Coriander Rice Indian Cilantro Rice

About This Indian Cilantro Rice

This Indian Cilantro rice is one of those recipes that are a part of my everyday cooking. I make pulao and rice-based dishes often as they are easy to put together, healthy as well and cook quickly in a pressure cooker or Instant pot. They can be paired with a raita or a salad. So kind of easy and also rice recipes go well in the tiffin box. In this recipe, I have used basmati rice for its fragrance and texture. However feel free to use any variety of non-sticky rice that is available to you. You can also use long grained rice. I have cooked the rice in a stovetop pressure cooker but it can also be made in a thick-bottomed pot or pan. I have mentioned the method to cook in a pan or pot in the notes section of the recipe card below. Usually in coriander rice, I also add the spare veggies from the fridge, like one carrot or a couple of beans or a quarter of cauliflower or broccoli. Here, I added some potatoes and green peas. Though you can add any veggie and even skip if you want. The vegetables that you can consider adding are potatoes, carrots, green peas, corn, capsicum (bell pepper), baby corn, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, french beans, baby potatoes and edible fungi like button mushrooms. This will make the dish more filling, hearty and nutritious. Serve coriander rice with a side raita or salad of your choice. It also taste good as is. You can also have a mango pickle or lemon pickle by the side with a few roasted papads.

How to make Coriander Rice

Prepping Rice and Making Coriander Paste

1. Rinse 1 cup of basmati rice very well in water until the water runs clear of starch. Then soak rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later drain the water and keep the rice aside. Prep the other ingredients when the rice is soaking.
2. In a small grinder or blender or chutney grinder take the following ingredients:

½ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)2 to 3 green chilies (chopped)½ to 1-inch ginger (chopped)2 tablespoons of unsweetened desiccated coconut or 2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut3 to 4 medium garlic (chopped)½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

3. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and grind or blend to a smooth paste. Keep this green paste aside.

Sautéing Coriander Paste

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of any neutral flavored oil in a pressure cooker. Add the following whole spices and fry till the spices become fragrant for a few seconds.

2 to 3 cloves4 to 5 black peppers½ inch cinnamon2 green cardamom 1 or 2 single strands of mace

5. Add ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions.
6. 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.
7. Lower the flame and add the ground coriander-spices paste that we had prepared earlier.
8. Add a pinch of turmeric powder (ground turmeric).
9. Mix and stir very well.
10. Add 1 medium potato (chopped) and ⅓ cup green peas. You can use any mix vegetables of your choice or even skip them. Stir again very well.
11. Then add the drained rice. Season with salt as required.

Cooking Cilantro Rice

12. Stir gently and saute the rice for a minute.
13. Add 1.5 cups of water. Stir again. Taste the stock and it should feel a bit salty.
14. Cover and pressure cook cilantro rice for 2 whistles or for 7 to 9 minutes on a medium to high flame. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.
15. Serve cilantro rice with side raita or salad or a pickle. While serving you can garnish with some chopped cilantro leaves too. You can also squeeze some lemon juice and enjoy this dish. It can also be packed for lunch box and makes for a filling, comforting and healthy meal. More Tasty Rice Recipes

Mint riceMethi rice (Fenugreek Rice)Carrot ricePalak rice (Spinach Rice)Capsicum rice (Bell Pepper Rice)

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. This Coriander Rice recipe post from the blog archives (first published in July 2015) has been updated and republished on 27 June 2021.

title: “Coriander Rice Indian Cilantro Rice " ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-11” author: “Bruce Egland”

About This Indian Cilantro Rice

This Indian Cilantro rice is one of those recipes that are a part of my everyday cooking. I make pulao and rice-based dishes often as they are easy to put together, healthy as well and cook quickly in a pressure cooker or Instant pot. They can be paired with a raita or a salad. So kind of easy and also rice recipes go well in the tiffin box. In this recipe, I have used basmati rice for its fragrance and texture. However feel free to use any variety of non-sticky rice that is available to you. You can also use long grained rice. I have cooked the rice in a stovetop pressure cooker but it can also be made in a thick-bottomed pot or pan. I have mentioned the method to cook in a pan or pot in the notes section of the recipe card below. Usually in coriander rice, I also add the spare veggies from the fridge, like one carrot or a couple of beans or a quarter of cauliflower or broccoli. Here, I added some potatoes and green peas. Though you can add any veggie and even skip if you want. The vegetables that you can consider adding are potatoes, carrots, green peas, corn, capsicum (bell pepper), baby corn, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, french beans, baby potatoes and edible fungi like button mushrooms. This will make the dish more filling, hearty and nutritious. Serve coriander rice with a side raita or salad of your choice. It also taste good as is. You can also have a mango pickle or lemon pickle by the side with a few roasted papads.

How to make Coriander Rice

Prepping Rice and Making Coriander Paste

1. Rinse 1 cup of basmati rice very well in water until the water runs clear of starch. Then soak rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later drain the water and keep the rice aside. Prep the other ingredients when the rice is soaking.
2. In a small grinder or blender or chutney grinder take the following ingredients:

½ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)2 to 3 green chilies (chopped)½ to 1-inch ginger (chopped)2 tablespoons of unsweetened desiccated coconut or 2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut3 to 4 medium garlic (chopped)½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

3. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and grind or blend to a smooth paste. Keep this green paste aside.

Sautéing Coriander Paste

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of any neutral flavored oil in a pressure cooker. Add the following whole spices and fry till the spices become fragrant for a few seconds.

2 to 3 cloves4 to 5 black peppers½ inch cinnamon2 green cardamom 1 or 2 single strands of mace

5. Add ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions.
6. 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.
7. Lower the flame and add the ground coriander-spices paste that we had prepared earlier.
8. Add a pinch of turmeric powder (ground turmeric).
9. Mix and stir very well.
10. Add 1 medium potato (chopped) and ⅓ cup green peas. You can use any mix vegetables of your choice or even skip them. Stir again very well.
11. Then add the drained rice. Season with salt as required.

Cooking Cilantro Rice

12. Stir gently and saute the rice for a minute.
13. Add 1.5 cups of water. Stir again. Taste the stock and it should feel a bit salty.
14. Cover and pressure cook cilantro rice for 2 whistles or for 7 to 9 minutes on a medium to high flame. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.
15. Serve cilantro rice with side raita or salad or a pickle. While serving you can garnish with some chopped cilantro leaves too. You can also squeeze some lemon juice and enjoy this dish. It can also be packed for lunch box and makes for a filling, comforting and healthy meal. More Tasty Rice Recipes

Mint riceMethi rice (Fenugreek Rice)Carrot ricePalak rice (Spinach Rice)Capsicum rice (Bell Pepper Rice)

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. This Coriander Rice recipe post from the blog archives (first published in July 2015) has been updated and republished on 27 June 2021.