Jeera Rice or cumin rice

Jeera is one of my favorite spices, especially when combined with rice it imparts a very unique and delicious flavor. My mother used to prepare this rice very often, we used to have it with curd or boondi. Yes, my favorite combo with jeera rice is curd and boondi. Try it once and you will enjoy it for sure!
In India many marriages  take place during the month of May, and you all know in this month Sun becomes our best friend and he will not leave us all day. Yes! that is the feeling I used to have from my childhood, the heat from the sun is that high during this month that is the reason why we feel as if we are walking with the Sun. So, in marriages I used to have this jeera rice with cool curd and boondi/mixture, this is a kind of a relief in a hot summer. Now coming to the recipe

Ingredients
Basmati rice/any rice- 3cups
Jeera/Cumin seeds-1tbsp
Pudina/Mint leaves-1 bunch
coriander/cilantro leaves-10 springs chopped
Salt to taste
carrot finely chopped-1/4cup(Optional, I added just for color)
Oil-2tbsp
cloves-3
cinnamon stick-1
cardamom-2
bay leaf-2
Finely chopped green chili-2
Gingere-1/2tbsp
garlic paste-1/2tbsp

Method:
Wash rice and add 6cups of water and salt to taste. Soak for 20min for better results or you can start cooking immediately.  I cooked in a rice cooker, if you are cooking out side you can do the following procedure in the vessel you are cooking rice.
Heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin, cinnamon, cardamon, bay leaf and clove. Saute them for 1min under medium flame and add ginger, garlic paste, green chili, carrot and saute till carrot are half done. Then add pudina/ mint leaves and cilantro. When mint leaves are done turnoff the stove and add this mixture to the rice soaked and mix well. Turn on the rice cooker and cook like a normal rice.
When it is cooking your house will be filled with all mint and jeera flavors. If you do not have pudina/mint it is OK you can cook without it!!!

Hope you enjoy!!!
cheers,
DD