Instant Pot Basmati Rice
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Make perfect, fluffy white rice every time with this easy Instant Pot Basmati Rice recipe! It pairs wonderfully with your favorite Indian dishes and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Indian food is one of my favorite types of cuisines. And when you’re making delicious Indian food at home, you need perfectly cooked basmati rice to go with it. This is when I turn to my Instant Pot!
Using an electric pressure cooker to cook the rice means that the hands on time is less than 5 minutes. And the total cook time is under 30 minutes, with time for the Instant Pot to pressure up and pressure down.
It’s easy to remember the ratio of rice to water when cooking basmati rice in an Instant Pot. It’s simply one to one. This means, if you’re cooking one cup of rice, you’ll need one cup of water. If you’re cooking 3 cups of rice, you’ll need 3 cups of water.
I always recommend rinsing the rice before adding it to the Instant Pot. This will add a little extra water to the one to one ratio, which makes the rice lighter and fluffier.
After testing this recipe at several different times, I found that a manual 5 minute cook time on high in the Instant Pot produces perfect results every time!
Table of contents
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Rinse the rice. Add white basmati rice to a fine mesh strainer in the sink. Run water over the rice for 30-60 seconds, or until the water runs clear. Hold the rice in the strainer over the sink for a few seconds to allow all of the excess water to drain out.
- Add the rice to an Instant Pot. Add the rinsed rice to an Instant Pot with water. Optionally, you can also add 1/4 teaspoon salt for flavor.
- Pressure cook the rice. Press the manual button on the Instant Pot, adjust the settings to high pressure and set the timer for 5 minutes. Make sure the steam release valve is set to “sealing”.
- Allow the Instant Pot to pressure down. After the timer on the Instant Pot beeps 3 times, allow the Instant Pot to naturally pressure down for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to “venting” to release pressure remaining in the Instant Pot. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately, or turn the Instant Pot off and secure the lid back on the Instant pot.
- Quick tip! I found that if you leave the Instant Pot on “keep warm” for too long after the rice is finished cooking, it will start to overcook and dry out. If you secure the lid back on the Instant Pot, but turn it off, the rice will stay warm without overcooking.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between white rice and basmati rice? Basmati rice is a long-grain rice with a nutty flavor. It’s more aromatic and has more flavor than white rice.
- Where can you buy basmati rice? Basmati rice is available at most major grocery stores, or you can purchase it online. I like to purchase rice in bulk, as it’s a great pantry staple. I purchased this 15 pound bag of basmati rice on Amazon for $15. It’s a great bargain and if you use basmati rice regularly, I highly recommend purchasing it in bulk.
- Is basmati rice healthier than jasmine rice? When it comes to digestion, basmati rice is healthier than jasmine rice because it has a lower GI (glycemic index score). A lower GI score means that it takes longer to digest the food and release sugar into the bloodstream, meaning blood sugar levels won’t spike and you’ll feel fuller longer.
- What is the rice to water ratio for basmati rice? When cooking basmati rice in an Instant Pot, the ratio is one to one, meaning one cup of water for every one cup of rice. Adding too much water will make the rice mushy and less water will mean the rice is too dry. Follow the one-to-one ratio for perfect rice every time!
Storage and reheating
- Store leftover cooked rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Reheat cooked basmati rice in the microwave. Place the rice in a microwave safe container, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent the rice from drying out. Microwave for 2 minutes.
Pro tips and tricks
- Always rinse the rice. It will only take an extra 30-60 seconds, and will result in perfect basmati rice every time!
- One cup of uncooked basmati rice will equal approximately 3 cups of cooked rice. So if you want 6 cups of cooked rice, start with 2 cups of uncooked basmati rice, and so on and so forth.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled. The cooking time will remain the same, no matter how much rice you add to the Instant Pot.
- Salt is an optional addition to this recipe. I like to add salt every time I prepare the rice, but if you know that you’re serving the rice with a salty main dish or sauce, you may omit the salt in the rice.
- You can use chicken broth, or vegetable broth, instead of water to really amp up the flavor of the rice.
What to serve it with
Basmati rice is traditional grown in India and Pakistan, which means that it’s most commonly paired with Indian and Pakistani cuisines. While basmati rice can be served with any recipe that pairs well with rice, I highly recommend trying it with these delicious Indian recipes.
More Instant Pot Recipes
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Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup white basmati rice
- 1 cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
Instructions
- Add the basmati rice to a fine mesh strainer in the sink.
- Run water over the rice for 30-60 seconds, or until the water runs clear.
- Hold the rice in the strainer over the sink for a few seconds to allow all of the excess water to drain out.
- Add the rinsed rice to an Instant Pot with the water and salt.
- Press the manual button on the Instant Pot, adjust the settings to high pressure and set the timer for 5 minutes. Make sure the steam release valve is set to “sealing”.
- After the timer on the Instant Pot beeps 3 times, allow the Instant Pot to naturally pressure down for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to “venting” to release any remaining pressure in the Instant Pot.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve immediately, or turn the Instant Pot off and secure the lid back on the Instant Pot, until ready to serve.
Notes
- Store leftover cooked rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Reheat cooked basmati rice in the microwave. Place the rice in a microwave safe container, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent the rice from drying out. Microwave for 2 minutes.
- One cup of uncooked basmati rice will equal approximately 3 cups of cooked rice. So if you want 6 cups of cooked rice, start with 2 cups of uncooked basmati rice, and so on and so forth.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled. The cooking time will remain the same, no matter how much rice you add to the Instant Pot. The ratio of water to rice is always one-to-one when making basmati rice in and Instant Pot.
- You can use chicken broth, or vegetable broth, instead of water to really amp up the flavor of the rice.
Nutrition Facts
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