how to cook basmati rice in instant pot

You asked and here it is! Sharing all of my tips and tricks to make the perfectly cooked, aromatic, fluffy, long grain Basmati Rice in the Instant Pot. A must-have side dish with Indian curries and dals, this is going to be your go-to recipe for Basmati rice.

Lately, I have been sharing a lot of my everyday cooking on my Instagram Stories. I am glad to see your lovely messages and to know that that the stories inspire you to try and cook new recipes.

Every time I do a recipe with pot in pot rice or with Basmati Rice, I get lots of messages. It seems some of you are struggling with making rice in the Instant Pot. Although, I have many recipes on Biryani's and pot in pot rice I thought it would be helpful to write a post on how I cook Basmati Rice in the Instant Pot.

Which Basmati Rice to use?

I use the Kohinoor Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice that I buy from Indian grocery stores. I love the extra long-grain variety that cooks really well for Biryani and Pulao dishes. Few other good brands are Zafrani Reserve and Dunar. I have tried the Royal Basmati rice from Costco and found that it lacks aroma, overcooks, and gets mushy easily.

How to prep Basmati Rice before cooking

Simply rinse the rice under cold water and then drain it well. I prefer rinsing rice in a wire mesh strainer so it's easy to drain out the water completely.

I usually soak the Basmati rice when I am making Biryani or Pulao recipes as these dishes traditionally have a drier texture than the cooked rice. For plain Basmati rice soaking is not necessary and if you do decide to soak, do not soak it for more than 20 minutes. Over soaking makes these rice grains soft and easy to break resulting in a mushy texture.

Two ways to cook plain Instant Pot Basmati Rice

Method 1 - Pot in Pot (PIP)

Pot in Pot rice method is best when using less than 2 cups of rice. Since the Rice is not cooking directly in the main pot, this method is fail-proof. Plus a great way to cook a whole meal in one go especially when you cook it with another dish.

In this method, rice is cooked in a separate pot inside of the main insert. The rice pot is placed on top of a short trivet over water or on a tall trivet that is placed over a dish such as chicken curry or spinach dal that cooks simultaneously in the main pot.

Rinse the rice well and drain all the water out
Use 1 to 1.5 rice to water ratio, and add salt (optional)
Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert
Place the rice pot on the trivet and put the trivet with the rice pot inside of the Instant Pot insert
Close the Instant Pot with pressure release valve to sealing and Pressure cook (Hi) for 5 minutes followed by 5-minute natural pressure release
Quick release the remaining pressure and open the Instant Pot

steps showing how to make pot in pot Instant Pot Basmati rice

Notes on PIP Method:

If you are cooking Basmati rice with other dishes, the pressure cook time can vary from 4 to 10 minutes, with a 5 to 10 minute pressure cook release. For example, to cook PIP rice with Chicken Curry, pressure cook time is 8 minutes followed by 10 minute NPR. While for the easy spinach dal, pressure cook time is 5 minutes followed by 5 minute NPR.

Method 2 - Main Pot

Cook rice directly in the main pot. This method works best when you are using more than 1.5 cups of rice.

Rinse the rice well and drain all the water out
Add rice, water, and salt (optional) to the Instant Pot
Close the Instant Pot with pressure release valve to sealing and Pressure cook (LO) for 5 minutes followed by quick release
Quick release the remaining pressure and open the Instant Pot

steps showing how to make Instant Pot Basmati rice

NOTES:

When using a lesser amount of rice, make sure to take out the inner pot soon after it's done cooking. If the pot sits longer in the stay warm mode, the rice may overcook, dry out or start sticking to the bottom of the pot.

For exactly 1.5 cups of Rice 1:2 rice to water ratio
For more than 2 cups of Rice, 1:1 rice to water ratio

MOC Pro Tips for perfect Instant Pot Basmati Rice

To me, how you handle the rice before and more importantly after it's done cooking is really important. Everyone will tell you about the cook times and water ratio but there is more to it than that:

Basmati Rice does not need soaking to make plain rice. Please do NOT over soak, simply rinse well and drain
Once you open the Instant Pot lid, transfer the inner pot to a trivet on your counter. This stops the rice from cooking further and helps prevent the rice from getting mushy
If the rice looks uncooked, simply put the inside insert back in, close the Instant Pot and allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes. The remnant heat will further cook the rice.
Do not mix the rice when it's steaming hot, this will start breaking the long grains. Allow the rice to cool a bit and then gently fluff up using a silicone spatula
As the excess steam evaporates from the rice and the rice cools, it will get drier
Gently run a soft silicone spatula on the sides of the pot and serve
If you are making rice ahead for a party, simply allow the rice to cool. You can even take it out in a large tray, cool it down, feel free to use your hands to separate the grains gently. If the grain seems sticky simply wet your hands with cold water and it will allow separating the grains. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or chaffing dish when ready to serve

Why is it hard to find a perfect Instant Pot Basmati rice recipe

Given there are so many different brands of white basmati rice with varying thickness of grains and age of the rice; it becomes hard to give the exact rice to water ratio and the cook times. Also, each of us have a preference for how well cooked, soft/dry we like our rice. I am going to give you some more variations to try but remember you may need to experiment. Please let me know what works for you and the brand of rice you use.

