Jeera Rice — or how to transform day-old, plain basmati into a flavourful new dish

Turn your leftover basmati into Jeera Rice — that’s what chef Joe Thottungal does. This recipe is from his latest cookbook, My Thali: A Simple Indian Kitchen, and it gives day-old, plain basmati rice “more life and freshness,” he told us. 

It goes best with milder curries, he said, and he also confirmed that Jeera Rice would go well with his Fried Tilapia recipe — or "you can enjoy the rice itself with a little bit of raita or chutney."

Jeera Rice 

By Joe Thottungal

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 10 curry leaves (optional)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 cups cooked basmati rice
• 2 tbsp Fried Onions
• Salt, to taste
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Fried Onions:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cooking onions, very thinly sliced

Preparation

Heat ghee in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and toss in curry leaves (if using) and cumin seeds. Sauté for 20 seconds, until seeds are fragrant and leaves have crisped and curled. Add rice and fried onions (recipe follows) and stir-fry, until warmed through. Season with salt and garnish with cilantro. 

Fried Onions: 

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan or wok over medium heat, until it reaches a temperature of 350ºF. To check, add a slice of onion to the oil. If it begins to sizzle right away, the oil is ready. 

Sauté onions for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and drain excess oil. Set aside to cool. Makes about 1 cup. Fried onions will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.

Serves 3-4.

Excerpted from My Thali: A Simple Indian Kitchen by Joe Thottungal with Anne DesBrisay. Photography by Christian Lalonde. Copyright © 2023 by Thali Restaurant. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.