Instant Pot turmeric rice is vibrant and aromatic with only a few minutes of active cooking time. Perfect served with your favorite plant-based protein!
Table of Contents
Golden Instant Pot turmeric rice is infused with Indian-inspired flavors from toasted cumin seeds and fennel seeds and lots of aromatics!
In addition to working on my own recipes, I work as a video editor for a vegan Indian food blogger. I spend about half of my week on her videos, which are often heavy on Indian flavors.
I've been working with her for years, and deep diving into her recipes has gotten me to try Indian cooking techniques, like roasting whole spices for deep flavors, in my own kitchen.
This Instant Pot turmeric rice isn't an authentic Indian dish, but it is packed with incredible flavors. It's something that I make for my own family often, and even my kid loves it!
If you love using your Instant Pot, also check out my recipe for super easy Instant Pot sushi rice! Perfect for making sushi bowls or sushi rolls.
💖 Why Make Turmeric Rice in the Instant Pot?
- removes the guesswork from cooking rice. Lock the lid, set the cooking time, and walk away.
- saves time. You don't have to check in on the rice once it's cooking with the lid on, so you can do other things until dinner is ready.
- perfect texture, every time. The Instant Pot is consistent, so you don't have to worry about under- or overcooked rice.
🍚 Ingredients and Substitutions
- whole spices - Cumin seeds and fennel seeds are the first layer of flavor in this dish.
- aromatics - Ginger, garlic, and onion are the next flavor layers in this rice.
- ground spices - Turmeric gives this rice its amazing, golden color, and we are using Kashmiri chili powder for a deep umami flavor. If you don't have Kashmiri chili powder, you can use paprika instead, but the flavor will be a bit different.
- rice - Be sure to soak your rice for about 5 minutes, then rinse it in a fine mesh strainer. This extra step helps ensure the perfect texture.
- frozen spinach and frozen peas - This is to add some green! You can use fresh spinach and wilt it in at the end. There will be enough ambient heat in the Instant Pot to cook it down. Or omit the spinach, if you don't want greens in your rice. Sweet green peas add a nice texture and even more flavor. You can omit them or use frozen corn, if you prefer.
🔪 How to Make Instant Pot Turmeric Rice
Heat the oil on sauté mode, and when it's hot, add the fennel and cumin seeds. Toast the seeds until they become fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
Then, add the soy sauce, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, and remaining salt.
Cook for just 30 seconds or so, then press cancel on your Instant Pot. If you're using minced ginger and garlic, cook for an additional minute or two before pressing cancel, just until the garlic smells cooked.
Add the water and rice and stir well. Then, add the spinach and peas on top of the rice mixture, but don't stir them in.
Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Fluff and serve this aromatic rice with your favorite plant based protein! It's delicious with some chili crisp on top, too.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Don't skip soaking and rinsing the rice! Getting that excess starch off gives you such an amazing texture.
- Do not stir the frozen vegetables into the rice! This can cause a burn warning, especially in newer Instant Pots that cook hotter. Leave them sitting on top of the rice.
🫙 Storage Directions
Leftover turmeric rice will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a tablespoon or so of water, to help it rehydrate. Rice tends to dry out as it sits in the fridge.
🍛What to Serve with Turmeric Rice
Instant Pot turmeric rice has a mild yet aromatic flavor. It pairs well with a simple, plant-based options like:
- baked tofu skewers
- roasted vegetables
- salt and pepper tofu
- curried lentil soup
- crispy tofu
- store-bought vegan proteins, like vegan steak tips or plant-based chicken
🍴 More Easy Rice Dishes
📖 Recipe
💛 Instant Pot Turmeric Rice
Equipment
- Instant Pot - or other electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- 1 cup white rice soaked for a few minutes, then drained and rinsed
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Heat the oil on sauté mode, and when it's hot, add the fennel and cumin seeds. Toast the seeds until they become fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the onion turns translucent, then add the soy sauce, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, and remaining salt. Cook for just 30 seconds or so, then press cancel on your Instant Pot. If you're using minced ginger and garlic, cook for an additional minute or two before pressing cancel, just until the garlic smells cooked.
- Add the water and rice and stir well. Then, add the spinach and peas on top of the rice mixture, but don't stir them in. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Fluff and serve this aromatic rice with your favorite plant based protein!
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!