Light, aromatic and super easy to put together, this Instant Pot peas pulao recipe is the perfect easy lunch or dinner idea. If you’ve been waiting to try your hands at a simple and flavorful Indian recipe, this is got to be the one!
Scroll down and read on to discover everything you need to know about making it.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need a very short, simple set of ingredients to make the Instant Pot peas pulao.
- Rice: 1 cup
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
- Star anise: 1
- Mace: ¼
- Onions (chopped): ¼ cup
- Peas: ½ cup
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Black pepper powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Water: 2 cups
How to Make the Instant Pot Peas Pulao
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to make the pulao.
Soak the rice in water for at least 15 minutes.
Turn on the Instant Pot and set to saute mode. Once it's heated, add in oil, mustard seeds,cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, star anise, and mace. Let them sizzle.
Add the onions next and saute for half a minute until they become translucent.
Add the peas next. Saute for 1 minute.
Add the powdered spices next and mix well.
The rice goes in next. Add the water and let it come to a boil.
Put on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual Pressure Cook mode for 15 minutes, making sure that the valve is in the sealing position.
Let the pressure release naturally before removing the lid.
Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Instant Pot peas pulao recipe is super simple, which means there’s a lot you can do to experiment with the flavors and ingredients. Got some veggies in the refrigerator, waiting to be put to use? Chop them up and add them into the mix along with the peas. Veggies like carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms are all great choices.
It is best to stick to using Basmati rice for this recipe. Basmati rice doesn’t just have the perfect, long grains that you’re looking for, but also lends the dish an incredible, delicate flavor.
If you can’t seem to get your hands on Basmati rice, opt for any other variety of long-grained rice, preferably aged rice.
If your rice and rice dishes end up turning super soft and mushy despite following the recipe and adding just the right amount of water, it could possibly be due to the kind of rice you’re using.
Try switching to a different variety of rice and see if that makes a difference. Another trick you could implement to get perfectly fluffy rice is to wash it thoroughly and get all the starch out. You can also par-boil the rice, drain off the water (which contains the starch) and then proceed onto cooking the rice again until it is completely done. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Instant Pot Peas Pulao
Making the Instant Pot peas pulao is super easy, but having these little tips, hacks and swaps up your sleeve can really help.
- Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can replicate the same recipe in your pressure cooker or in a regular pot over the stovetop too.
- Want your peas pulao to have a rich and slightly tangy flavor? Add 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt into the mix after you’ve added the spices.
- Fancy a little kick of spice to the pulao? Add some paprika or red pepper flakes. If you’re not too happy about the red color the pulao will get afterwards, you can chop up some green chillies and use them instead.
- Don’t have the whole spices that this recipe calls for? Use ¼ teaspoon of garam masala powder instead.
- To make this dish more filling and nutritious, you can also add some cubed potatoes or paneer into the pulao.
- Don’t forget to garnish the pulao with a generous sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
The Instant Pot peas pulao can easily make for a filling and nutritious meal all on its own, but if you really want to go the extra mile, you can pair it with any Indian curry of your choice like the Instant Pot chana lauki or a 5 minute paneer masala.
Don’t want to put in too much kitchen time? Serve the rice with a simple salad on the side, or some raita.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Peas Pulao
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 pc Star anise
- ¼ teaspoon Mace
- ¼ cup Onions , (chopped)
- ½ cup Peas
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Water
Instructions
- Soak the rice in water for atleast 15 minutes.
- Turn on the Instant Pot and set to Saute mode. Once it's heated, add in oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, star anise, and mace. Let them sizzle.
- Add the onions next and saute for half a minute until they become translucent.
- Add the peas next. Saute for 1minute.
- Add the powdered spices next and mix well.
- The rice goes in next. Add the water and let it come to a boil.
- Put on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual Pressure Cook mode for 15 minutes, making sure that the valve is in the sealing position.
- Let the pressure release naturally before removing the lid.
- Serve hot.
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