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    Home » Recipes » Rice & Grains

    Brown Basmati Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    June 28, 2022 . By Meeta Arora . 115 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Brown Basmati Rice
    Brown Basmati Rice

    One of the reasons to love the instant pot is perfectly cooked brown rice.  You don’t need to keep that extra rice cooker anymore and can free the counter space.  Even though I love white rice, I try to include more and more brown rice in our diet as it is more nutritious than white rice (well, debatable!). If you are looking for pot-in-pot (PIP) Brown Rice in the instant pot, go here.

    Brown rice instant pot pressure cooker

    Is Brown Rice better than White Rice?

    There is a big debate over which rice it better.  All rice consists almost entirely of carbs, with small amounts of protein and practically no fat.  Brown rice is a whole grain, which means it contains all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ and the carb-rich endosperm.  Brown rice has more fiber and antioxidants, as well as a lot more important vitamins and minerals.

    White rice has had the bran and germ removed, which are the most nutritious parts of the grain.  This leaves white rice with very few essential nutrients, which is why brown rice is usually considered much healthier than white.

    On the other hand, brown rice contains the anti-nutrient phytic acid which reduce our body's ability to absorb certain nutrients such as iron and zinc.  Brown rice may also contain higher amounts of arsenic, a toxic chemical.  However this is only a concern if you eat a lot of rice.

    With the above facts, I am not recommending either one is better.  You make the choice!   I prefer to include both brown and white rice in our diet.

    How to cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot?

    Cooking rice needs perfection on the amount of water and time.  I was never able to get that for brown rice prior to using the instant pot. Sometimes there would be water left, sometime the rice would be undercooked.  However now with the instant pot, I can always cook perfect brown rice.

    This is a no soak method.  Just wash the rice, 22 minutes pressure cook (high pressure) in the instant pot and 10 minutes natural pressure release.  Sounds easy…it actually is!

    I like to have rice al dente, and separate.  I don’t like sticky or mushy rice.  Hence I use a 1:1.25 rice to water ratio, which has consistently given me perfect results.

    Traditionally cooked basmati rice in a saucepan needs double the water amount than the rice. However in the instant pot, less water is enough to get perfectly cooked rice.

    Brown rice instant pot - after cooking

    Main things to remember for perfect Brown Basmati Rice 

    • No soaking of rice
    • Rice to water ratio – 1:1.25
    • Pressure Cook / Manual for 22 minutes (high pressure, vent sealed)
    • 10 minute NPR – Manually release the pressure 10 minutes after the instant pot beeps
    Brown rice instant pot pressure cooker - after cooking

    Enjoy this perfect brown rice with any curry such as Chana Masala, Chicken Curry and Dal Makhani.

    Brown rice instant pot pressure cooker 2

    Try out the brown rice and let me know how it turned out.  If you want to make Brown Rice using the pot-in-pot method (PIP), check out the recipe here.

    You can also check out other variations of rice - Basmati white rice, Jeera or Cumin rice or other basics recipes such as Steamed Broccoli and Instant Pot Beets .

    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Brown rice in a blue bowl

    Brown Basmati Rice Recipe - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Meeta Arora
    Perfectly cooked Brown Basmati rice made in an instant pot or pressure cooker.
    4.77 from 171 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 407
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian, Thai
    Diet: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    Prep Time: 2 mins
    Cook Time: 35 mins
    Total Time: 37 mins

    Equipment

    • Electric Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup Brown Basmati Rice
    • 1 ¼ cup Water
    • 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon Salt (optional)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Wash brown rice until the water runs clear.
    • Add water and rice to the instant pot insert. If using, add the oil and salt.
    • Start the instant pot in manual or pressure cook mode for 22 mins at high pressure with vent in sealing position.
    • When the instant pot beeps, do 10 minutes natural pressure release, which means release the pressure manually 10 minutes after the instant pot beeps.
    • Fluff the rice with a ladle or fork. Rice is ready to be served with your favorite curry.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you like very soft rice, then increase the amount of water by ¼ cup. 
    • Cooking time remains the same even if you double or half the recipe. 
    • This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Programmable Pressure Cooker.

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 595mgPotassium: 206mgFiber: 3gCalcium: 21mgIron: 1.4mg
    Keyword instant pot brown rice
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angie says

      December 06, 2022 at 6:20 am

      Mine came out stuck together like sticky rice and too soft for my liking. Is this because I soaked it overnignt first? I do this to remove some of the arsenic and has always been perfect otherwise stove top. This is the first thing I've tried in my instant pot. Many thanks

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        January 04, 2023 at 2:15 pm

        Hi Angie - Yes, soaking the rice will change the pressure cooking time. I would suggest to cook for just 15 minutes for soaked brown basmati rice. Would love to hear how that turns out.

        Reply
    2. Jen says

      September 13, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      Perfect brown basmati rice-thank you!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        September 15, 2022 at 10:05 am

        Hi - That's wonderful to hear.

        Reply
    3. Jason says

      August 07, 2022 at 3:38 pm

      This rice came out great. I used homemade chicken stock for the fluid, and 1/4 more stock. It came out really creamy. I like the rice a little soft so I might try 23 min next time but this came out great.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        August 07, 2022 at 4:19 pm

        Hi Jason - Glad to hear you enjoyed the brown rice.

        Reply
    4. Clarity says

      June 04, 2022 at 4:42 pm

      Could you please help me to clarify weather this step (excerpt below) means:

      When the pot beeps, don't touch anything and let it sit for 10 minutes, and efore putting the valve to "venting" to release the pressure?

      OR

      when the pot beeps, change the valve to "venting" and leave for 10 minutes?

      "When the instant pot beeps, do 10 minutes natural pressure release, which means release the pressure manually 10 minutes after the instant pot beeps."

      Reply
      • Clarity says

        June 04, 2022 at 4:43 pm

        Oops, "whether" not "weather."

        Reply
        • Meeta Arora says

          June 07, 2022 at 12:18 pm

          Hi Clarity - Sorry the recipe was not clea. 10 minute Natural pressure release, means you want to release the pressure manually 10 minutes after the instant pot has completed pressure cooking. You do this by turning the valve to venting on the lid of the instant pot.

          Typically the instant pot goes in keep warm mode after pressure cooking is completed and the timer displays how much time has passed. So when the display shows 10:00 minutes, you want to release the pressure. Hope that helps!

    5. Debbie B says

      June 04, 2022 at 1:25 pm

      I went exactly by your recipe and it was perfect. I even doubled the amount to ensure I had some leftovers. Thanks for posting.

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        June 06, 2022 at 1:12 pm

        Hi Debbie - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it back 🙂

        Reply
    6. Maria says

      June 02, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Hi! After doing the 22 mins manual pressure about 4 mins in the steam was coming out like crazy for a long time. So I got nervous and shut it off. Is that normal before the 22 minute countdown?

      Reply
      • Jason says

        August 07, 2022 at 3:37 pm

        Yes the pressure cooker will release some steam periodically, totally fine.

        Reply
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    Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

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