Bagara Rice (Chawal)

Bagara rice is a traditional aromatic rice dish made with rice, whole spices, fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves. It is one of the well-known dishes from the Telangana region of Southern India. Also known as Bagara chawal or bagara khana, it is mostly made for special meals and occasions like festivals or weddings.

This rice is super fragrant, delicious and is much simpler to whip up than a biryani. It can be eaten with vegetarian or meat curries, salan or dal. If you are pressed for time, simply eat it with a bowl of yogurt or a raita for a filling meal. In this post I share how to make the dish in a pot (the traditional way) and in a pressure cooker/ instant pot.

About Bagara Rice

Hyderabadi cuisine is immensely popular for its rich cultural foods like Hyderabadi biryani, Haleem, Marag, Double ka meetha, Kababs, Salan, Dalcha & many more. This bagara rice is a staple in the households and is eaten with meat curries.

Vegetarians can serve this with Bagara baingan, Mirchi ka salan, Aloo chana kurma, shorba or with dal tadka. Non-vegetarian dishes like Mutton korma, mutton curry, chicken curry or keema curry go well with this. This recipe will give you bagara rice that is so much flavorful & good on its own that you can just eat it without any sides. Here is what you need for this recipe.

Ingredients & Substitutes

• Ghee: If you want the best flavors don’t compromise with oil. Use ghee or unsalted butter if you don’t have ghee.
• Spices: Traditionally only whole spices like shahi jeera, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon are used. Generally no ground masala is used. However I do use a tiny amount of the ground spices which totally makes a difference here.
• Ginger and garlic are used in equal quantities. They are ground to a paste but grated also works in a pinch. Homemade paste makes a difference again. Avoid store bought paste as the flavors do not really come out well.
• Fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves are very essential for the flavor. Do not attempt to make the dish without these 2 herbs. Dried versions of these don’t work well.
• Green Chili is used for heat and flavor. You can use Indian chilies, Thai chilies or serrano peppers. Without them your dish will have zero heat levels and you may miss the flavors. Try using black pepper for low heat and omit for kids.
• Basmati rice: I use aged basmati. You can use any other kind you have. But adjust the amount of water depending on the rice. Use the same amount of water as you would use to cook your rice regularly.

Photo Guide

Step by Step Photo Instructions

1. Rinse rice thrice in lots of water and soak them. While the rice soaks, slice a small onion, 1 green chilli and make a paste of ginger and garlic or grate them.

2. Pluck a handful of mint leaves and an handful of coriander leaves. You may use the stalks of coriander but not mint. Add them to a bowl of water. Rinse them well a few times. Drain the water and later chop them.

3. Deseed 3 green cardamoms and make a fine powder of them along with 1 clove and half inch cinnamon.

4. Pour ghee to a hot pot or cooker or instant pot. When the ghee turns hot, add all the whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon, shahi jeera, cloves, green cardamom and black cardamom.

5. When they begin to sizzle, add the onions and green chilli. Fry them in ghee until golden.

6. Then add ginger garlic and saute for 30 to 60 seconds.

7. Add the rice, mint leaves and coriander. If using Instant pot, press the cancel button and proceed.

8. Saute the rice for 1 to 2 mins. Add salt and the ground spice powder.

9. Pour water and mix. Taste the water and add more if needed. If using instant pot, deglaze by running the spatula at the bottom of the pot.

Make the rice

10. Cover the pot/cooker or the IP. If cooking in a normal pot, bring to a rolling boil on a high heat and reduce the flame. Cover the pot and cook on a low heat until the rice is cooked fully. Towards the end if the rice is still under cooked, sprinkle few tbsps of hot water and give a good stir. Cover and cook until done.

If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook on a medium high heat for 1 whistle. When the pressure drops, open the lid and fluff up the bagara rice with a fork.

If using Instant pot, press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 5 mins. Position the steam release handle to sealing. When the IP is done cooking, it will beep. Wait for the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then release the rest manually by moving the vent from sealing to venting.

Give a gentle stir and fluff up with a fork. If you find the rice not soft enough for your liking. Cover it immediately and rest for 10 mins.

Serve bagara rice with any curry or raita.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card