Instant Pot Basmati Rice

This instant pot basmati rice is fluffy, light and fragrant. No stickiness, no mushiness. You get perfect basmati rice all the time with this basmati rice recipe.

Basmati rice and easy cook rice are two of my most used rice in rice recipes. Not only are they easy and simple to cook with, one can usually never go wrong with them. I especially like basmati rice as it’s fragrant, light and suit most recipes. It pairs perfectly with curries, stew and sauces and rice dishes like pilaf and biryani.

Rice is a staple food in my house and we eat it atleast 3 times a week. I almost can never get enough. It never gets tiring for me and there are so many different ways i include rice in our meals.

I have rice cooker which i mentioned in my long grain rice post and it rarely ever get used. It gets used maybe once or twice a year which is like a waste to be honest and i will be giving it out soon. So how do i cook rice? Stovetop and instant pot are the ways i cook rice and i've mastered both methods.

I know it can be hard getting the perfect basmati rice and many have been left wondering if they’ll ever get the perfect basmati rice..Yes you can and if you have been doubting, this foolproof instant pot rice recipe will clear your doubts. Just follow these simple steps and you will have the perfect rice.

What is Basmati rice

Basmati rice is a variety of long grain rice common in Indian cuisine. It is one of the most popular varieties of rice. The name Basmati is derived from Hindustani. 'Basmati' means fragrant and it's traditionally from India. It is grown and exported from Indian, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. India is the largest exporter of Basmati rice.

Basmati rice is light and fluffy when cooked well and has unique aromatic flavour. Basmati rice is healthy, low in fat, salt and it's gluten free.

Types of Basmati rice

There are several varieties of basmati rice. Traditional Indian basmati rice include varieties like basmati 370, basmati 385, etc. You might also be familiar with Golden sella basmati rice which is parboiled basmati rice. Golden sella basmati rice is parboiled in it's husk and then milled. This produces seperate fluffy grains that is nutty. This is my preffered basmati rice.

Popular basmati rice brands include Tilda, Daawat and others.

Why i like Basmati rice in instant pot

• It's convenient

• No smell, no mess while cooking as the pressure cooker locks in the steam and smell until you open.

• Instant pot rice makes quick, pefect sides to curries, stews and sauces

• Instant pot rice saves time- Even if it's just about 10 - 15 minutes because let's be honest the time difference cooking basmati rice stovetop and instant pot /pressure cooker is about 10 - 15 minutes but when you are in a hurry to get food ready, 10 minutes can seem like eternity.

• I don't have to stay around and watch over the pot like i would with stovetop. I put everything in the instant pot / pressure pot and go do something else and the instant pot do the cooking and beep when it's done.

How to cook Basmati rice in instant pot

Now what is your definition of perfect basmati rice? aldente? soft? I like mine soft, full and seperate grains but don't worry if you like yours aldente, I have included a guide on rice to water ratio for aldente and soft basmati rice.

With cooking any type of rice, water to rice ratio plays important factor. Once that is mastered the rest of the process is easy peasy. I like rice to be firm yet full. Not sticky and not mushy.

To soak or not to soak rice?

Some will tell you traditional indian basmati rice calls for soaking while others will tell you it's unneccesary. I am team it's unnecessary. Soaking rice is so not neccessary especially when using instant pot pressure cooker.

I do not soak rice. I don't have that time and i know it doesn't impact on taste so this recipe is for no soak basmati rice.

Instant pot rice ingredients

Basmati rice

Water

Salt

Oil/butter - Optional

Water ratio

Soft - Water ratio is 1: 1.5 that is 1 cup rice to 1 and half cup water.

Aldente - Water ratio is 1:1 or 1:11/4.

This water ratio is for instant pot more water is needed for stovetop basmati rice. Also this recipe is for main pot not pot in pot. If you are new to instant pot and the terminologies check out my post on how to use instant pot.

Steps for cooking perfect basmati rice in the instant pot

1)Wash: Wash rice thoroughly in warm water and drain. Do this at least twice but preferably till water runs clear. Washing gets rid of starch that might make rice sticky.

2) Add water in the instant pot then pour in washed basmati rice and add salt.

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3) Cover the instant pot with it’s lid and fasten then turn the vent into sealing position. Manually set time to 8 minutes pressure cook. When done, use the 5 minutes natural pressure release.

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4) Open the lid and fluff rice with fork. Leave rice to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Best served warm.

Tips for cooking instant pot basmati rice

• Use good brand basmati rice. Quality brands of basmati rice out there include Tilda and Tropical. There are other good brands you can choose from.

• Rinse well till water runs clear or almost run clear. This process is important to get rid of excess starch. If you omit this step, your rice will likely come put sticky.

• If using salt, add salt to rice from when it goes in the pot rather than when it’s cooked.This way the salt is evenly spread and absorbed by the rice.

• You can add onion and butter to basmati rice if you like – I personally keep it simple for white rice.

Frequently asked questions

What's the recipe for instant pot basmati rice 3 cups

Use this recipe . Use rice to water ratio 1: 1.5 so rice 3 cups, water 4.5 cups.

What's the recipe for Basmati rice instant pot 4 Cups

Use rice to water ratio 1: 1:5  that is rice 4 Cups, water 6 cups and follow the recipe in the recipe card below.

What calories in basmati rice?

A cup of cooked basmati rice has 192 calories. 1 Cup dry/raw basmati makes approximately 3 cups cooked basmati rice.

What to serve with basmati rice

Stews like Chilli con carne

Curries like curried black eyed peas , instant pot chicken curry

Chicken like easy baked chicken legs , instant pot chicken drumsticks

How to Store Basmati Rice

If you have leftover basmati rice, put in a bowl and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you're unlikely to eat it within 3 days then it's best to store in the freezer. You can store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More instant pot rice recipes on the blog

Instant pot jasmine rice

Instapot spanish rice

Instant pot jollof rice

Some other recipes on the blog

DIY Curry powder

Garlic butter shrimp pasta

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