Instant Pot® Rice Pilau Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¾ tablespoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1 bay leaf

Step 1

Turn on your Instant Pot and setting it to the sauté mode. Pour in a bit of oil and once it’s hot, add the cumin seeds. Stir them around until they just start to pop. Then toss in the chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes until it softens up a bit. Sprinkle in the garam masala, turmeric, and a pinch of salt, mixing everything together.

Step 2

Add the vegetable broth, rice, frozen peas and carrots, and a bay leaf. Give it a good stir so everything is combined. Close the lid and lock it in place. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 5 minutes—remember, it’ll take around 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to build up.

Step 3

Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally, which can take anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes. After that, carefully open the valve to release any leftover pressure, then unlock and lift the lid. Take out the bay leaf, give the rice a taste, and add more salt or spices if you think it needs a little extra flavor before serving.