Instant Pot Tomato Rice

5 from 15 votes

Instant pot tomato rice is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or any time you need a quick, nutritious, and tasty meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time12

Total Time17

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Allergen: Gluten free, Soy free

Difficulty: Easy

Servings:

Calories: 183kcal

Wash the basmati rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain the rice and set it aside. Peel, finely chop the onion, and set it aside.
Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. If you are using Roma tomatoes, there is no need to remove the seeds.
Press saute on the Instant Pot and add 3 teaspoons of Olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds. When the seeds start to sizzle, add the chopped onions and cook until they turn translucent.
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ cup chopped onions
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and all of the spices. Stir everything together and cook for a minute or two.
½ cup chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, salt to taste, ½ teaspoon cumin powder
Add the drained rice to the pot and stir everything together. Add water to cover the rice. Add the mint leaves. And mix well. (check above for step by step pictures with the method)
1 cup basmati rice, 1 ¼ cup water, 7-10 mint leaves
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and turn it to manual mode. Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
When the timer expires, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid of the Instant Pot and garnish with chopped cilantro as you fluff the rice with a fork.
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instant Pot Tomato Rice is ready! Serve it hot paired with a side of raita or any other side dish of your choice. Enjoy!

If you want to add some protein to this dish, you can stir in some cooked chickpeas, tofu, or beans.
If you prefer a spicy version, you can add more chili powder or green chilies to the dish.
This recipe is also great for meal prep. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat it when you're ready to eat.
Instead of adding tomato paste use ½ cup extra chopped tomatoes.
You can add ¼ cup of coconut milk for a tropical flavor. Besides that, it will also add creaminess to the dish.
Be sure to add 1 tablespoon of water along with tomato paste. This will prevent the tomato paste from settling at the bottom of the pot and prevents burning.
If you don't have garam masala, you can use curry powder instead.
You can also use canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Just be sure to drain them before adding them to the pot.
If you don't have mint leaves, you can use cilantro instead.
You could saute finely chopped bell peppers along with the onions to give the dish some more color and flavor.