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    Home » Diet » Vegetarian

    Instant Pot Couscous & Vegetables Medley (Pressure Cooker)

    August 25, 2022 . By Meeta Arora . 14 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    CousCous Pulao in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Couscous & Vegetables Medley made in Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.  You can also call this Vegan Couscous Pilaf.  Enjoy this quick and delicious couscous, as a side or salad.

    Couscous pulao instant pot pressure cooker

    I used Isreali Couscous from Trader Joe's in this recipe.  Isreali Couscous is also called pearl couscous or maftoul.  It is larger than traditional couscous, pasta-like pearls made from wheat flour.

    I got this from Trader Joe's store near my house.  It is also available on Amazon, however it is much more expensive there.  There are other brands from Amazon which are more reasonable.

    This is ready in less than 30 minutes in the pressure cooker.  As we are cooking in under pressure, I also reduced the amount of water added to cook it to 1:1 ratio.  You can also replace and use broth for cooking.  I used the whole packet which was about 1 ¾ cup.  It easily serves 3-4.

    How to make Instant Pot Isreali Couscous Pilaf?

    I followed the procedure similar to rice pulao, but reduced the spices used.  Start with heating the instant pot in sauté mode, and add the bay leaves and onions.  Saute for a couple of minutes and add veggies of your choice.  I added red bell peppers and grated carrots.  Add the couscous and water/broth.

    Couscous pulao instant pot pressure cooker

    Change the instant pot setting to Manual or Pressure Cook mode at high pressure.  Set it to just 2 minutes.  When the instant pot beeps, do 10 minutes NPR, which means release the pressure manually after 10 minutes of beeping.  If you are using another brand of couscous, I suggest to adjust the cooking time to one half of the recommend time on the package.

    Couscous pulao instant pot pressure cooker

    Vegetable Couscous is ready.  Garnish with cilantro or parsley, and enjoy it.

    Couscous pulao instant pot pressure cooker

    Check out other similar recipes from piping pot curry:

    • Quinoa with veggies
    • Bulgur or Dalia Pulao
    • Rice Pulao
    • Moong Dal Khichdi
    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Couscous pulao instant pot pressure cooker

    Instant Pot Couscous & Vegetable Medley

    Meeta Arora
    Israeli Couscous cooked with vegetables of choice in Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.  Enjoy it as a side or salad. 
    4.70 from 13 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 460
    Course: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Diet: Vegan
    Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 25 mins

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
    • ½ Onion large chopped
    • 1 Red Bell Pepper large chopped
    • 1 cup Carrot grated
    • 1 ¾ cup Couscous Isreali
    • 2 cup Water or broth
    • 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon Garam masala
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • Cilantro to garnish
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    Instructions
     

    • Heat the instant pot in sauté mode and add olive oil to it.
    • Add the bay leaves and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes.
    • Add the bell peppers and carrots. Sauté for one more minute.
    • Add the couscous, water, garam masala and salt. Stir well.
    • Change the instant pot setting to manual mode for 2 minutes.
    • When the instant pot beeps, do 10 minutes NPR. This means release the pressure manually 10 minutes after the beep.
    • Fluff the couscous, it is fully cooked. Mix in the lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

    Notes

    • Prepare with vegetables of your choice.  I used bell peppers, carrots and onions, which I had at home.  Other options are cauliflower, broccoli, edamame and green peas.  
    • If you like, you can add more spices, I wanted to keep the spices light so my daughter could eat it.  

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

    Nutrition

    Calories: 460kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSodium: 824mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 8370IUVitamin C: 56.4mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1.4mg
    Keyword instant pot, israeli, pressure cooker
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Flix says

      July 12, 2020 at 8:42 pm

      Thanks for sharing this . I personally love it

      Reply
    2. Shane McQuillan says

      January 01, 2019 at 4:33 pm

      Came out great in the end, but my insta post posted the "burn" warning. I tried to get it going again, and in the end I released steam, took a look (burnt slightly on bottom), and let it sit with lid back on for !0 mins.
      Seemed to do the trick. Thoughts on where I may have gone astray?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        January 04, 2019 at 10:07 am

        Hey Shane - Glad you enjoyed the couscous despite the hiccups with the burn message. The new instant pots are a bit more sensitive to burn message. Here are some possible changes I can suggest - 1) After sautéing the bell peppers and carrots in step 3, deglaze the pot by adding some water. 2) Add the water and spices, then add couscous on the top. Do not stir much. Just press with a ladle so all the couscous is submerged in water.
        I would love to hear if these changes help!

        Reply
      • Amanda says

        January 16, 2019 at 4:01 pm

        Mine burned too -
        I tried it twice and no matter what I did it burned so I had to put the couscous that wasn’t burnt in a silicone steam basket. I have not been able to get any grain to not burn and all my books and this recipe say I’m doing it right. I’m stumped.

        Reply
        • Meeta Arora says

          January 17, 2019 at 5:22 pm

          Hey Amanda - I am sorry to hear you are having trouble cooking any grains in your ip. I would suggest to deglaze well and add a little more liquid, in case that helps. I also suggested to first add water, add couscous on top and not stir it. The newer ip models are much more sensitive to burn which has been causing this issue. I hope you can overcome this issue.

        • Meeta Arora says

          January 18, 2019 at 11:53 am

          Hi Amanda and Shane - I just tried this couscous again with more liquid. For 1 3/4 cup of couscous, I added 2 cups water and it worked well. I hope you try again with more liquid and see if you still get the burn issue. Thank you!

    3. Sarah Walker says

      February 18, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      We love this recipe. So flavorful, and easy to make! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        February 19, 2018 at 10:43 am

        Thank you, Sarah. So happy to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Sanketa says

      October 06, 2017 at 9:41 pm

      Hey,
      You can also add Gujarati Recipes and Desserts in your blog.
      Because Gujarati Dishes so amazing.

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        October 07, 2017 at 6:58 am

        Absolutely, love Gujarati food. I will be adding more and more recipe. Thanks for the suggestion!

        Reply
    5. Namrata says

      July 14, 2017 at 5:17 pm

      I love quirky recipes. Thank you for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        July 14, 2017 at 8:33 pm

        Hope you enjoy it ????

        Reply
    6. Marion says

      July 01, 2017 at 10:42 pm

      This was quick, easy, and delicious!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        July 02, 2017 at 3:07 am

        Thanks Marion. Glad you liked it!

        Reply

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    Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

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