Rice dishes
Calories in Jeera Rice
One plate of jeera rice has about 366 kcal, with 6.7 g of protein, 63.9 g of carbohydrate and 8.6 g of fat. The figure is the Indian Nutrient Databank's, for a plate cooked from 80 g of raw rice, 20 g of onion and 2 teaspoons of oil with cumin. Ghee or butter, as used in restaurants, raises it.
Nutrition in 1 plate of jeera rice
| Nutrient | 1 plate of jeera rice | 2 plates of jeera rice |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 366 kcal | 732 kcal |
| Protein | 6.7 g | 13.4 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 63.9 g | 127.8 g |
| Total fat | 8.6 g | 17.2 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.8 g | 7.6 g |
| Sugars | 1.7 g | 3.4 g |
Of this energy, about 71% comes from carbohydrate, 22% from fat and 7% from protein.
1 plate of jeera rice is about 17% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 22% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The recipe is short: 80 g of raw rice, 20 g of onion and 2 teaspoons of oil in which the cumin is crackled, all counted as one plate. Cooked, 80 g of raw rice is a full plate, the rice portion of a whole meal for one person. In a restaurant, an order of jeera rice is usually shared across the table, and it is made with ghee or butter in place of the measured oil, so both the helping and the fat differ from this recipe. At home, where the tempering is light, the figure fits well as long as the helping really is a full plate.
Rice does nearly all the work here: 71% of the energy is carbohydrate, 22% is fat and 7% is protein. That makes jeera rice the plainest of the flavoured rice dishes: steamed rice plus two teaspoons of oil. Cumin seeds are used in such small amounts that they add aroma and almost nothing else. Among the 13 rice dishes in this set, only a bowl of khichdi is lighter, at 327 kcal, and every pulao and biryani is heavier. What separates jeera rice from plain boiled rice is just the fat in the tempering.
What changes the number
- 01
Oil, ghee or butter in the tempering
The recipe counts 2 teaspoons of oil. A teaspoon of ghee is about 45 kcal, so one more teaspoon poured over the top makes the plate 411 kcal and two make it 456 kcal. Restaurant jeera rice gets its gloss from that extra fat.
- 02
The amount of rice served
Rice supplies most of the energy, so the helping matters more than anything else. Half the plate is 183 kcal. A katori of cooked jeera rice eaten next to dal and sabzi is well under the full figure.
- 03
What is tossed in with the cumin
This version has only 20 g of onion besides the rice. Browned onions, cashews or a handful of peas turn it into something closer to a pulao, and the number climbs with each addition.
- 04
Basmati or everyday rice
Long-grain basmati and everyday short-grain rice carry much the same energy, weight for weight, when raw. Switching variety changes the texture and the aroma far more than it changes the calories. Brown rice adds fibre without making the plate meaningfully lighter.
How jeera rice compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khichdi | 1 bowl of khichdi | 327 | 9.9 |
| Jeera Rice | 1 plate of jeera rice | 366 | 6.7 |
| Mutton Biryani | 1 plate of mutton biryani | 396 | 15.3 |
| Curd Rice | 1 plate of curd rice | 423 | 12.4 |
| Egg Fried Rice | 1 plate of egg fried rice | 424 | 14.2 |
| Plain Pulao | 1 plate of plain pulao | 432 | 7.2 |
| Tamarind Rice | 1 plate of tamarind rice | 477 | 9.5 |
| Vegetable Pulao | 1 plate of vegetable pulao | 496 | 11.9 |
| Sabudana Khichdi | 1 bowl of sabudana khichdi | 508 | 7.4 |
| Matar Pulao | 1 plate of matar pulao | 514 | 18.4 |
| Vegetable Biryani | 1 plate of vegetable biryani | 527 | 9.5 |
| Vangi Bath | 1 plate of vangi bath | 538 | 15.4 |
| Lemon Rice | 1 plate of lemon rice | 563 | 13.6 |
In a meal and in a day
Jeera rice is a carrier for something else: dal tadka, rajma, chole, a paneer or chicken curry. On its own a plate gives 6.7 g of protein and 3.8 g of fibre, so the dish next to it has to supply both. One plate is about 17% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 22% of a woman's, which leaves room for a bowl of dal and a sabzi within a normal meal. Two plates come to 732 kcal and 127.8 g of carbohydrate before any curry is counted.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Temper the cumin in 1 teaspoon of oil; the flavour comes from the seeds, not from the quantity of fat.
- Serve a half plate, about 183 kcal, when roti is also on the table.
- Skip the spoon of ghee or butter that is stirred through at the end.
- Pair it with dal or rajma so the meal has the protein and fibre the rice lacks.
Before you rely on the number
Jeera rice is almost entirely quick-digesting starch, with little fibre or protein to slow it down, so what is eaten with it and how much is served both matter. The rice is salted as it cooks, and the dal or curry served with it brings more salt. People who are managing diabetes or blood pressure should take their rice portion and salt limits from their doctor or dietitian, not from a general figure like this one.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Jeera Rice: common questions
How many calories are in 2 plates of jeera rice?
About 732 kcal, with 13.4 g of protein, 127.8 g of carbohydrate and 17.2 g of fat. That counts only the rice. The dal makhani, paneer or curry it is eaten with is extra, and in a restaurant meal those usually carry more energy than the rice does.
Is jeera rice good for weight loss?
At 366 kcal it is the lightest plate of flavoured rice in this set, but it is not very filling for those calories, with 6.7 g of protein and 3.8 g of fibre. A half plate with dal and a vegetable is a better meal than a full plate with gravy. Progress on weight follows the day's total intake, of which this is one piece.
Does jeera rice have more calories than plain boiled rice?
Yes, by the fat in the tempering. Fat supplies 22% of the energy in this plate, and it all comes from the 2 teaspoons of oil; the cumin itself adds next to nothing. Boiled rice cooked from the same amount of grain would have the rice calories without that share.
Which is lighter, jeera rice or pulao?
Jeera rice, in these recipes. A plate is 366 kcal, against 432 kcal for plain pulao and 496 kcal for vegetable pulao. The rice is the same in all three; the pulaos use more oil, and the vegetable one adds peas and other vegetables as well.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Jeera Rice
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Rice: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Calories in a Bowl of Rice: White, Brown, and Does Rice Make You Fat?
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie chart: household portions, not per 100 g
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.