Learn how to cook wheat berries in an instant pot with this easy-to-follow guide.
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Wheat berries are the edible part of wheat with multiple health benefits. It is one of the hard whole grains that usually takes longer to cook compared to other grains. Cooked whole wheat berries have a soft, chewy texture with a nutty flavour and are considered a superfood due to their high fibre and nutrient-dense profile.
The traditional stovetop method requires constant monitoring as the berries absorb water as they cook through and extra water needs to be added. Moreover, in this method, soaking is essential to cut down the cooking time. When I used to cook wheat payasam with overnight soaked berries it would take 25 -30 minutes to turn them soft with a chewy texture.
Now I find cooking whole wheat berries in an instant pot is the most convenient method as it doesn’t require constant monitoring, I can literally set the cooking function and walk away. I don’t even soak the berries as this method doesn’t require babysitting, so I don’t mind the extra few minutes it takes without soaking the berries. However, feel free to soak them to cut the cooking time further. It’s absolutely a breeze to cook in an instant pot and I bet you won’t go back to the stovetop method once you try the instant pot method.
To pressure cook wheat berries every cup of wheat requires 2.5 cups of water to cook. 1 cup of raw whole wheat yields 3 cups when cooked.
Why will you love instant pot wheat berries?
Speed up the cooking process compared to the stovetop method.
No stirring, no babysitting, it literally requires zero monitoring.
It is a time-saving method as soaking is not necessary.
Beginner friendly.
Ingredients
- Wheat berries: I have used hard white wheat berries that require a long time than soft berries.
- Liquid: water to cook the berries.
- Salt
Find the measurements and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Instructions
Rinse and wash the wheat berries 3-4 times in a colander under cold running tap water to remove the dirt and debris.
Put the washed berries in an instant pot container.
Add the salt, water and close the pot with a lid.
Turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
Press PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL mode and set the timer to 30 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.
Once the timer countdown stops let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
Now manually release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure valve to the VENTING position.
Once all the pressure is released, the KNOB next to the pressure valve will go down.
Now take the lid off the pot and drain the water from the berries.
Soft, chewy and perfectly cooked whole wheat berries are ready to either use immediately or store for later use.
How to serve cooked wheat berries?
Soft and chewy wheat berries make a great addition to salads.
Make a breakfast porridge or add it to flax meal porridge or chia persimmon porridge to add texture and a nutty taste.
Prepare wheat pudding with these pressure cooker wheat berries.
Storage
Fridge: Cooked wheat berries stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge if stored properly in an airtight container.
Freezer: Consider freezing for longer shelf life and if you cook a bulk quantity for future use. Cook a large quantity of wheat berries, allow the cooked berries to cool down completely, divide them into desired portions, place each portion in a ziplock bag or a freezer-friendly container and store them in the freezer.
Defrost: Take a bag out of the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight to thaw. Heat berries in the microwave until piping hot just before serving.
Tips and Tricks
Wash the wheat berries multiple times to remove debris.
Personally, I prefer to cook berries until soft, chewy and a few berries split open. The longer you cook, the softer the berries would be with a chewy texture.
The time set to cook on an instant pot is not the total time taken to cook berries. The Instant pot takes its time to build the pressure depending on the quantity in the pot before the timer starts the countdown. So, the total time would be time to build pressure + timer countdown + natural pressure release time.
Consider reducing the cooking time for soft wheat berries. I've used hard berries that require 30 minutes.
FAQs
Wheat berries have a longer shelf life if stored properly in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. The key factor is to store them in a tightly sealed container that keeps the moisture out, bugs away and helps the wheat retain its freshness.
Wheat berries are hard whole grains that are ground to make wheat flour. Consuming whole grain is considered healthy compared to flour due to its high nutritional value. Unlike other whole grains, these are very hard and take quite a long time to cook.
There are two main types of wheat berries - soft and hard. Further, each variety is classified based on colour and the season they are grown.
Colour: Red and white
Season: Spring and winter
Soft variety wheat berries tend to cook faster whereas hard berries take longer time to cook and are chewy regardless of how long they are cooked.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make instant pot wheat berries. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
How to cook wheat berries in Instant pot
Equipment
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml
- 315 gms (or) 1.5 Cups Whole wheat berries
- 3 Cups Water
- a pinch Salt
Instructions
- Rinse and wash the wheat berries 3-4 times in a colander under cold running tap water to remove the dirt and debris.315 gms (or) 1.5 Cups Whole wheat berries
- Put the washed berries in an instant pot container.
- Add the salt, water and close the pot with a lid.3 Cups Water, a pinch Salt, 315 gms (or) 1.5 Cups Whole wheat berries
- Turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL mode and set the timer to 30 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.
- Once the timer countdown stops let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
- Now manually release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure valve to the VENTING position.
- Once all the pressure is released, the KNOB next to the pressure valve will go down.
- Now take the lid off the pot and drain the water from the berries.
- Soft, chewy and perfectly cooked wheat berries are ready to either use immediately or store for later use.
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