Vegetable pulao is a delightful gluten-free and vegan one-pot rice recipe prepared with assorted vegetables, spices, herbs and rice.
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Vegetable pulao rice also referred to as pilaf or pilau, is one of the most loved dishes in Indian cuisine because of its versatility. It is the frequently chosen dish at gatherings, parties and special occasions, as it appeals to every palate. Pair it with a fiery curry such as vegetable chettinad for spice lovers, and serve it with malai matar paneer for those who choose mild food. The vegetable pulao rice and paneer makhani combo is consistently a favorite with kids.
Cooking rice in an instant pot is such a breeze, and the rice cooks perfectly every time with minimal effort.
Unlike the traditional pressure cooker or stovetop process, it’s really unnecessary to either regulate the heat or babysit it until completed. All you require to do is sauté the vegetables, herbs and spices, stir in coconut milk and rice, close the lid, set the timer and relax. That’s it! The instant pot takes care of the rest of the process.
An interesting part of using the instant pot is that regardless of the quantity we cook - be it double or triple, the timer has to be set for the same time. IP takes its own time to build the pressure based on the quantity in the pot and then the timer countdown starts.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Onion, potato, carrot, beans, peas, green chillies, mint and coriander. Either freshly grated ginger garlic or pre-made ginger garlic paste.
- Spices: cumin, cloves, green cardamom, cassia, black cardamom, black stone flower, bay leaf, star anise and garam masala.
- Liquids: coconut milk and water to cook pulao rice. Any cooking oil (missing in the above image) to cook vegetables and spices. I use olive oil but feel free to use any cooking oil that you have on hand - vegetable, sunflower, avocado.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make vegetable pulao in instant pot
Using a deep-bottomed bowl, wash the rice under cold tap water 2-3 times or until the water is clear.
Add fresh water and soak the rice for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, gather the chopped vegetables and the rest of the ingredients on the kitchen platform.
Plug in an instant pot, turn the sauté mode ON and add oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cassia, cloves, black and green cardamon and fry for a few seconds until the spices release the aroma.
Now add the cumin and fry for half a minute and let it splutter.
Add the onion, ginger garlic paste, salt and sauté for 5-6 minutes until the onion turns translucent.
Now add the green chillies, mint and sauté for a minute.
Stir in the carrots, beans, potatoes, garam masala and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the base of the pot.
While the vegetables are cooking, drain water from the soaked rice.
Now press the CANCEL button.
Add the soaked rice, coconut milk, water, coriander and gently stir. Check the taste and add more salt if necessary.
Secure the pot with the lid and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
Press the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL button and set the timer for 6 minutes.
The instant pot displays ON initially and the timer countdown starts once the pressure has been built up).
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins.
After 10 minutes, turn the pressure valve to VENT position, wait until the pressure is released completely and the small knob located next to the pressure valve goes down.
Take the lid off the pot, wait for 5 minutes and then fluff the rice with a fork.
Enjoy scrumptious instant pot vegetable pulao with any side dish of your choice.
Substitutions and Variations
Try adding vegetable stock for added flavour. Replace the water with vegetable stock.
Freshly grated/minced ginger and garlic could be used instead of the pre-made ginger garlic paste.
Dried mint could be used if you don't have fresh mint on hand.
I prefer reduced-fat coconut milk. However, it doesn't really make much difference if you use full-fat coconut milk.
Tips and Tricks
Rinse and wash the rice under cold running water at least 3-4 times until the water is clear.
The rice-to-water ratio might vary depending on the type of rice you use. Parboiled rice requires more water. Follow the instructions on the rice packet for precise measurements.
Soaking the rice for 15 minutes reduces the cooking time. However, if you soak the rice for more than 20 minutes, cut down the liquid slightly to compensate, otherwise, the rice might turn a little mushy.
Try to remove the whole spices as they are used to infuse the lovely flavour and aroma to the pilau rice. The taste of these spices is so strong that it leaves an unpleasant aftertaste when you bite them.
The type of rice you use and the hardness of the water determines the cooking time.
The pressure cook time is NOT the complete cooking time. The instant pot takes time to build pressure and then the timer countdown starts. It calculates the time depending on the quantity inside the pot. So the total time taken to get this vegetable rice ready would be the time to saute vegetables and spices + time to come to the pressure + timer countdown + natural pressure release time.