Variations to make Basmati Rice in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

One Minute Rice - Ok, this may sound crazy to you but hear me out! This is the latest method I have tried and it has worked for me. Add 1 cup of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the main Instant Pot insert. Pressure cook (Hi) for 1 minute and then allow full natural pressure release, about 10 to 15 minutes. Open the Instant Pot and take the inner insert out. Allow it to cool down for 5 minutes before you gently take it out with a silicone spatula. Perfect Rice!!!
Is your rice still coming out mushy after following all of my tips and tricks? You have 2 options - first, reduce the water by ¼ cup per cup of rice, and second, reduce the pressure cook time from 5 minutes in my recipe card below to 4 minutes.

Rice needs different cooking times, depending on the other ingredients and type of the rice.

Here are general guidelines I follow for Biryani, Pulao and Khichdi:

For biryani dishes, it is best to soak the extra-long-grain basmati rice for 20 minutes. This removes some of the starch and also helps the rice cook so that it's fluffy and long. With this method, a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio works well, as the biryani dishes also have marinated chicken or vegetables that release plenty of liquid.
For seasoned rice recipes, like Cumin Rice it's best to rinse the basmati rice a few times and then drain. If you do not have time to presoak the rice, use a 1:2 rice-to-water ratio on low pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release. Transfer the inner pot to a trivet on your counter to stop further cooking to prevent the rice from getting mushy. Allow the rice to cool a bit and then gently fluff up with a fork or silicone spatula.
For traditional khichdi and Pongal, short-grain rice works well with a 1:3 rice-to-water ratio. Depending on the short-grain rice variety and the consistency you prefer, adjust the water ratio. I like the low-pressureRicesetting for dishes like these, which should be cooked soft. Tip:If the rice for biryani or pulao looks slightly undercooked when the cooking cycle is complete, gently fluff the top layer and close the lid for an additional 5 minutes onKeep Warm.

Often served with a dal or curry, basmati rice makes a complete gluten free meal.

Favorite vegetarian dishes to serve with Basmati Rice:

Mushroom Masala
Chana Masala
Vegetable Kurma
Dal Makhani
Chana Saag
Garlic Lentils
Black eyed peas curry

Favorite non-vegetarian dishes to serve with Basmati Rice:

Chicken Makhani
Chicken Tikka Masala
Mom's chicken curry
Kadai Chicken
Keema Curry
Malabar Shrimp Curry
Coconut Shrimp Curry
Fish Curry

How to store cooked Basmati rice

Once the rice has cooled down, refrigerate for up to 3 days. For extended shelf life, freeze the cooked rice in zip lock bags or freezer containers. To defrost, simply keep the rice container in the refrigerator overnight.

Looking for more rice recipes? Here are my 20 favorite rice dishes that also make delicious one-pot meals.

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How to cook Basmati Rice in the Instant Pot

2 Ways - Pot in Pot Method and Main Pot Method

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Calories: 253 kcal

▢ 1½ cups basmati rice
▢ 3 cups water see notes recipe instructions if cooking directly in the main pot
▢ 1½ teaspoon kosher salt

Pot in Pot Method

Pot in Pot rice method works best when you are using less than 2 cups of rice. Rinse the rice well and drain all the water out
Use 1 to 1½ rice to water ratio, and add salt (optional)
Pressure cook time for Pot in Pot method using white Basmati Rice is 5 minutes, followed by a 5 minutes natural pressure release

Main Pot Method

This method works best when you have more than 1½ cups of rice
For exactly 1½ cups of rice, use 1:2 rice to water ratio, add 1 teaspoon of salt per cup
For more than 2 cups of Rice, use 1:1 rice to water ratio, add 1 teaspoon of salt per cup
Pressure cook on Low pressure mode for 5 minutes followed by quick release. The LO pressure cook mode, allows the rice to soak a little bit as it slowly builds the pressure resulting in long fluffy grains of cooked rice. If you do not have the LO Pressure option on your Instant Pot, simply cook on HI pressure instead

Basmati Rice does not need soaking to make plain rice. Please do NOT over soak, simply rinse well and drain
Once you open the Instant Pot lid, transfer the inner pot to a trivet on your counter. This stops the rice from cooking further and helps prevent the rice from getting mushy
If the rice looks uncooked, simply put the inside insert back in, close the Instant Pot and allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes. The remnant heat will further cook the rice.
Do not mix the rice when it's steaming hot, this will start breaking the long grains. Allow the rice to cool a bit and then gently fluff up using a silicone spatula
As the excess steam evaporates from the rice and the rice cools, it will get drier
Gently run a soft silicone spatula on the sides of the pot and serve
If you are making rice ahead for a party, simply allow the rice to cool. You can even take it out in a large tray, cool it down, feel free to use your hands to separate the grains gently. If the grain seems sticky simply wet your hands with cold water and it will allow separating the grains. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or chaffing dish when ready to serve

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Author: Archana

Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.