisine. This rich cuisine from the Nizams have been heavily influenced by the Turkish and Arabian cuisine. As opposed to fiery cuisine of the region and the very well known Hyderabadi biryani the simple flavourful preparation is flavourful yet subtle.
The use of unique spices like cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and Shah jeera (caraway seeds) makes the recipe aromatic and inviting.
Surprise your guests and family with bagara rice to go with a spicy Indian style gravy like bagara baingan (brinjal curry) , mirch ka salan ( tangy chilli gravy) and some simple cooling raita (yogurt salad) ( try this one – cucumber raitha.)
bagara rice
It is a different version of this that my mom used to pack for me into my lunch box. This season lasted all through my undergrad years. As I was making this, I remembered those lovely years we did open our lunchboxes during the mid morning class hours, much to the annoyment of the lecturer (yes we did carry our lunch boxes and happily ate it during class).
For my kids lunch box I do pair it up with steamed broccoli and thickened bean based gravy. Hope they are not opening their boxes during class too….
Now, off to the recipe, Hope you enjoy making it.
Also, check out some interesting lunch box friendly dishes
Bagara rice
from Deccan / hyderabadi cuisine
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice long grain / basmathi
- 2 tsp cooking oil or ghee
- 5-6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf dry
- 1 tsp caraway seeds Shah jeera
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp garlic chopped fine
- salt to taste
- 10 golden raisins
- mint leaves a few for garnish ( optional)
Instructions
- Wash the basmati / long grain rice and soak for a short while.
- Clean, peel and slice the onion thin. Set aside
- Into the pressure cooker ( or rice cooker / Cooking pot) add oil / ghee.
- As the oil heats up add all the spices and fry for a minute.
- Now add the sliced onions, garlic and ginger and fry till onions turn translucent.
- Drain the rice and add to the mix and coat well with the oil and spices.
- Add salt
- Add 1.5 times water and pressure cook for one whistle.
- When the pressure releases, fluff the rice and Add in the raisins and mint leaves.
- Mix well and serve hot with spicy gravy and raitha.
Notes
While cooking in a rice cooker or open pan check the water quantity as required.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lovely share !
I get the feeling I can actually get the aroma of the spices. Simple and yet so flavorful. Whenever we have guests over and we are preparing an Indian Meal, I tend to add cinnamon, cardamom, clove and anise star to the rice while its cooking.