Beetroot Pulao made in the Instant Pot! Easy, vegan & gluten-free meal which is perfect for those busy days. It's also a great way to sneak in some beets into your diet!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Recipes
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil (15 ml, use oil of choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon raw peanuts
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • 1 small onion (60 grams, chopped)
  • 1 green chili (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 medium beetroot (265 grams, diced, around 1.25 cups diced beetroot)
  • 1/4 cup green peas (I used frozen)
  • 1 cup basmati rice (200 grams)
  • 1.5 cups water (12 oz)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut powder
  • garam masala (to sprinkle)

Method

  1. Wash and rinse the rice 4 to 5 times until the water turns clear. Set aside.
  2. Press the saute button. Once it displays hot, add oil to the pot and then add the cumin seeds.
  3. Add bay leaf, cloves and cardamom and saute for few seconds until fragrant. Add the peanuts and cook for a minute until the peanuts start changing color.
  4. Add curry leaves and then add the chopped onion and green chili. Cook the onion for 2 minutes until softened. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute.
  5. Add the diced beetroot and green peas. Toss them together for few seconds.
  6. Then add the rinsed rice to the pot and mix. Also add the chopped cilantro.
  7. Add water, salt and close the pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position.
  8. Let the pressure release naturally for 2 minutes and then do a quick release. Open the pot, fluff the pulao with a fork. Add desiccated coconut powder and mix. Sprinkle garam masala on top.
  9. Serve this Instant Pot Beetroot Pulao with a side of raita.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.