No more undercooked or overcooked mushy Indian Basmati rice! Learn how to make perfect Instant pot basmati rice in 25 minutes or less. Sharing all my tried and tested tricks to make non-sticky and fluffy Indian white basmati rice in an Instant Pot.
This is going to be more like a guide to making perfect White Basmati Rice in an Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker), Stovetop, and in a Traditional Pressure Cooker.
What is Basmati rice & which basmati is best?
Basmati rice is a popular long-grained, aromatic rice that is traditionally associated with Indian subcontinents. They are extremely aromatic with a bit of nutty flavor.
Make sure to look for BASMATI on the rice packet or you can also go for the rice which is aged for a year or two. I prefer extra long basmati rice, which is aged over 2.
How to Make Best Basmati Rice?
For cooking the perfect basmati rice in an instant pot you must need to make sure you are choosing the correct ratio or amount of water and rice. The method I’m sharing today is very easy to follow, and this gives fluffy and perfect basmati rice in every attempt. All you need to do is, soak the basmati rice, put it in the instant pot at high pressure for 6 minutes, and 10minutes natural release. Looks easy right? It’s actually this simple to cook basmati rice in an instant pot.
How To Cook Basmati rice in an Instant Pot
There are various debates out there, but after so many attempts we have come up with 3 tried and tested methods to cook perfectly fluffy and soft basmati rice in an instant pot.
- Method 01- For 1 cup (210 g) of basmati rice take 1 cup of water (250 ml).
Cook in the instant pot at high pressure for 6 minutes followed by 10 minutes of natural release. In this method, we have observed that the basmati rice came out completely cooked, soft, and not sticky.
- Method 02- For 1 cup(210 g) of basmati rice take 1 cup (250ml) of water.
Cook the basmati rice in the instant pot for 10 minutes at high pressure, followed by 10 minutes of natural release. In this method, we do not observe that much of a difference in terms of texture as compared to method 01, like it does a noticeable difference in the case of brown basmati rice.
- Method 03- For 1 cup (210 g) basmati rice takes 1 1/4cup (250 +50ml) of water.
Cook the basmati rice in the instant pot for 6 minutes at high pressure followed by 10 minutes of natural release. This is by far the ratio of basmati rice and water we have got. From this method, we have got softer, slightly moister, and fluffy rice as compared to methods 01 and 02.
How to Cook Basmati Rice in a Pressure Cooker:
Cooking perfectly fluffy basmati rice can be very tricky, but one of the most common mistakes people make which results in stick and undercooked rice is choosing the incorrect rice to water ratio.
For cooking basmati rice in a pressure cooker the ratio must be 1:1 ¼ ( 1 cup of rice with 1.5 cups of water). Most people use 1 ⅔ cups of water or even 2 ½ cups of water, with rinsed rice which makes the rice results in waterlogged and makes overcooked, and mushy.
The method I am sharing today is very simple to cook basmati rice in a pressure cooker, and it gives perfect results every time. You do not need to rinse the rice or drain excess water from the huge pots.
- Pour water and add rice to a medium-sized saucepan.
- Let it simmer on medium to high flame with covering it for a few minutes.
- When you see a foamy surface on the surface of the saucepan, immediately turn the flame down to low-medium heat and cover the saucepan with a tight lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stovetop and let it sit for another 10 minutes (rest).
- Then open the lid and fluff the rice.
ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT BASMATI RICE
Do I need to soak rice before I cook it?
No! Soaking rice prior to cooking it is not necessary.
Should I rinse the rice before cooking it?
If you buy rice in a package from a grocery store then rising it is not necessary. But if you wish to rinse the rice, then rinse under running water until the water comes clear.
Is Basmati Rice is same as White Rice?
Basmati rice is a type of white rice. The rice grains are quite longer than the ordinary white rice. It’s also more aromatic than plain white rice (which is used in Japanese or Chinese cuisine).
Is Basmati Rice is healthier than white rice?
No. They have virtually the same amount of calories. And they are both carbs!
Can you freeze Instant Pot basmati rice?
Yes, make sure to freeze in portion size in an airtight container. For 1 cup of frozen basmati rice, reheat in the microwave (loosely covered) on high for about 2 minutes – it will become steamy and fresh. If your rice is a bit dry (maybe because the container was not air-tight), just drizzle some water over the frozen rice and then microwave (with a loosely covered lid) – the water will make the rice moist and fresh.
Curries to serve with Instant pot Basmati Rice:
- Instant Pot Spiced yellow lentil curry
- Indian Fish Curry
- Indian Fried Fish
- Cauliflower Curry
- Vegan Potato Curry
- Vegan 3 bean chili