Using the Instant Pot is the easiest and hands-free way to cook fluffy brown rice. Perfectly cooked but not mushy rice each time!
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Using the Instant Pot is my favorite way to make so many recipes. Noodles, pasta, yogurt and definitely rice!
No baby-sitting, no worry of a mess and perfect results each time! Yes, that is how I would describe making rice in the Instant Pot.
As a family we love our rice. We enjoy it in various forms and with different curries. So getting the rice recipe right is really important.
If you like your rice too, and use the stove top to make it, you really need to try this recipe. After using the Instant Pot you will not go back to the stovetop recipe!
What is brown rice?
Brown rice is a whole grain rice with the inedible outer hull removed. The bran and germ is intact in this compared to white rice in which all of these are removed.
As a result of this, brown rice grains retain some nutrients that white rice lack. Because of the bran and germ it takes more time to cook compared to white rice.
Do you need an electric cooker to cook brown rice?
Cooking brown rice has always been quite confusing. From the amount of water needed to time required to cook it; there are a lot of doubts.
For most recipes you would want perfectly cooked and fluffy brown rice; but not soggy. Various approaches have been used to cook brown rice perfectly on the stovetop.
Soaking the rice overnight or starting with boiling water help shorten the cooking time but these are not reliable methods to work with.
Instead of these hacks, I like to use my Instant Pot or Mealthy Multipot to cook the rice.
A timed recipe, easy to follow steps of rinse, set and forget and GREAT results each time have led me to use this recipe over and over again.
Video Recipe
Tips to get it right each time
As I mentioned above, the two things that lead to perfect brown rice are time and water to rice ratio.
The time I use to cook my rice is 24 minutes. I have tried various times between 20 and 35 minutes and 24 minutes works best for the brands of basmati rice I have tried.
The pressure needs to release naturally to get fluffy rice each time. If you are in a rush, increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes and release the remaining pressure at the end of 10 minutes.
For the water to rice ratio; 1.25:1 works the best. Rinse the rice, drain the water and add water. Use 1.25 cups of water for every cup of brown basmati rice.
Yes, I use my measuring cup each time instead of eyeballing. I hate sticky rice and the proportion works like magic every time!
Adding a fat like unsalted butter, ghee or oil is optional but highly recommended in the recipe. It adds a subtle flavor to the rice which is great. I add olive oil most of the time.
Last, adding a pinch of salt is my way of making rice. I add that to all my steamed rice recipes to serve with a curry or to use in another recipe. It helps make the rice taste great from the start. However, it is completely optional and can be skipped.
What to enjoy brown rice with?
I like to make a bigger batch of rice than I need for a meal. The rice can be served with curries like these:
The leftover rice can be converted to many amazing fried rice recipes like this one. Having some rice in the refrigerator helps whip up a quick fried rice as an accompaniment to any meal.
How to store cooked rice
If you are meal prepping the rice and planning to use it in various recipes later, it is a great idea to store it in small portions. That way, it is easy to store in the refrigerator and you can heat just the amount of rice you need for a meal.
In order to store the rice, first let it cool completely. Then divide the rice into glass jars or plastic containers. Label with the date it was made and store it in the refrigerator.
To enjoy it, microwave till warm for a curry or just add it to your favorite fried rice recipe and it will heat up while the other ingredients cook.
How to make brown rice in the Instant Pot
1- Rinse the rice under running water a couple of times. Drain the rice and add it to the steel liner of the Instant Pot.
2- Add in water, salt and olive oil. Stir a little.
3- Close the lid of the instant pot and set the vent to sealing.
4- Adjust mode to 'pressure cook' or 'manual'. Cook on high pressure for 24 minutes.
5- Once the Instant Pot beeps, let ALL the pressure release on its own. Open the Instant Pot.
6- Fluff the rice with a fork. Enjoy warm with a curry or dal of your choice!
Ingredients
Brown Basmati Rice 2 cups
Water 2 ½ cups
Salt ¼ tsp
Olive Oil 1 tsp
Method
Rinse the Brown Basmati Rice under running water a couple of times. Drain the rice and add it to the steel liner of the Instant Pot.
Add in water, salt and olive oil. Stir a little.
Close the lid of the instant pot and set the vent to sealing.
Adjust mode to 'pressure cook' or 'manual'. Cook on high pressure for 24 minutes.
Once the instant pot beeps, let ALL the pressure release on its own.
Open the instant pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Enjoy warm with a curry or dal of your choice!
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