Make fluffy Instant Pot Sona Masoori rice every single time with just two ingredients: Sona Masoori rice and water. No monitoring, no guessing! Just consistently soft, separate grains, ready for any South Indian meal.
As a South Indian, I cook Sona Masoori white rice almost every day. It’s our go-to side dish for tomato rasam, spinach molagootal, onion sambar, kootu, and even tarka dal. At home, we like it fluffy and not mushy or sticky. It must be perfectly cooked with each grain separated.
After cooking Sona Masoori rice in the Instant Pot for over 10 years, I’ve finally mastered the method that gets it right every single time. It works perfectly whether you cook the rice directly in the inner pot or use the pot-in-pot method.
This Instant Pot method works beautifully for making vegetable biryani. It is also great for turning cooked rice into seasoned varieties like thengai sadam (coconut rice), curd rice or puliogare!
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👩🏻🍳Top Tips for Perfect Texture
- A 1:2 ratio (rice : water) works best for soft, fluffy Sona Masoori rice.
- Washing the rice removes excess starch and any debris from the grains. Always swirl in one direction to avoid breaking the grains.
- No soaking is needed—unlike white basmati rice for cooking on stove.
- I recommend pot-in-pot cooking to prevent sticking, avoid burn notices, and result in consistently fluffy rice.
- If cooking directly in the inner pot, add 1 teaspoon oil or ghee at the bottom to prevent sticking or burning.
- For a basic 6-quart Instant Pot, you need to add at least 1 cup water in the main pot as per the manufacturer's guidelines.
- For softer rice (especially for older rice grains), increase water to 2.5 cups per 1 cup Sona Masoori rice.
📋Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Sona Masoori Rice – I usually buy Sona Masoori white rice from Indian grocery stores. It’s a fragrant, lightweight South Indian rice variety commonly grown in Andhra, Telangana, and other southern parts of India. Available as white and brown rice. I also use it for making Idli Dosa Batter.
- Water
🔪How to Cook White Sona Masoori Rice Perfectly Every Time in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot inner pot.
Place the trivet inside and set a pot (PIP bowl) with the washed sona masoori rice.
Note: Wash the rice a few times in running tap water until it runs clear.
Step 2: Add 2 cups of water to the rice.
Tip: If you like extra soft rice add 2.5 cups of water.
Step 3: Seal the Instant Pot lid, turn the vent to Sealing, and pressure cook (also called manual) on HIGH for 4 minutes. Allow natural pressure release (NPR).
Tip: If you are making seasoned rice, pressure cook for 3 minutes.
Step 4: Fluff gently with a fork and serve.
🍽How to Serve Sona Masoori Rice
Like any cooked white rice, Sona Masoori pairs beautifully with classic South Indian sides such as tomato rasam, vegetable molagootal, and simple vegetable dishes like potato fry and beans poriyal.
I also love serving it with my 30 minutes Chana Masala or Lentil Dahl Recipe.
It’s equally perfect for turning into South Indian seasoned rice dishes like curd rice, lemon rice, coconut rice, puliogare, or tomato rice.
🧂Storage & Freezing Tips
- In the Fridge: Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3–4 days.
- In the Freezer: Spread the rice out to cool, then freeze in bags or containers for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: To reheat, simply sprinkle a little water over the rice and warm it in the microwave, or steam it on the stovetop with a splash of water for 3–5 minutes until soft and fluffy again.
❓Recipe FAQs
For every 1 cup brown rice, use 2 cups water. Pressure cook on HIGH for 20 minutes, followed by natural pressure release. Fluff and serve Instant Pot Brown Sona Masoori Rice.
Cook on HIGH pressure for 3–4 minutes, depending on texture:
3 minutes for firmer rice or seasoned rice dishes
4 minutes for soft, fluffy everyday rice
Use a 1:2 ratio for fluffy rice. If you require a little extra soft texture, use 1:2.5 rice-to-water ratio.
This usually happens due to excess water or a longer pressure-cooking time. Stick to the recommended ratios and timings.
More Easy Rice Side Dishes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sona Masoori rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Pot-in-Pot Method
- Wash the rice 4–5 times until the water runs clear.
- Add the rice and 2 cups water to a steel bowl.
- Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot steel insert and place the trivet inside.
- Set the rice bowl on the trivet.
- Secure the lid, turn the vent to sealing and set to Pressure Cook (High) for 4 minutes.
- Allow natural pressure release. Fluff gently with a fork.
Directly Inside the Pot
- Wash the rice 4–5 times until the water runs clear.
- Add the rinsed rice directly to the inner pot with 2 cups water.
- Optional: Add 1 teaspoon ghee or oil to keep the grains separate.
- Secure the lid, turn the vent to sealing and set to Pressure Cook (High) for 4 minutes.
- Allow natural pressure release. Fluff before serving.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- No soaking is needed for Sona Masoori rice.
- Adding 1 teaspoon of ghee or oil (when cooking directly in the inner pot) helps keep the grains separate.
- The rice-to-water ratio remains the same even when scaling up; cooking time does not change.
- For making seasoned rice like Thengai Sadam, South Indian Chitranna or Puliogare, cook for 3 minutes High for firmer grains. Then use it in the recipe.
- For cooking aged sona masoori rice, add an extra 2–3 tablespoons of water for softer results.
Sandhya Hariharan says
I love making Sona Masoori rice in the Instant Pot for everyday meals—it turns out perfectly fluffy and exactly the way we like it. I often use the cooked rice to make simple seasoned rice as well. Just set the Instant Pot for 3 minutes, and the rest is completely hands-free.