Instant Pot Brown Rice

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5 from 1 vote

Using the Instant Pot is the easiest and hands-free way to cook fluffy brown rice.

Perfectly cooked but not mushy rice each time!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 235kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

2 cups Brown Basmati Rice
2 ½ cups Water
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Instructions

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.
2 cups Brown Basmati Rice
Add in water, salt and olive oil. Stir a little.
2 ½ cups Water , ¼ teaspoon Salt , 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
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.
Then fluff the brown rice with a fork.
Enjoy warm with a curry or dal of your choice!

Video

Notes

Rinse the rice thoroughly: It is important to rinse the rice grains well. This removes all the starch on them. Leaving the starch on them will make the rice sticky and mushy on cooking. Rinse it under running water in a strainer or in a bowl till the water is almost clear.

Time to cook the rice: 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. Adjust it by a couple of minutes if you think the rice is undercooked.

Release the pressure naturally: 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.

Water:Rice ratio: 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: Adding some 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.

Work with the appropriate instant pot size: A bigger batch size works better in this case. Use a 3 quart instant pot for a smaller batch (less than 2 cups). That will keep the rice from burning at the base. Use the 6 quart instant pot for 2 cups or more of rice.

Instant Pot: Remember to always account for the time needed for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. The cook time listed does not account for this.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition