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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot Rice

    Sona Masoori Rice Instant Pot

    Published: October 25, 2021 · Modified: October 25, 2021 by Uma Raghupathi · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe
    A bowl of sona masoori rice is on the table.

    Talk about a rice type that brings the best of long grain rice but is not as dry as basmati rice. That's Sona Masoori rice and that's what you need for dishes that need a good texture to complement curries and sambar.

    A copper pot is with cooked sona masoori rice on the table. this recipe

    If you like sona masoori rice, then I will teach you the right way to cook this rice with the Instant Pot. A few tips, a couple of variations you can try... it's all here!

    Grown in the southern regions of India, Sona Masoori is an integral part of South Indian cuisine. It's an aromatic, lightweight, medium-grained rice known as the “Pearls of South India,”.

    With its delicate flavor and texture, it is the perfect choice for dishes like Kara Pongal, lemon rice, steamed rice, or as a compliment to South Indian Curries like tomato rasam, beans sambar, beans palya, aviyal recipe.

    Sona masoori rice is very widely and easily available, even here in the US. I usually buy it from local Indian groceries, but it's now available in most Costco stores too.

    Jump to:
    • Key to cook rice
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • You might also like
    • 📖 Recipe

    Key to cook rice

    Instant Pot time setting: Before you start cooking rice with Instant Pot, note that the preset timer button works only for certain rice types like white or parboiled rice. You would have to use the manual setting for Sona Masoori rice to get the best results with a tender yet well-defined rice texture.

    After a few attempts with the preset timer, I decided to always use the manual setting for pressure cooking rice, and I recommend you do too, for this rice.

    Water ratio: Instant Pot recommends water to rice ratio of 1:1 for all kinds of rice and that is good if you are preparing an al dente kind of texture. For this rice, I recommend you go with a 2.5:1 water to rice ratio for a soft and fluffy texture that will still hold form and not become mushy.

    Instructions

    There are 2 main ways to cook rice in the Instant Pot. You can cook it directly in the main steel pot of the Instant Pot or use the pot-in-pot method of cooking rice.

    Cooking directly in the inner pot:

    Wash the raw rice till the water runs clear and then drain the excess water.

    An instant pot is with rinsed rice.

    Add the washed and drained rice to the inner steel pot of the Instant Pot

    An Instant pot is with sona masoori rice and water.

    Add 2 ½ cups of water for cooking the rice.

    Close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.

    An instant pot displaying cooking time.

    Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. And when the pressure cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally.

    When the float valve comes down on its own, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. And rice is ready to enjoy.

    Pot-in-Pot Method

    Pour 1-2 cups of water in the main inner pot of the Instant Pot, and then place the steel trivet in the main pot.

    A pot with rice is placed inside the instant pot

    In a small steel pot (that will fit inside the Instant Pot), take 1 cup of rinsed and drained rice.

    Add 2 ½ cups of water for cooking the rice, and place this steel bowl on the trivet inside the Instant Pot.

    Then close the Instant Pot lid, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.

    Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. And when the pressure cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally.

    A small pot is with cooked Sona masoori rice.

    Open the lid after the float valve comes down. Enjoy the rice with curries.

    Variations

    Stovetop: Take 1 cup of Sona Masoori Rice and gently rinse twice. Soak the rice for 15 minutes, drain excess water and cook with 2 ½ cups of water. Stir gently and cover with lid. Cook the rice on a medium flame for 15 minutes or until all the water has been fully absorbed. Remove from heat and serve.

    Microwave: Place the rinsed and drained 1 cup rice in a microwave-safe bowl and pour 2 ½ cup water and cover it. Cook on high for 10 minutes, remove the cover and stir. Cover and microwave on defrost for an additional 10 minutes. If rice is too hard or too soft in your first attempt, adjust the water ratio accordingly.

    Storage

    You could store the leftover rice for up to a week in the refrigerator. Place the rice in a glass container for freshness and avoid dryness.

    Top tip

    • If you are cooking only a little quantity of rice, it’s best to cook the rice using pot in pot method. This way the main inner pot of the Instant Pot still stays clean, and you can use it to make something else.
    • Add a few drops of oil to avoid mushy rice.
    • If you are preparing this rice to serve with rasam, I suggest you to add another ½ cup of water as curries like rasam need to absorb the rice.
    A pot is with sona masoori rice on the flat surface.

    You might also like

    • Instant Pot Tomato Rice
    • Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup
    • Dal Tadka Instant Pot
    • Easy Instant Pot Coconut Rice

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    And let me know what you loved about it in the comments.

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    📖 Recipe

    A small pot is filled with Sona masoori rice and placed on the white table.

    Sona Masoori Rice Instant Pot

    Uma Raghupathi
    Sona Masoori Rice is medium-grain rice mainly grown in India. Sona masoori rice has low starch content and is unpolished rice. It's useful for diets and healthy eating.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time:2 mins
    Cook Time:15 mins
    Total Time:17 mins
    Course :Main Course
    Cuisine :Indian
    Diet :Vegan, Vegetarian
    Allergen :Dairy free, Gluten free
    Difficulty :Easy
    Servings 4
    Calories 41 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup Sona Masoori Rice
    • 2½ cup water
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Cooking directly in the inner pot:

    • Wash the raw sona masoori rice till the water runs clear and then drain the excess water.
      1 cup Sona Masoori Rice
    • Add the washed and drained rice to the inner steel pot of the Instant Pot
    • Add 2 ½ cups of water for cooking the rice.
    • Close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.
    • Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. And when the pressure cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally.
    • When the float valve comes down on its own, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. And sona masoori rice is ready to enjoy.

    Pot-in-Pot Method

    • Pour 1-2 cups of water in the main inner pot of the Instant Pot, and then place the steel trivet in the main pot.
    • In a small steel pot (that will fit inside the Instant Pot), take 1 cup of rinsed and drained sona masoori rice.
    • Add 2 ½ cups of water for cooking the rice, and place this steel bowl on the trivet inside the Instant Pot.
    • Then close the Instant Pot lid, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.
    • Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. And when the pressure cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally.
    • Open the lid after the float valve comes down. Enjoy the rice with curries.

    Notes

    • If you are cooking only a little quantity of rice, it’s best to cook the rice using the pot in pot method. This way the main inner pot of the Instant Pot still stays clean, and you can use it to make something else.
    • Add a few drops of oil to avoid mushy rice.
    • If you are preparing this rice to serve with rasam, I suggest you add another ½ cup of water as curries like rasam need to absorb the rice.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @simplesumptuouscooking or tag #simplesumptuouscooking!
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