Coriander Rice | Indian Cilantro Rice
Coriander rice is a fragrant, tasty and spiced rice made with fresh coriander leaves, basmati rice, spices and veggies. There are many variations of making this savory rice dish. Here I am sharing a one-pot and easy cilantro rice similar to a pilaf or pulao. The recipe comes together in less than 40 minutes and makes for a hearty, filling weekday lunch or dinner.
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 coconut
- 3 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 cloves
- 4 to 5 black peppers
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 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 rice
- Methi rice (Fenugreek Rice)
- Carrot rice
- Palak rice (Spinach Rice)
- Capsicum rice (Bell Pepper Rice)
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
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.
Notes
- The entire coriander rice recipe can also be made in a pot or pan. Add 2 cups of water if cooking in a pot. Cover tightly and cook the rice grains till done. Do check while the rice is cooking and if required, you can add more water.
- If you want then you can skip adding the veggies.
- I personally like to add spare veggies to this recipe as it makes the dish more healthy, nutritious and also more flavorful. The veggies that can be added are potatoes, green peas, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, bell pepper, baby corn, brinjal, sweet corn, cabbage, baby corn and carrots. You can also include button mushrooms.
- For a spicy rice increase the number of green chilies.
- If basmati rice is not available to you then use any variety of non-sticky white rice or any long grained rice.
- The recipe can be doubled.
Nutrition
This Coriander Rice recipe post from the blog archives (first published in July 2015) has been updated and republished on 27 June 2021.
This is a wonderful recipe. The Indian coriander rice looks beautifully prepared and full of flavour. Thank you for sharing such a delightful dish.
Thanks so much. I am glad you enjoyed the coriander rice.
i tried this recipe but my rice was not fluffy ???? i always wanted fluffy rice hope i will get when i try next time ..recipe was too good and easy … taste was good but only thing is it hase become like kichidi
okay. next time you can add less water. different types and varieties of basmati rice need more or less water. also while grinding the coriander paste add less water and not too much water. in case you add more water while grinding, then add less water when pressure cooking rice.
May be, you should cook rice for just 1 whistle because the Basmati rice is already well soaked for 30 minutes.
Hi Dasanna
Ever since i started trying your recipes ,i haven’t tried any other website .starters,breakfast,rice varieties,mocktails,what not everything it turned out so yummy .The best thing about your recipes is that the food is healthy with yummy taste ,i bet everyone who are following your recipes will definitely turn out to super chefs
Thanks for the tasty recipes with beautiful photos and clear explaination
thanks a lot jaya for this lovely comment and feedback 🙂
Just made the coriander rice. I cooked it in a rice cooker instead of a pressure cooker and the aroma………………..mmmmm, what can I say? It filled the whole kitchen ? I couldn’t wait to open it and try. Turned out real tasty though it wasn’t as green as yours. Maybe I added a tad too much turmeric powder? It was a little spicy too. Kids had to eat it with yogurt. Overall, excellent. Will definitely make it again. Thanks for all your recipes and the step by step pictorial instructions. Your recipes make me look like a great cook!
pleased to know this sita 🙂 thankyou so much for your kind words. alter spice as per your preference you are always welcome and glad we could help you.
I am beginner at cooking. I tried your recipe. The dish was well liked by my family. Thanks. 🙂
pleased to know this anoma 🙂 thankyou so much and glad your family liked it.
Superb.. Awesome rice.. I alwasys try your recipes. E
Easy, Simple and very tasty..
thankyou so much shubhangi 🙂
Super delicious…… awasome…. easy and fast……….:-):-)
thankyou aishu 🙂
It is very Healthy n tasty thanks alot my husband is very happy from my cooking thanks to you
welcome and thankyou arpitha 🙂
Instead of basmati rice shall we use normal rice.
yes you can use normal rice.
Just tried this recipe and it is very delicious.. Thank you!
welcome and thankyou soha 🙂
I Love the way of presenting recipe.
This is really mouthwatering Recipe and easy also.
We can use Palak also.
thanks devyani. yes we can use palak too.
Super awesome recipe.. I tried it, turned out very well!! Thank u…the pics make.It much more easier.
thankyou anushree 🙂
Hi
Can I cook this rice dish in a regular rice cooker or a normal pot as opposed to the pressure cooker?
PS: I just tried your palak mushroom recipe and it turned out great! I substituted the cream with yogurt coz there was no cream in my fridge 😉
Looking forward to trying this recipe next!
