Looking for a PERFECT brown rice recipe for your Instant Pot? Then you have got to try this Instant Pot Veggie Rice. It has the perfect consistency and it tastes amazing.
So the story is, I was looking for an older recipe to update, and found a Brown Rice and Veggies recipe I had made in my rice cooker way back in 2014.
It was in pretty sad shape because……
- I had only made in once… I think
- and it wasn’t even that great.. if I remember right
- it only had 1 or 2 comments
- And yes, the original smartphone photos were horrid
In other words, it was a perfect candidate for either a replacement or a makeover.
So I reworked the recipe using my Instant Pot, used fewer, simpler ingredients, and added a touch of curry powder, and I have to tell you…I was really, really, impressed.
The rice came out PERFECT.
It wasn’t too dry, or burnt or stuck to the bottom….and I’ve had that happen before.
And it wasn’t too wet or mushy either, or ‘gummy’, and I’ve had THAT happen a lot too. when using my Instant Pot for rice.
I think that’s why I’ve always preferred using my rice cooker – because Instant Pot Rice has always been so hit and miss for me.
But THIS…..this was gorgeous!
Moist and fluffy, just the way I like it. The onions, carrots, and peas added some additional color (and nutrition) and the curry powder gave it a gorgeous color and just a hint of spice.
I don’t normally eat curry, but this – this was a game changer for me.
And it’s all in one pot! Nothing could be simpler.
So here’s another super easy recipe, fat-free of course with no oil or other weird ingredients. Just good old fashioned Uncle Bens Rice and an Insant Pot.
I hope you like it. So without further ado – lets get to it.
Perfect Instant Pot Veggie Rice
Start by rinsing your rice. I used Uncle Bens Whole Grain Brown Rice that you should be able to find in just about ANY grocery store. Not the INSTANT rice, but the whole grain brown rice that comes in a 2 lb bag.
I tossed 1.5 cups of it in a fine sieve and rinsed it thoroughly, then let it sit in the sieve to drain while I prepared the rest of the ingredients.
Dice a little onion, about 1/4 cup or maybe even 1/3 cup, and add it to your instant pot liner along with a few tablespoons of either water or broth to keep it from sticking. I also diced a couple of skinny carrots I had to use up, and added them also.
My Instant Pot Duo (affiliate link), has 3 settings for its SAUTE mode, “Less, Normal, and More”. I chose the LESS setting and sautéed the veggies just until the onion started to turn translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Then I added some minced garlic and the drained rice. Mix well and be sure to stir frequently for another 30 seconds or so. Then press the KEEP WARM and/or CANCEL button to stop the saute and turn off the heat.
Now we can add the salt, curry powder, and the broth. Stir well and attach the lid. Make sure the vent valve is set to SEALING.
My older 6 qt IP model (DUO) has a button that says MANUAL, but I guess the newer ones just say PRESSURE COOK, either way that is how we cook our rice manually. Set the timer for 24 minutes exactly.
When it’s done, let it sit and naturally release its pressure for another 10 minutes. You’ll see the display showing the time lapsed – like L0:01 or L0:02. Wait for it to show L0:10 then CAREFULLY flip the valve to VENT to release any remaining pressure. Be careful – that steam is HOT.
If yours looks like mine – it will be perfectly cooked. Now just add a cup or frozen peas and fluff the rice with a fork. The hot rice will cook the peas for you.
And that my friends is it. Simple, tasty, and actually pretty quick too for brown rice.
Now as always, I am only telling you how “I” did it. So if you want to use white rice or cook this on the stove ay anything majorly different – I can’t guarantee the results. I’m sure for white rice the timing is different. I’d look at your Instant Pot Manual for cooking times. Like I said – I usually use my rice cooker so…… good luck.
But this method worked fabulously for me and as I said – it came out perfect. Hope you get similar results – let me know down in the comments below.
Another busy week done. I have a phone interview for an upcoming magazine article soon. It’s all about heart health over 50, and specifically dealing with stroke survivors…..so more details on that coming up soon. And it looks like I have a spot coming up on the infamous Chef AJ YouTube Show, so I’ll pass on more info about THAT as we get closer to the date.
Stay safe friends – and we’ll see you next week.
Perfect Instant Pot Veggie Rice
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
- Category: Rice
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Looking for a PERFECT brown rice recipe for your Instant Pot? Then you have got to try this Instant Pot Veggie Rice. Perfect consistency and tastes amazing.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 2–3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice *
- 2 small carrots, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp yellow curry powder **
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
* I used Uncle Bens whole grain, brown rice
** I used Olde Thompson Yellow Curry Powder
Instructions
- Place rice in a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly, set aside to drain.
- Dice onion and carrot and add to your instant pot.
- Add a few tablespoons of water or broth
- Set your IP to SAUTE mode (my IP DUO has a ‘less’ setting)
- Stir frequently until onions start to turn translucent
- Add garlic and rice – continue sautéing for another 30 seconds.