Ensure to deglaze the pot before closing it with a lid to prevent a BURN message.
See this stove-top version of vegetable pulao on my website!
Storage
Fridge: Vegetable pulao stays fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge when stored properly in an airtight container. Transfer the rice to an airtight container once it cools down completely and then store it in the fridge.
Freezer: This one-pot vegetable rice freezes well. Consider freezing if you cook large quantities of rice to use in the future. Divide the rice into portions, transfer it into freezer-safe containers and store them in the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
Vegetable pulao goes well with onion raita or cucumber raita and gravy such as plain salna.
Pilau rice is a perfect dish to serve with paneer curries such as Kadai Paneer, paneer korma or methi malai paneer.
It is a great dish to pack in a lunchbox along with a simple side dish such as jeera aloo or bombay aloo.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots
FAQ
Similar to stovetop pressure cookers, the water-to-rice ratio depends on the type of rice you use. I would perhaps suggest following the instructions on the packet.
Another key factor that would impact the rice-to-water ratio is the amount of time rice is soaked. The water has to be reduced if the rice is soaked for longer than 20 minutes.
Yes, you can use short-grain rice varieties such as sona masoori, ponni. However, I wouldn't recommend glutinous rice due to its extremely sticky texture.
More Rice Recipes
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this instant pot vegetable pulao. 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
Instant Pot Vegetable Pulao
Equipment
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 460 gms (or) 3 cups Basmati Rice
- 3 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ inch Cassia / Dalchini
- 3 Cloves
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1 Black Cardamom
- small piece Black Stone Flower/Kalpasi
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 92 gms Onion sliced
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 5 Green chillies cut length wise, (adjust to taste)
- 160 gms (or) 1 cup (or) 3 medium Carrot washed, peeled and diced
- 85 gms (or) ⅓ cup (or) 25 Green Beans cut into 1 inch length
- 100 gms (or) ½ cup Frozen Green Peas thaw
- 223 gms (or) 1 cup (or) 2 medium Potatoes washed, peeled and diced
- handful Fresh Mint Leaves roughly chopped
- handful Fresh Coriander Leaves finely chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- Salt as required
- 400 ml (or) 2 ½ cups Coconut Milk
- 250ml (or) 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Using a deep-bottomed bowl, wash the rice under cold tap water 2-3 times or until the water is clear.460 gms (or) 3 cups Basmati Rice
- Add fresh water and soak the rice for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gather the chopped vegetables and the rest of the ingredients on the kitchen platform.
- Plug in an instant pot, turn the sauté mode ON and add oil.3 Tablespoons Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cassia, cloves, black stone flower, black and green cardamon and fry for a few seconds until the spices release the aroma.1 Bay Leaf, ½ inch Cassia / Dalchini, 3 Cloves, 2 Green Cardamom, 1 Black Cardamom, small piece Black Stone Flower/Kalpasi
- Now add the cumin and fry for half a minute and let it splutter.1 Teaspoon Cumin
- Add the onion, ginger garlic paste, salt and sauté for 5-6 minutes until the onion turns translucent.92 gms Onion, 1 ½ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste, Salt
- Now add the green chillies, mint and sauté for a minute.5 Green chillies, handful Fresh Mint Leaves
- Stir in the carrots, beans, potatoes, garam masala and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the base of the pot.160 gms (or) 1 cup (or) 3 medium Carrot, 85 gms (or) ⅓ cup (or) 25 Green Beans, 100 gms (or) ½ cup Frozen Green Peas, 223 gms (or) 1 cup (or) 2 medium Potatoes, 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- While the vegetables are cooking, drain water from the soaked rice.
- Press CANCEL button.
- Add the soaked rice, coconut milk, water, coriander and gently stir. Check the taste and add more salt if necessary.460 gms (or) 3 cups Basmati Rice, 400 ml (or) 2 ½ cups Coconut Milk, 250ml (or) 1 cup Water, handful Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Secure the pot with the lid and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
- Press the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL button and set the timer for 6 minutes.
- The instant pot displays ON initially and the timer countdown starts once the pressure has been built up.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins.
- After 10 minutes, turn the pressure valve to VENT position, wait until the pressure is released completely and the small knob located next to the pressure valve goes down.
- Take the lid off the pot, wait for 5 minutes and then fluff the rice with a fork.
- Enjoy scrumptious instant pot vegetable pulao with any side dish of your choice.
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