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Peas Pulao Recipe in Pressure Cooker | Matar Pulao | Pattani Pulao
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Peas Pulao Recipe | Matar Pulao (Stove Top and Instant Pot)

Green Peas Pulao Recipe or Indian Rice and Peas is an easy one pot rice made with fresh or frozen green peas, whole spices and aromatic basmati rice. Step-by-step Recipe Instructions to cook Peas Pulao on Stove Top Pressure Cooker and Instant Pot. Easy weeknight dinner best served with Raita, Dal or curry.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Instant Pot Peas Pulao, Peas Pulao in Pressure Cooker, Peas Pulao Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Soaking Rice 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 people
Author Vidya Narayan

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Basmati Rice
  • ½ cup Green Peas use fresh or frozen
  • 1 Onion medium size, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
  • ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 Bay Leaf or Tej Patta
  • 2 Green Cardamom or Chhoti Eliachi
  • 1 Black Cardamom or Badi Eliachi
  • Dalchini or Cinnamon Sticks 1 inch piece of cinnamon x 4 nos.
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 ¼ cup Water

1 cup 250 ml, 1 tbsp 15 ml, 1 tsp 5 ml

Instructions

Prepping the Basmati Rice

  • Wash and soak 1 cup of Basmati Rice for 15 - 20 mins. Ensure you rinse the rice until the water runs clear and discard the water used for soaking.

Stove Top Pressure Cooker Instructions (with onion)

  • Heat a pan, add ghee, cumin, whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves).
  • Once the spices are roasted, add onions and sauté until translucent.
  • To this add green peas and soaked + drained Basmati Rice. Mix well and switch off the flame.
  • Transfer this to a pressure cooker safe vessel, add water and salt. Mix well, cover and pressure cook on high for 3 whistles.
  • Allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the cooker and fluffing the rice.

Instant Pot Instructions (without Onion)

  • Read the Instructions for Prepping the Rice (above)
  • Switch on the Instant Pot, Press Sauté Mode. Once its hot, add ghee or clarified butter, cumin and whole spices.
  • Once the spices and cumin have roasted, add green peas and Basmati rice (soaked and drained). Switch off Sauté Mode.
  • Mix well and add water.
  • Cover the Instant Pot Lid, Turn the vent to sealing and pressure cook on Low for 6 minutes followed by 10 mins of NPR. Press Cancel.
  • Release the balance pressure manually, Open the lid and fluff the rice using fork.

Video

Notes

Notes for Pressure Cooking 
  1. I have used a 10 litre pressure cooker for this recipe. Water is added at the bottom and the pressure cooker safe stainless steel vessels are kept one above the other. (holds 3 - 4 vessels, depending on size). Hence it requires a pan to sauté the ingredients before placing it for cooking inside the pressure cooker. 
  2. If using a small cooker (2 litre pressure cooker), you can directly sauté and pressure cook. Also, cook the rice for 1 whistle and allow further cooking for 5 - 10 mins on low flame. Cook Time can depend on size of cooker / model / make etc. Use your judgement. 
Notes for Instant Pot Cooking
  1. Always press cancel once pressure cooking is complete. If the Instant Pot goes in keep warm mode, the rice can stick to the bottom if kept longer. 
  2. To avoid burn signal, always deglaze the pot with water and push the rice below liquids before pressure cooking. 
Alternate Rice Varieties and Cook Timings 
It is not necessary to use Basmati Rice for this recipe. You can try couple of alternatives, provided below, that have been tried and tested by me. 
If using Short Grain or Long Grain Brown Rice - Use 1 and 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice and Pressure cook on High for 22 minutes followed by a natural pressure release of 15 mins. 
For Sona Masoori Short Grain White Rice - Use 1 & 3/4 cup water for every cup of rice. Pressure Cook on High for 5 minutes followed by NPR of 15 mins. 
Variations
  1. The recipe does not contain nuts. You can sauté some cashew nuts and raisins with the whole spices if you like. Reserve some fried nuts for garnish.
  2. Saffron can be added (mixed with warm milk or water). It adds both color and aroma to the rice.
  3. Spices like store bought or home garam masala, biryani masala can be added while sautéing the rice and peas. If you add spice powders, skip the whole spices or just use couple of bay leaves.
  4. You can add some Air Fried Tofu or Paneer to the rice and peas. I avoid pressure cooking paneer with rice and peas as it turns chewy. 
General Notes 
  1. Soaking the rice is not mandatory but as a thumb rule, I highly recommend and follow the same. It is one of the best ways to ensure non-sticky rice texture. 
  2. Peas Pulao is made in two ways - With and without onion, using 2 methods of cooking - Stove top pressure cooker and Instant Pot. 
  3. The timings given are based on time required by IP and pressure cooker to sauté, develop pressure, cook and cool. 
  4. The recipe is Gluten Free. 
  5. For a Vegan Recipe, substitute ghee with neutral flavor oil. 
  6. The recipe does not contain nuts. It is also non-spicy, making it kid-friendly. No chilies are used. 
  7. This recipe is perfect for kids lunch box, office lunch as it gets done quickly and is filling as well. Some plain or flavored yogurt and cucumbers or carrots would make it a complete meal. 
Meal Prep / Storage 
  1. The recipe can be easily doubled if you are meal prepping for the week. 
  2. Once the rice is cool, store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for a week and longer when stored in freezer. 
  3. It can be re-heated in a microwave and on stove-top in a pan. While re-heating add some ghee for flavor.