• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Piping Pot Curry logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Indian
    • Cooking 101
  • Resources
    • Amazon Store
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Air Fryer 101
    • Meal Plan
    • Holiday Gift Guide
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Instant Pot
  • Air Fryer
  • Indian
  • Shop
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Rice & Grains

    Instant Pot Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf

    March 16, 2023 . By Meeta Arora . 9 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Healthy Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf made as a one-pot meal in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. It is so quick and easy to prepare. which makes this perfect for weekday meals | #instantpot #quinoa #pulao #upma #pressurecooker #vegan #glutenfree #vegetarian #recipe | pipingpotcurry.com

    A quick and easy meal - Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf made in Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. You can also call this Quinoa Pulao or Quinoa Upma. Quinoa has become a popular choice due to it's high protein content. This is a vegan and gluten free pilaf.

    Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    It is very easy to cook quinoa. It is cooked very similar to rice just with lesser water. I like to have variations of rice pilaf, so I make Dalia (or bulgur) Pilaf, Couscous Pilaf and this Quinoa Pilaf to get some variation in taste and nutrients.  

    Even though the preparation for all the rice, bulgur and quinoa is very similar, they have their distinctive taste.  You can also vary by changing the veggies you add to the recipe.  This is a complete meal in itself made in an instant pot, so you don't need to add more accompaniments with this dish. The only thing I enjoy having with pilaf's is raita or yogurt.

    Quinoa Nutrition 

    Quinoa is interestingly not a grain, but is grown as a grain crop for it's edible seeds.  It is a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, several B vitamins and minerals.  Quinoa is gluten-free and easy to digest.  Because of it's nutritional value, quinoa has gained popularity recently, which has led to it's price being doubled and tripled.

    We love quinoa and use it in many recipes such as Quinoa Vegetable Chili, Quinoa Dosa, and Quinoa Khichdi.

    How to make Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf in Instant Pot?

    Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    When preparing quinoa in instant pot or pressure cooker, you need to add 1 cup quinoa with 1.25 cup water.  In this recipe, we are adding a variety of veggies along with the quinoa.  That said, the water ratio remains the same. Cooking the quinoa along with the veggies in this single pot recipe, helps to infuse the flavor of veggies into the quinoa.

    Enjoy this quick and flavorful quinoa pulao.  Serve it with yogurt or raita. Make the yogurt in the instant pot, check out recipe here.

    Check out other one-pot pilaf recipes made in the instant pot:

    • Vegetable Rice Pilaf
    • Beet Pilaf
    • Couscous & Vegetable Medley
    • Bulgur or Dalia Pilaf
    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Quinoa with vegetables in a white bowl

    Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Meeta Arora
    Easy and healthy quinoa with veggies made as a one-pot meal in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. 
    4.78 from 50 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 304
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 20 mins

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Quinoa rinsed
    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
    • 1 Onion small, diced
    • ½ tablespoon Garlic minced
    • ½ tablespoon Ginger minced
    • 2 cups Mixed vegetables (green peas, carrots, green beans) I used frozen
    • 1.25 cup Water
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • Cilantro to garnish

    Spices

    • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
    • 1 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Start the pressure cooker in Saute mode and let it heat. Once it is hot, add oil and cumin seeds.
    • After they start to splutter, add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.
    • Add the spices and mixed vegetables. Stir and let them cook for a minute. 
    • Add quinoa, water and mix well. Close lid with vent in sealing position. 
    • Change instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 2 minutes. After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
    • After you open the instant pot, mix the juice of one lemon and garnish with cilantro.
    • Serve hot with yogurt or raita.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can use any veggies you have at home for this recipe, such as corn, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, asparagus and more... 
    • I used frozen veggies for this recipes, however you can use fresh veggies cut into small pieces and they will cook well in this suggested cooking time. 
    • This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker. 

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

    Nutrition

    Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 48.2gProtein: 10gFat: 8.3gSaturated Fat: 0.8gSodium: 799mgPotassium: 400mgFiber: 6.2gSugar: 4gCalcium: 40mgIron: 3.6mg
    Keyword easy, instant pot, pressure cooker
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

    More Rice & Grain Recipes

    • Indian Yellow Turmeric Rice in a white bowl
      35 Best Instant Pot Rice Recipes
    • A flavorful and fragrant rice dish filled with green peas, and whole spices, and topped with chopped cilantro.
      Peas Pulao (Matar Pulao)
    • four paneer paratha in a plate with pickle on the side
      18 Amazing Indian Bread Recipes To Try Today
    • methi theplas stacked in a tray
      Gujarati Methi Thepla (Easy, Authentic Recipe)
    1.0K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Umesh Rathie says

      May 30, 2021 at 10:54 am

      Wow! I was searching for a Quinoa pulao (Pilaf) recipe and found this recipe. It came out excellent. I also made Chick Peas Coconut curry with it. It is a mouth-watering, delicious combination. My eating choices are changing as in my golden years. With all the health challenges and restrictions, I am going to enjoy your recipes.

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        June 01, 2021 at 9:13 am

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

        Reply
    2. Katherine says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      Could you do cauliflower + broccoli as well for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        December 17, 2020 at 10:58 am

        Hi Katherine - It would work to add broccoli or cauliflower. They both cook quickly so add larger pieces and just place on top after adding all the other ingredients. If you have a low pressure option on your instant pot, you can also try using that. Hope you enjoy the pilaf!

        Reply
    3. Udaya says

      May 15, 2020 at 10:58 am

      Tried this recipe today . Cam out really good .!!

      Reply
    4. Rika says

      May 11, 2020 at 6:53 am

      Are the vegetables frozen or cooked already before adding them?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        May 14, 2020 at 7:11 am

        Hi Rika - I used frozen veggies when making this recipe. However even if you use fresh veggies cut into small pieces, they will get cooked well in the suggested 2 minutes of pressure cooking time.

        Reply
    5. amar says

      May 14, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      please post the lauki chana dal recipe. it is not coming up under may 14th post for instant pot recipes.
      thank you

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        May 14, 2019 at 3:42 pm

        Hi Amar - Here is the recipe link - https://www.pipingpotcurry.com/lauki-chana-dal-pressure-cooker/. You can also google to find any of my recipes "pipingpotcurry recipe-name" 🙂 Would love to hear if you try it!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

    I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us. We just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Roasted sweet potato pieces in a white plate
      Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Easy Coconut Curry chicken in a white bowl
      Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry
    • A crispy Kale Chip closeup in hand
      Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips
    • Instant Pot Chana Masala served along with basmati rice.
      Instant Pot Chana Masala (Punjabi Chole Masala / Chickpea Curry)
    • Instant Pot Dal Fry
      Indian Dal Tadka / Dal Fry with Basmati Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Basmati Rice Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
      Perfect Basmati Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    AS FEATURED ON

    Piping Pot Curry Featured on websites

    Footer

    AS FEATURED ON
    Piping pot curry Featured on sites

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Meeta
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Recipes

    • Instant Pot 101
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Indian Food Recipes
    • Cooking 101
    • Web Stories

    Resources

    • Shop
    • Gift Guide
    • How to start a blog?
    • Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Piping Pot Curry