Instant Pot Carrots {and Peas}

Love perfectly cooked instant pot carrots and peas? Here I have a lightly curry-spiced, nicely cooked sweet instant pot carrots with peas for your holiday menu. This vegan side dish can be a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu. Plus, it takes just 15-minutes to cook these curried carrots and peas in the instant pot.

This carrots and peas medley or sabzi is a famous north Indian dish often made during winter when root vegetables and fresh peas are available in the bounty. Traditionally, this dish is made with spluttering cumin seeds in oil, adding green chilies and spices, and then cooking the thinly diced carrots with peas in the spice mixture slowly till the veggies are tender. My Instant pot carrots and peas dish is partially inspired by the Indian gajar-matar sabzi.

Why Should You Eat Carrots?

Carrots are super-healthy root vegetables. Although these are not keto, but these root vegetables are healthier vegetables than starchy root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Plus, these are sweet. Carrots are rich in plant pigments carotene, anti-oxidants, and vitamins. And, a single serving of steamed carrots is just about 41 calories. Read more here. Plant-based and healthy dieters will always love adding some carrots to their diet. Carrots are also low-glycemic vegetables with about 10% carbs, consisting of starch, fiber and simple sugars.

Why Should You Cook Carrots in The Instant Pot?

As always, instant pot cooking means no babysitting. You can dump everything; steam or pressure cook and do other work while the IP cooks your vegetables. Now this saves a lot of my time. I have started using my instant pot a lot in cooking. I cook this instant pot carrots and peas dish in two ways. Either you can pressure cook it for 2 minute or cook it in the steam setting for 3 minutes. Both methods yield some fork tender carrots that are perfectly spiced and seasoned. I always prefer to mix the seasoning and then steam cook or pressure cook. If you want, you can season after steaming. It’s going be a very similar result.

How to Make Instant Pot Carrots and Peas?

Ingredients – 1 lb bag baby carrots(washed and drained), 1 ½ cup frozen green peas, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoon of spice mix(1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder and ½ teaspoon chili powder), 2 teaspoon oil(divided)

Method:

• The best way to cook carrots in the instant pot is by using a Pot in Pot or a Steamer Basket. In that way, you won’t overcook your carrots.
• Add a cup of water in the instant pot, and place the trivet.
• Now take an instant pot inner pot or a steam basket. In a large bowl, mix carrots and peas with half of the seasoning, salt and 1 teaspoon of oil. Give a good mix.
• Place carrots in the steamer basket and set the instant pot in the pressure cooking mode for 2 minutes or steam cook for 3 minutes.
• Once the cooking time is done, quick release pressure and take out the steamer basket. Empty the inner pot and set into the sauté mode.
• Now add the remaining oil to the inner pot and allow it to heat well. Now add rest of the spices, steamed carrots and peas and mix gently.  
• Allow the carrots and peas to roast a little from each side and then switch off the instant pot.
• Garnish the instant pot carrots and peas with cilantro, lime juice and serve.
• For a non-spicier version, steam carrots and peas without any spices and salt. Once pressure cooked, sauté them with a tablespoon of butter and fresh rosemary. Serve hot. 

Tips for making the best instant pot carrots and peas:

Always cut the carrots into equal-sized pieces. If taking baby carrots, take those tiny ones out. These thin carrots cook faster and become mushy while roasting after steam-cooking. If using whole carrots, cut them into 2-inch chunks. Make sure not to cut carrots very thin or they will fall apart while cooking. If you don’t want to sauté the carrots, just add seasoned olive oil or salted butter while serving.  This recipe yields fork tender carrots with a soft bite.

Steaming carrots on the instant pot trivet:

You can absolutely use the instant pot trivet to steam the carrots. However, this method may not be a great option for baby carrots. If choosing this method, place whole peeled carrots on the trivet and steam cook for 3-minutes.

Flavoring your Instant pot Carrots and Peas:

• Garlic, sage and butter
• Butter, maple syrup and brown sugar
• Cinnamon and butter
• Ghee and garam masala with lime juice

📖 Recipe

Want another instant pot savory carrot recipe? Here is one:

Instant pot Carrots and Potatoes