Ooops! sorry. I just realised you answered my question in your Notes section.
yes you can cook in a rice cooker or a normal pot. you may need to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water if cooking in a pot. thanks for the feedback on palak mushroom.
After the baruta recipe in the morning I zeroed in on this rice recipe for lunch.
This was quick , nice and spicy .. Loved it
Now thinking what to choose for dinner ?
thanks asha for sharing positive feedback.
Wow…..its very tasty and quite simple recipe… I just tried this recipe……….
thanks sanjana for sharing positive feedback.
Aap ki bohat sari recipes Maine try ki hai…..Aur mujhe bohat tarif bhi militi hai I think Maine sari veg recipes aapse hi sikha hai….thank u very much…aap awsm ho
thanks a lot shahnaz for this sweet feedback.
Hi,
I am a great fan of ur recepies. Your step by step instructions are very easy to follow. Thanks for them. I just tried ur coriander rice recepie, I must tell you the aroma has spread all over the house and I am sure it tastes great. I am writing this comment even before I could open the pressure cooker. Will continue trying all ur recepies.
welcome sushma. glad to know this. thanks for sharing this motivating feedback.
Hi mam… shall we make this rice with without adding onion and garlic… whether it will be tasty ???and instead of grated coconut shall we use readymade coconut powder
yes you can skip onion and garlic. just add a pinch of asafoetida in the recipe. yes you can use coconut powder. without onions and garlic, the taste does change, but in this recipe much difference won’t be felt, since we are using a lot of spices and herbs, including coconut.
Thank u mam… your explanation that too with step by step pics is awesome
thanks 🙂
hello Dassana..yesterday i cooked coriander rice..it was tasty..but the color was not as green as ur picture..pls suggest me how it would b greener…my another qstn is i want to make choclt chips muffins..how wil i bake it in my oven?the temperature there is maximum 550watt…thank u for making me a good chef..
the green color will depend on the greenness of the coriander leaves. next time you can skip the turmeric powder in the recipe. 550 watt is the microwave power. so you cannot microwave the muffins. you need to have convection option in the oven. when you set the temperature, its shown in the display panel like 150 or 170 degrees celsius etc. thank you and welcome.
Hi,
Wanted to know how can we unsweeten the coconut? Can a grated coconut which is slight sweet in taste be used? And what if we skip the coconut? M just confused regarding the coconut thing As can’t compromise on the taste which I might get with or without coconut and want to try this recipe soon. Please if you could help me with this.
Thanks.
hi purvi, there is a faint sweetness in all coconuts. if you are asking about sweetened coconut flakes, then don’t add them. i believe they are artificially sweetened. the coconut flakes which we get here in india are not sweetened and are just dried coconut flakes. skipping the coconut will change the taste. but let me tell you, the coriander rice will still taste good.
Hi,
Thankyou so much for the reply..tried this recipe today n paired it with one of your raita recipe beetroot raita. no words..turned out super awesome. can’t thank enough n yes I added grated coconut.
Thanks again.:)
most welcome purvi and thanks for this lovely feedback.
I stay in US and here we dont get indian style pani puris 🙁 after searching various sites came across ur site and tried ur recipe puri for making pani puri and it came out really well all the puris were so nicely puffed up.. Very happy and tried your lots of recipes and all came out really well… Kudos to u.. Can you please post dal bati as well???
thanks a lot deepika. i have a couple of requests for dal bati. so will add the recipe in some time.
Quick and healthy rice dish..yummy!!
Cilantro rice is yummm
it is displayed in sequence picture that is why easy to prepare coriander rice.
thanks.
Hi Dassana..i love ur site..i hav tried various recipes from ur site & all of them were yummilicious..i hav cooked peshwari chhole..dal makhani restaurant style..carrot rice..i will send u photos..i will definitely try ur coriander rice recipe in a few days…but if u share some non veg recipes then i shall b grateful to u..thank u for sharing these wonderful recipes…
thank you debashree for this lovely feedback. do try the recipe. its a good one. as far as non veg recipes are concerned, i cannot add them as i cook only vegetarian food.
Love this coriander rice..so nicely explained step by step with pictures..but I often get 1 issue while cooking rice in pressure cooker..i make them soft more than it’s needed and they become messy..how to boil the rice this perfectly?
thanks. add less water and pressure cook for less whistles or less time:-)