- Press the KEEP WARM/CANCEL button – and then add the salt, curry powder, and broth
- Stir thoroughly and attach lid, ensuring valve is set to SEALING
- Set IP to MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK mode and set timer for 24 min
- Let IP naturally release pressure (NPR) for 10 minutes then carefully vent any remaining pressure
- Add frozen peas and fluff with a fork
Keywords: instant pot brown rice, instant pot veggie rice, indian brown rice
Kay A Gerry
Thank you for doing an easy recipe that looks tasty and can be done in the Instant Pot. I am in a small travel trailer camper this winter with my husband and this will be perfect to easily prepare!
Jeanne
Thank you for another great recipe. I too have had trouble getting rice done well in my instant pot. This came out perfect even though I added wild rice to the brown rice.
★★★★★
Shawba
Perfect rice in the IP! Yummy recipe, Chuck.
★★★★★
Sharon Welsh
Hi
Question manual is it high or low setting for the 24 min please
Thanks Sharon
Tracey
I have some Whole Grain Texmati Brown Rice in my pantry, would that work ok?
Diane Bolton
It looks fabulous, but what else can I use to replace Curry,, I really don’t like curry or anything spicey, I would be so happy to succeed making rice in my new Instant pot other than beans and lentils lol I enjoy so many of your recipes can’t wait to watch you live. Congratulations! Keep up the good work while making a healthy difference in our lives. 🌱💖
Denise Hershey
Maybe some fresh or powdered ginger (sparingly, though) and/or some tamari if you can have soy sauce? Coconut aminos if no go on the soy sauce.
Jeannie
After reading this recipe I looked up your old rice cooker version of this on Pinterest and made it yesterday. My husband and I both thought it was wonderful! I wanted to make it again, since my husband ate it all, and looked for it on Pinterest just now and it seems to be removed. I hope you will please put it back on. (Rice cooker brown rice and veggies) we love most everything I make of your recipes. Thank you Chuck.
Denise
Yum! Saw this posted recently and knew I had to try it. I’m a huge fan of Trader Joe’s veggie fried rice and this was a nice spin on that. I added more veggies like red bell pepper and broccoli but learned the hard way that they all but disappear in the instant pot when added at the beginning. I’ll add them at the end after sauteeeing them in the beginning for a bit but before adding the rice. I added corn and peas at the end, too, but edamame would be fabulous, as well! I also added a splash of tamari with the veggie stock for more depth of flavor. I loved it! I made a double batch so there would be leftovers. I’m a rice lover and I bet this will taste even better after the curry flavor has a day to mellow out. Thanks for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Mary McAndrew
This looks great Chuck, can’t wait to try it. I found to cook rice in my instant pot without any sticking or burning, I use the “Pot in Pot” method. You put the rice and water or broth into a dish, cover loosely with a small plate and set on trivet in the IPOT, put the 1c water in the IPOT and just cook. You can buy special stainless steel stacking containers that are perfect for this. I use the metal lid from that set as the ‘plate’ over the rice. Doing Pot in Pot or Pip, is great for smaller amounts to avoid burning. I do my porridge every morning this way, cook it in the bowl I’m going to eat out of, you see? Less mess! Love seeing ipot recipes you share.
Elizabeth Knight
I just made this for breakfast today. It is very satisfying and the flavors are great. I have been avoiding curry stuff because my husband does not care for it, but this was a milder flavor and I’m going to have him try it later today. I realize there are different blend of curry, from hot to mild and I think the one I used is sort of in the middle. Anyway, this is a recipe to print out and keep in the kitchen for easy access! Thanks
Donna
Oh, this looks so good. I plan on making this in a couple days. We are not fans of curry. Will it still taste good if we omitted it? Thank you!!
Florence
Good rice! Enjoyed the use of carrots and peas. Another opportunity to get more veggies into your daily intake. I don’t cook with curry, but figured what the heck. I used a different brand of rice, but I don’t think I’d have my brown rice any other way now. Thank you. This is very helpful as a newbie in the WFPB lifestyle.
Connie Payton
Made a double batch last night for dinner and this was delicious! I added a small bag of frozen peas/carrots, so omitted the fresh carrots. After tasting, I thought a little bit of Chinese 5-spice powder would also go great on this and will add that next time I make it. Really delicious and filling!
★★★★★
Michelle
What if I want to use white rice? How long would it cook for?
Julie Hickman
Needed a dinner idea and saw this on FB. Made it nearly exactly as directed, only making small changes for personal preference and what we had on hand. I used one cup long grain brown rice plus one half cup wild rice. And surely by 2-3 cloves of garlic, you meant 5+? Haha. Plus I used two kinda big carrots. Made per directions w slight adjustments for our different model IP. We’re not a big fan of peas in our house, so I added a cup of frozen cut green beans after the pressure cooking cycle was complete and letting pressure naturally release for ten minutes. I just stirred the green beans in and put the lid back on for another 5 minutes or so. The rice came out perfectly and it was delicious!! A real winner, I can see adding this to regular rotation and changing up the veggies and types of rice and it would not get boring. Thanks!
★★★★★