Instant Pot Basmati Rice (White + Brown)

Step-wise Recipe on How to Cook Basmati Rice (White and Brown) in Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Fluffy, non-sticky, fragrant and perfectly cooked rice just like Indian restaurant style. Serve with dal or curries as Main Course.

Instant Pot Basmati Rice is the best! You want to know why? It gives the exact same results every single time - Fluffy, perfectly cooked, non-sticky separate grains. Pair it with Dal or Curries or turn it into a delicious Indo Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice with vegetables.

Everyone hates mushy rice, myself included. Being born and brought up in a South Indian household, we obsess over well cooked rice. Rice is a staple in our diet and traditionally we enjoy them in all 3 courses - I am not kidding!

Replicating Indian restaurant style fragrant Basmati Rice is not quite difficult. Bonus is you can save some money too. Instant Pot is a game changer.

I have been using the Instant Pot a lot at home, even for the most basic recipes. It is quite convenient and once you get a hang of the timings and the measurements, it is a piece of cake.

In this blog post, I have included Step-wise process for cooking both White and Brown Basmati Rice. Kindly note the water to rice ratio, timings and tips. The recipe card is at the end which includes exact measurements and tips.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Can you cook Basmati Rice without soaking?
• Step-wise Process - Cooking White Basmati Rice in Instant Pot
• Step-wise Process - Cooking Brown Basmati Rice in Instant Pot
• Important Tips
• Cooking Basmati Rice on Stove Top
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions - Dal and Curries
• Instant Pot Basmati Rice (White + Brown)

In the past couple of months, I have shared some Basic Instant Pot Cooking Recipes such as Instant Pot Quinoa, Instant Pot Brown Rice (short grain) and Instant Pot Chickpeas.

It will definitely help beginners as the posts are quite elaborate and include step-wise images for easy understanding.

Video Recipe

Ingredients

Long Grain White and Brown Basmati Rice - Using aged basmati rice helps in achieving perfect results.

My go-to brand for Basmati Rice is Dawat. It is easily available in leading Indian grocery stores and supermarkets in most parts of the world.

There are just 2 ingredients used - Rice and Water. We generally do not add salt to rice or oil. Rice is served with a curry and sabzi so additional salt can be easily avoided.

Cooking rice in Instant Pot does not need oil neither does the rice requires light toasting.

Can you cook Basmati Rice without soaking?

Before we proceed with the detailed step-wise instructions, let me go ahead and address one of the most common questions asked - Why to soak rice before cooking?

Well, soaking is a must. It helps remove dirt, impurities or a layer of chemicals etc which are added while storing the grains for a long duration (increase shelf life and remove bugs or pests).

Soaking the rice, discarding the water helps not only remove impurities but also excess starch. If you complain of sticky rice or a feeling of heaviness after eating rice, it is partially because of the cooking method adopted.

If the rice is well soaked, it cooks faster and not to mention, the grains appear longer after cooking.

When it comes to Instant Pot, I recommend atleast 15 to 20 minutes of soaking (for both rice varieties).

Step-wise Process - Cooking White Basmati Rice in Instant Pot

After soaking and draining the rice, add the rice to the Inner Pot or Steel Insert of the Instant Pot. Add Water for cooking (1 cup Rice : 1 cup Water)

Close the Instant Pot lid, adjust the vent to sealing. Pressure Cook at Low for 4 minutes, Allow Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for 10 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure.

The water to rice ratio and timings are applicable even if you double or triple the quantity of the rice.

Always use a fork to fluff the rice. It prevents the rice grains from breaking.

Step-wise Process - Cooking Brown Basmati Rice in Instant Pot

After soaking and draining the rice, add the rice to the Inner Pot or Steel Insert of the Instant Pot. Add Water for cooking (1 cup Rice : 1 & 1/4 cup Water)

Close the Instant Pot lid, adjust the vent to sealing. Pressure Cook at High for 22 minutes, Allow Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for 10 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure.

The water to rice ratio and timings are applicable even if you double or triple the quantity of the rice.

Important Tips

• The above method is for plain Basmati Rice. However, if you want to add cumin seeds and whole spices (peppercorns, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon), I would suggest, adding a tablespoon of oil / ghee. Heating the spices helps in releasing their aroma.
• Once the rice has cooked, switch off the Instant pot, remove the steel insert. Using a spatula, gently remove the rice onto a serving bowl. If the Instant Pot goes on "Keep Warm" mode, chances are that some rice grains would stick at the bottom.
• After cooking rice, soak the steel insert or inner pot with some water and dishwashing liquid. The starch from the rice tends to be sticky. Soaking helps in easy cleaning and prevents scratches.

Cooking Basmati Rice on Stove Top

It takes a while to cook Basmati Rice on stove top. One of the best reasons this traditional method is followed is to remove excess starch from rice.

When rice is cooked on stove top, excess water is strained / drained using a colander. Rice is then allowed to cool slightly before it is fluffed and used.

It does take longer to cook with constant monitoring (read your presence in kitchen) but it is also one of the effective ways to cook rice perfectly.

This method is adopted for recipes like Dum Biryani where rice is layered with vegetables and then slow cooked. Rice for this procedure has to be done on stove top, cooking the rice al-dente is the key to perfect dum biryani.

For Basmati Rice, both White and Brown, I would suggest 1 cup Basmati Rice cooked in 3 cups of water. Add rice to the boiling water and then drain the excess using a colander. It takes around 20 mins for White Rice and a bit longer for Brown Rice on medium heat.

To check whether the rice has cooked, pick out a grain of rice and press / mash it. If you are a beginner, I would suggest tasting couple of grains for best results.

Variations

The recipe that I share is cooking basic or plain Basmati Rice which can be either turned into a delicious Stir Fried Rice or can be served with curries. That does not mean we cannot add some variations to the everyday staple.

If you do not crave a pulao or Biryani yet want to subtly flavor the rice, these are the ideal options.

Saffron Rice - For this you can heat 1 tbsp oil or ghee, add the soaked and drained rice followed by saffron strands, salt to taste and water. Mix well and cook as per instructions given below. Note - You can sauté nuts and raisins with ghee or oil before adding rice.

The above procedure can be followed with Turmeric Powder or Turmeric Rice. You can add some cumin seeds and roast it slightly with the oil before adding rice.

Garlic Herb Rice - If you love a bit of garlic and cilantro with a touch of Italian Herbs, add around 1 tbsp oil, followed by chopped garlic, some Italian herbs. Now add the soaked and drained rice, salt and some finely chopped cilantro.

Serving Suggestions - Dal and Curries

DAL is one of the best comfort foods when paired with rice. Most Indian households consume one variety of dal as part of their meal, every single day.

Some of our favorite dal recipes include Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal Instant Pot Chana dal, Brown Lentils (Whole Masoor), Pumpkin Dal, Dal Palak (Spinach Dal) and Vegan Dal Makhani

Basmati Rice can be served with CURRIES such as Chana Masala Rajma Masala (Kidney Bean Curry made in Instant Pot), Chana Saag (Chickpea Spinach Curry) and Black Eyed Peas (Lobia) Curry.

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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!

Vidya Narayan