Looking for a quick and easy, flavor-packed rice dish? Curry Rice Instant Pot is the perfect meal for you!
This curry rice recipe can be prepared in minutes using an Instant pot pressure cooker.
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That’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner, lunch boxes, or even potlucks. Plus, it is a vegan-friendly instant pot recipe.
If you are looking for a delicious and easy rice dish, this recipe is for you!
If you like Instant pot vegetable pulao or vegetable rice, you will also enjoy this curry rice recipe.
One thing that differentiates this from the other two is that you do not need a side dish for this recipe.
It’s a standalone recipe that only requires a few essential ingredients.
Why this recipe works
The recipe is simple to make and only requires a few simple ingredients. Beginners can easily create this curried rice with white basmati rice and curry powder.
Making Curry Rice Instant Pot is the perfect way to enjoy a flavorful and convenient meal.
All you need to do is follow the easy steps: Add all the ingredients to your Instant pot, set it on high pressure, and wait for your delicious Curry Rice.
This dish can easily be made ahead of time, making it perfect for busy weekdays or when you need a quick and easy meal.
It’s easy to customize the dish with your favorite vegetables like peas, carrots, bell peppers, or potatoes.
It’s a great recipe to enjoy as a stand-alone dish or pair with other dishes such as air fryer tandoori tofu, vegan raita, or instant pot vegetable korma.
Ingredients note
- Basmati rice: Use high-quality basmati rice for the best results. Pro tip: Rice varieties require different cooking times. So be sure to adjust the cooking time if you use anything other than white basmati.
- Curry powder: Any Curry powder adds a delicious flavor to the Curry Rice Instant Pot. I used kitchen king masala powder. Feel free to use your favorite Curry powder or a blend of garam masala with curry powder. This is the main ingredient for this recipe, and you do not want to skip it.
- Vegetables: Choose your favorite vegetables to add nutrition to this Rice. Some popular options are green peas, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, and mushrooms.
- Vegan yogurt: I like to add yogurt because it moistens the rice and makes it easy to digest.
See the recipe card for a list of ingredients and quantities, plus recipe instructions. You can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Rinse the basmati rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice until you use it in the recipe.
Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the inner pot and set to Saute mode.
As the oil heats up, add chopped onions and fry for 1-2 minutes or until it's lightly golden.
Add chopped tomatoes and frozen peas and saute for a minute.
Add plant-based yogurt, spices, and salt, and mix well.
Add rinsed and drained basmati rice, water, and Kasuri methi and stir well.
Press cancel and close the lid, and press pressure cooking mode.
Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Use the natural pressure release option to let it cook.
Open the lid after the pressure is released completely.
Instant pot curry rice is ready!
Enjoy it as is, or pair it with vegan raita or potato kurma!
You can garnish it with fried cashews or air-fried tofu for extra flavor and protein.
Tips
- Soak the basmati rice for 10 minutes before cooking it in an Instant Pot.
- Instead of plant-based yogurt, you can use coconut milk.
- It is important to get an even mix after adding soaked rice to ensure that the spices do not reside at the pot's bottom.
- Adding turmeric powder and fresh ginger to saute onions would significantly enhance the flavor.
- Replace the kitchen king masala with your favorite curry powder.
- The addition of air-fried tofu is optional. That's why I did not include the steps for that.
- You can always add red chili powder for extra spiciness.
- You could prepare this recipe over a stovetop. Be sure to simmer the rice over low heat as it cooks to ensure a rich flavorful dish.
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📖 Recipe
Curry Rice Instant Pot
Equipment
Process Shot
Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)
Ingredients
- 1½ cup basmati rice
- 1 onion - chopped
- 1 tomato - chopped
- 1½ teaspoon kitchen king masala powder - or use curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon ginger - grated
- 2 tablespoon vegan yogurt - or coconut milk
- ½ cup green peas - frozen
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- salt - to taste
- 1½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi - Fenugreek leaves
Instructions
- Rinse the basmati rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice until you use it in the recipe.1½ cup basmati rice
- Add oil to the inner pot and set to Saute mode.2 teaspoon olive oil
- As the oil heats up, add chopped onions and fry for 1-2 minutes or until it's lightly golden.1 onion
- Add chopped tomatoes and frozen peas and saute for a minute.1 tomato, ½ cup green peas
- Add plant-based yogurt, spices, and salt, and mix well.1½ teaspoon kitchen king masala powder, ¼ teaspoon ginger, 2 tablespoon vegan yogurt, salt
- Add rinsed and drained basmati rice, water, and Kasuri methi and stir well.1½ cup water, 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- Press cancel and close the lid, and press pressure cooking mode.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Use the natural pressure release option to let it cook.
- Open the lid after the pressure is released completely.
- Instant pot curry rice is ready!
- Enjoy it as is, or pair it with vegan raita, or potato kurma!
- You can garnish it with fried cashews or air-fried tofu for extra flavor and protein.
Notes
- Soak the basmati rice for 10 minutes before cooking it in an Instant Pot.
- Instead of plant-based yogurt, you can use coconut milk.
- It is important to get an even mix after adding soaked rice to ensure that the spices do not reside at the pot's bottom.
- Adding turmeric powder and fresh ginger to saute onions would significantly enhance the flavor.
- Replace the kitchen king masala with your favorite curry powder.
- The addition of air-fried tofu is optional. That's why I did not include the steps for that.
- You can always add red chili powder for extra spiciness.
- You could prepare this recipe over a stovetop. Be sure to simmer the rice over low heat as it cooks to ensure a rich flavorful dish.
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Ken
I loved the flavors embued in this recipe. The tomato add that extra zing along with the combined spices. I didn't have fenugreek leaves yet so I substituted with fenugreek seeds, it still tasted great.