Instant Pot Basmati Rice + Video Tutorial

Instant Pot Basmati Rice – How to cook Basmati Rice in Instant Pot?  This post will guide you with steps to achieve perfect Rice with simple steps to follow.

WHAT IS BASMATI RICE?

Basmati is a long grained rice typically from the Indian subcontinent. It is delicious and versatile rice that can be used to make Vegetable Biryani, Vegetable Pulao, Mexican Rice, Fried Rice, Honey Soy Fried Rice and also serve as a side to accompany curries.

We cook rice literally every-day, so getting it right is important for us. To call our rice perfect, the rice should be

PERFECTLY SEPARATE
ALDENTE
NOT STICKY
FULL ON FLAVORS

METHODS OF COOKING BASMATI RICE

There are many ways of cooking rice – Stove Top, Pressure Cooker, Instant Pot, Pot in Pot method. Choosing the method that works well for you is important.
I do cook my Rice in all the methods, depending on how I am going to serve them.

HOW TO COOK BASMATI RICE IN INSTANT POT – ( 53 SECS )

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKING INSTANT POT BASMATI RICE

1 Cup Basmati Rice
11/4  Cup Water
A Pinch of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Oil

HOW TO ACHIEVE PERFECT INSTANT POT BASMATI RICE?

To achieve perfect Instant Pot Basmati Rice, there are a few important factors to bear in mind.
RICE : WATER RATIO
COOKING TIME
RINSE THE RICE. There is an ongoing hot debate on whether rice should be rinsed or not. Well, I have always rinsed the rice under tap water until it clear out, no matter what method of cooking I have used. Rinsing out rice removes impurities as well as loosen the extra starch.

What is the size of the cup used for cooking Basmati Rice? You could literally use any cup size. Remember to measure out water from the same cup.

I do like to ROAST MY RICE. This step enhances the nutty flavours of the basmati rice and also ensures the rice doesn’t stick to each other. But it is completely optional to roast the rice.

EXPERIMENT WITH COOKING BASMATI RICE IN INSTANT POT

I did conduct an experiment altering the rice:water ratio and here’s the outcomePS: Rice has been rinsed for 90 seconds, roasted for 45 seconds in all the scenario.
Experiment 1
Rice: 1 Cup
Water: 1 Cup
Cooking Time: 5 Min , NPR at 10 Minutes
Notes:slightly Chewy, slightly undercooked,separated but the rice was sticking to the bottom of the pot .

Experiment 2
Rice: 1 Cup
Water: 1 Cup + 3 Tbsp
Cooking Time: 5 Min , NPR at 10 Minutes
Notes:Separated, not sticky and rice did stick a tiny bit to the bottom of the pot.

Experiment 3
Rice: 1 Cup
Water: 1 1/4 Cup
Cooking Time: 5 Min , NPR at 10 Minutes
Notes:Aldente, separated, not sticky and rice came out clean from the bottom of the pot.

OTHER INSTANT POT RECIPES TO TRY

Instant Pot Mexican Rice

Instant Pot Vegetable Pulao

PERFECT INSTANT POT BASMATI RICE

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PERFECT INSTANT POT BASMATI RICE | HOW TO COOK BASMATI RICE IN INSTANT POT?

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Natural Pressure Release

10 mins

Total Time

7 mins

 

Course: Main Course, Rice Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: rice, instant pot, basmati rice

Servings: 2 People

Author: Sandhya Hariharan

Ingredients

• 1 Cup White Basmati Rice
• 11/4 Cup Water
• A pinch of Salt
• 1 Tsp Oil

Instructions

1. Place the Basmati Rice in a colander and wash it under running tap water until it is clear.
2. Press sauté button on Instant Pot. Add Oil followed by rinsed rice. Stir for 1 minute. This step helps in avoiding the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot.
3. Add salt, water and give it a good stir. Switch off the sauté mode.
4. Cover the lid, turn the valve to sealing position and select the pressure cook { manual setting } to 5 minutes.
5. Once the timer beeps after 5 minutes, IP kicks offs automatically to Keep Warm function. After 10 minutes, Naturally release the pressure.
6. Open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
7. Immediately transfer the White Basmati rice to a bowl and serve hot with a curry of your choice.

Recipe Notes

*If you are not keen on roasting the rice, skip the sauté step all-together. Just add rice along with water and salt and cook for 5 min. you will still achieve slightly soft textured rice.

**Cooking time varies from 4- 7 minutes for White Basmati Rice.

*** Adding salt enhances the flavour of the rice. But you can omit it, if you prefer.