Basmati Rice Instant Pot (Perfectly Fluffy)
This recipe for cooking basmati rice in instant pot gives you the fool proof method to always make the perfect basmati rice with all pro tips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- Water Refer to the instructions below for ratio
- 2 teaspoons oil Reduce or skip as per your preference, but it is needed for separate grains
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice yes !! helps magically in reducing the stickiness
Optional Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 6 or 7 strands of Saffron optional
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
Direct Instant pot basmati rice ( cooking directly in the main insert )
- This method caters to both small amounts and large amounts of rice. In this method rice is directly cooked in the main cooking insert of the Instant pot instead of using an extra vessel.
- First rinse the rice 4 to 5 times until water runs clear and is not white anymore. To rinse, cover rice with water and swish it around in the vessel with your hand and keep changing the water until water runs clear.
- Soak the rice in water for 20 mins.
- Turn on the Instant pot sauté mode, once it displays 'HOT', add 2 tsp oil and add drained rice and toast it for 1 to 2 mins.
- Now, press cancel to turn off the sauté mode and add water(1+⅓ cup for al dente or 1.5 cup for slightly softer version ), 1 teaspoon of lemon juice( works like magic to reduce stickiness, you won't taste it once rice is cooked), oil, salt(if using), cumin seeds( if using) and Saffron ( if using). Tip : Refer to the experiment tables above to choose your ratio
- Close the Instant pot lid, turn the vent knob to seal position, choose manual mode on high pressure for 6 mins.
- Once the Instant pot beeps and turns off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins and then do a quick release by moving the vent knob to vent position.
- Open the Instant pot lid, immediately remove the steel insert with rice from the Instant pot and set it up on a heat proof surface and let it sit for 5 mins before fluffing. This helps to avoid burnt or hard rice at the bottom, from the Instant pot heat and also by not touching it while it is still very hot, we avoid mushing the rice up.
- Now fluff the rice gently with fork and remove it into a serving dish to serve. Serve it with any of your favorite dishes.
Instant pot basmati rice pot in pot(PIP method)
- This is the perfect way to cook basmati rice if you are cooking under 2 cups of basmati rice and if you have a big enough instant pot ( 6qt or 8qt) to accommodate pot in pot cooking. Check the table for pot in pot cooking above to choose your preferred water level.
- First rinse the rice 4 to 5 times until water runs clear and is not white anymore. To rinse, cover rice with water and swish it around in the vessel with your hand and keep changing the water until water runs clear.
- Soaking the rice didn't make much difference to the rice in pot in pot cooking. So refer to the table below and decide on soaking or not soaking. If soaking, soak the rice in water for 20 mins.
- Now in the pot in pot vessel that you are using, add rinsed rice, water( 1+⅓ cup for al dente or 1.5 cup for slightly softer version ), 1 teaspoon of lemon juice( works like magic to reduce stickiness, you won't taste it once rice is cooked), oil, salt(if using) cumin seeds ( if using) and Saffron ( if using). Tip : Refer to the experiment tables above to choose your ratio
- Pour 1 cup of water( 1.5 cup in case of 8 Qt) in the Instant pot inner insert, place the trivet in the water and put the pot in pot vessel with rice on the trivet.
- Close the Instant pot lid, turn the vent knob to seal position, choose manual mode on high pressure for 6 mins.
- Once the Instant pot beeps and turns off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins and then do a quick release by moving the vent knob to vent position.
- Open the Instant pot lid, remove the pot in pot vessel with rice from the Instant pot and set it up on a heat proof surface and let it sit for 5 mins before fluffing. This helps to avoid mushing the rice up.
- Now fluff the rice gently with fork and remove it into a serving dish to serve. Serve it with any of your favorite dishes.
Notes
- Adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to your cooking water helps prevent the rice from sticking together. You will not taste the lemon once rice is cooked. Do not increase the lemon juice when scaling up. You can decrease it when scaling down.
- You can use the delay timer to soak the rice for 20 mins in the instant pot itself and turn on automatically after soaking.
- In direct cooking method, remove the steel insert from the instant pot immediately after the natural release and allow it to sit for 5 mins on a heat proof surface before fluffing the rice with a fork, to avoid mushing the rice.
- Rinsing and soaking the rice helps in removing some of the starch and helps keep the grains fluffy and separate.
- Add oil to the rice and water before cooking to have separate grains. You can reduce or skip the oil if you prefer it.
- In direct cooking method, toasting the rice in oil for a min before cooking helps in less sticking of rice at the bottom.
- Add cumin seeds and if you prefer other whole spices like small cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf and cardamom to the cooking pot to enhance the flavor of your rice and make it an Indian restaurant style basmati rice.
- Do not add too much salt as you are going to eat it with some kind of entrée or curry, if you add too much salt, it will be too salty. None or ½ tsp salt per cup of rice works well.
- I don't recommend scaling down the recipe in direct cooking method in a 6 qt or 8 qt Instant pot as that might result in a hard rice. How ever you can always scale down in a pot in pot method.