Bagara Rice (Instant pot & stove top)

Bagara Rice is a Hyderabad special dish which is often found in wedding menus or special occasion menus in Telangana region in South India. It is a simple and delicious rice delicacy which is flavored with whole garam masala, herbs like mint and cilantro(coriander) & ghee(clarified butter) and comes together pretty quickly in around 30 mins.

This Bagara rice recipe also known as bagara khana or bagara annam has both Instant pot pressure cooker and stove top directions. It pairs really well with any vegetarian gravy or masala curries, chicken dishes, mutton dishes or even simple raita (tempered yogurt). I usually make this when I am bored of eating bland food (made for my kids hence the whole family) and need a quick and spicy fix.

I try to provide as much information for the readers as possible in the post below. But if you directly want to see the recipe card, you can use the button at the top of the page or go to any section of the page you want using the table of contents below. Recipe card has all the information you need to make the recipe perfectly. However you can find the step by step pics below in the post.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step by Step procedure with pictures
• Frequently asked questions
• Tips & Tricks for perfect Bagara Rice
• Serving Suggestion
• Storage and Reheating
• Recipe

Ingredients

This needs very basic ingredients that are usually found in many Indian pantries. You can find the list of ingredients in the recipe card but I want to mention one thing before we proceed further.

If you are looking for the authentic taste then use only ghee in this recipe. Otherwise you can use half oil and half ghee or full oil. However you can find the difference in taste when you use oil. Adjust the ghee to your taste.

Step by Step procedure with pictures

Let's see how to make bagara rice in instant pot first and then I will list the variations of making it in stove top pressure cooker and stove top pot.

Preparation

• Wash Basmati rice for 3 to 4 times until the water runs clear and soak it in water for 20 mins.
• Chop onion into thin slices, split green chillies, clean and chop mint & coriander leaves and keep all the whole masalas, ginger garlic paste and lemon juice ready.

Procedure for Instant pot

We will use the low heat in Sauté mode to make sure onions are not burnt but nicely cooked to golden brown perfection which is very important for this dish.

• Turn on the Sauté mode on low(press Sauté button and then press adjust to select low heat), once it displays hot, add ghee(clarified butter). When the ghee is hot add all the whole garam masalas i.e. shah jeera(black cumin seeds),cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, pepper corns, bay leaf, star anise and cashew nuts, sauté until you get nice aroma.
• Now add thinly sliced onions and split green chillies(adjust to your spice level) and stir well. Sauté them for 4 to 5 mins while stirring in between.

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• Now add ginger garlic paste and mix well. Sauté for another 2 to 3 mins until the onions are golden brown.
• Now add chopped mint and cilantro leaves and mix well. Sauté for a minute or two until herbs release their aroma.

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• Now drain the soaked rice and add it to the pot and mix well. Sauté for a minute. Then add water, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Deglaze the pot using a wooden spatula to make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom.
• Close the Instant pot lid, turn the vent to seal, cancel the sauté mode, press on manual and choose 6 mins on high pressure.

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• Once the Instant pot beeps and turns off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins and then do a quick release. Remove the steel insert from the Instant pot and set it on a heat proof surface for 5 mins to avoid burning on the bottom from the Instant pot left over heat.
• Fluff it with a fork after 5 mins and serve it with your choice of vegetarian or non vegetarian dish or just raita.

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Procedure for stove top pressure cooker

Follow the same procedure in a stove top pressure cooker until you add everything to the pot including water salt and lemon juice. Then close the lid and cook on high until 2 whistles.

Then remove it from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid after all the pressure is released, let it rest for 5 mins and then fluff it and serve it.

Procedure for stove top pot

Follow the same procedure in a stove top pot until you add everything to the pot including water salt and lemon juice. Add 3&½ cups of water instead of 3 cups.

Now keep it on medium high until the water comes to boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it cook covered until all the water is absorbed. Open the lid and check if the rice is cooked to your satisfaction. If not add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water more and cook it covered on low until completely cooked.

Remove from the heat, let it rest for 5 mins before you fluff it gently and serve it. Do not stir immediately after removing from the heat as this will break the rice and result in a mushy rice.

Frequently asked questions

How to adjust the Spice level 

Adjust the number of green chillies to your spice level. For low spice, use 1 to 2, for medium spice, use 2 to 3 and for high spice use 4 to 5.

How to make it Vegan

To make it a vegan dish, skip ghee and use oil. ( But please note that the real authentic taste to this dish comes from using the ghee ).

How to make bagara rice in rice cooker

To make bagara rice in rice cooker, do all the sautéing part of the recipe on a pan on the stove top. After adding rice to the pan and sautéing for a minute or two according to the recipe, then transfer the contents to the rice cooker, add water, salt, lemon juice and turn on the rice cooker.

How to make bagara rice in pressure cooker

Please check the recipe card below for the instructions to cook bagara rice in a pressure cooker.

Tips & Tricks for perfect Bagara Rice

• Make sure to wash the rice for 3 to 4 times to remove starch and soak the rice for 20 mins to get fluffy rice.
• Make sure to sauté onions on medium to low heat until they are nicely golden brown and not burnt as they give a wonderful taste to this dish. If you prefer, you can remove few fried onions before adding next ingredients, and garnish the dish with those at the end.
• When cooking in Instant pot, if sauté mode on low feels too slow for you, you can cancel and switch to sauté mode on high but make sure the onions are not sticking to the bottom or burning.
• Lemon juice helps reduce the stickiness and results in separate grains. Check out my recipe for Basmati Rice Instant Pot (Perfectly Fluffy) to always make a perfectly fluffy Basmati rice in Instant pot with many tips and tricks.

Some more similar recipes

• Instant pot Green Moong Dal Khichdi/Pulao
• Instant pot Aloo Matar | Indian Potato and Peas Curry (Instant pot & Stove top)
• Tomato Mint Coconut Rice ( Video )
• Indian style scrambled tofu curry | Scrambled tofu matar masala( Vegan)
• Instant Pot Kheer | Rice Payasam | Indian Rice Pudding

Serving Suggestion

If you are not in the mood to cook an elaborate meal, then this bagara rice recipe is perfect to spice up your every day meals.

Serve bagara rice with your choice of any vegetarian gravy dishes like bagara baingan or paneer tikka masala etc.. or non vegetarian dishes like chicken curry, mutton curry etc.. or just raita.

Storage and Reheating

Store bagara rice in an air tight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you are reheating in a microwave, sprinkle little water on top and then reheat.

Another option is to reheat using pot in pot method in Instant pot. Use a stainless steel dish which fits inside your instant pot on a trivet, to hold bagara rice. Pour 1 to 1.5 cup of water in the bottom of the instant pot steel insert, put a trivet inside and then stack the bagara rice dish in the trivet. Reheat using manual mode on high pressure for 4 mins if it is just out of refrigerator. Reduce the time to manual 1 or 2 mins if it is at room temperature.

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Recipe

Make this delicious bagara rice to enjoy with your family and let us know in comments below how did it turn out for you. If you like the recipe, you can rate the recipe below using the star buttons. I am always here if you have any questions about the recipe.

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