Instant pot brown rice is a dump-and-go recipe to cook perfectly soft and fluffy grains of rice...every time!
I love brown rice for its nutty flavour, slightly crunchy texture and better nutrient profile.
But making it on the stovetop used to be such a time suck and hassle that I found myself making it less and less. So I switched to making it in my trusty old pressure cooker.
Pressure cooker brown rice is really the best in terms of how it turns out but I was still not happy! I still needed to count the whistles and remember to reduce the heat after the whistles and then switch off the heat. Cleaning the cooker was not easy either. It wouldn't go into the dishwasher and the one time I forced it in, the metal turned a dull grey and I didn't feel like using it again:(
Enter the instant pot. I just had to make a couple different things in it to fall in love with it. It is hands-off cooking (minus the sautéing of course) and the cleaning is so simple too as you will know if you have one. And no, I haven't forgotten that this post is about cooking brown rice and not an ode to the instant pot! If you own one and you haven't made brown rice in it, you're really under-utilizing your appliance. The points mentioned below will show you why.
Why this instant pot brown rice recipe works
1. Doing basic brown rice in the pot requires just the rice itself and water. You can add other ingredients, of course, which are discussed below, but if you need plain brown rice and nothing else, this is it.
2. It is much quicker than cooking it in a saucepan on the stovetop. The actual cooking time in the instant pot is 25 minutes only (not including the time it takes the pot to come to pressure or depressurize).
3. You don't have to soak the rice in advance. Just rinsing it is enough.
4. It really is a hand-off recipe. Dump the rice in the pot with the water, secure the lid, press a button and walk away. There is zero monitoring. Can it get any simpler than that?
Recipes that go with brown rice
Cooking brown rice in instant pot
1. Rinse 2 cups rice in a colander with small holes or a sieve until the water runs clear.
2. Add the rice to the inner steel insert of your instant pot. Add 2.5 cups water. Throw in half a teaspoon salt and one tablespoon oil, if using. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing'. Press the pressure cooking button, adjust to high and set the timer for 25 minutes. Walk away.
3. When the timer beeps, wait for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the steam and open the pot. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with the dish of your choice.
The ratio of rice to water for brown rice
The simple ratio of rice to water is 1:1.25 cups. In words, 1 cup of rice requires one and one-fourth cups water. Increase or decrease the amount of rice and water according to this ratio.
In this recipe, I used 2 cups of rice, so I increased the water to 2.5 cups.
Tips to make the perfect instant pot brown rice
1. Do rinse the rice well. It reduces the stickiness and prevents a layer of foam from forming on the surface after it's done.
2. Want to reduce the stickiness further? Squeeze half a lemon in the water before pressure cooking the rice.
3. Keep to the rice and water ratio specified in the recipe. Of course, you can increase or decrease the quantity of rice, but be careful to increase or decrease the water proportionately.
4. Use long-grain Basmati rice to make this recipe. It is the best kind and is non-sticky. I like the Tilda brand but you can use the one you have eaten and like.
Customizing the recipe
There are so many additions that you can make to this recipe if plain unsalted brown rice is not your thing. Here's a few.
1. Add half a teaspoon salt to make the rice taste better.
2. If you want a smoother texture and a sheen, add a tablespoon of cooking oil also. You can add this to the water directly or temper the rice first in the pot, then add water. Here's how - switch on your pot to sauté and add the oil to the inner steel insert. Wait for the display to show HOT, then add the rinsed rice. Stir it a bit (a minute or two) and then add the water. Close the lid and pressure cook as normal.
3. Add a few whole spices. Again either directly to the rice water, or if you are tempering the rice as in point no. 2, to the oil before you add the rice. A bay leaf, 2-3 cloves and a couple of green cardamom will give it a nice lift!
4. If you want to go still further, sprinkle a little fresh chopped cilantro or parsley after the rice is cooked and mix it in for a nice, herby flavour.
5. Want to do something totally different? Instead of cooking the rice in water, cook it in broth! Vegetarian or chicken broth, depending on your taste and diet. It adds lots of flavour to the rice and if you add other seasonings, it can become a meal in itself!
Instant Pot Brown Rice
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot Duo
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati brown rice
- 2.5 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil optional
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a colander with small holes or a sieve until the water runs clear.
- Add the rice to the inner steel insert of your instant pot. Add the water. Throw in the salt and cooking oil, if using. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing'. Press the pressure cooking button, adjust to high and set the timer for 25 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, wait for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the steam and open the pot. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with the dish of your choice.
Notes
- Do rinse the rice well. It reduces the stickiness and prevents a layer of foam from forming on the surface after it's done.
- Want to reduce the stickiness further? Squeeze half a lemon in the water before pressure cooking the rice.
- Keep to the rice and water ratio specified in the recipe. Of course, you can increase or decrease the quantity of rice, but be careful to increase or decrease the water proportionately.
- Use long-grain Basmati rice to make this recipe. It is the best kind and is non-sticky. I like the Tilda brand but you can use the one you have eaten and liked.
Nutrition
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