Brinji Rice | Instant Pot Vegetable Brinji Rice
A flavorful rice recipe with exotic Indian spices and vegetables cooked in coconut milk. Here is the instant pot version of the famous veg brinji.
Servings: 4
Calories: 524kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Onion Medium sized
- 1 Carrot when chopped, I got ¾ cup
- 1 Potato
- 1 Tomato
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Green chilies
- 1 tsp Oil
- 2 tsp Ghee
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 tsp Fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 15 Mint leaves
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 1.5 cups Rice I used seeraga samba variety
- 1.5 cups Thick Coconut Milk
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Chopped cilantro
To roughly grind:
- 3 Cardamom
- Cloves - 3
- Cinnamon 1-inch stick
- ½ tsp Fennel seeds
Instructions
Prep - Work:
- Cut the onion and tomato and cut the carrot and potatoes into small cubes.
- If preparing fresh coconut milk, make it and set aside 1.5 cups of thick coconut milk. I used store bought one. Make sure you shake the can well before using and set aside 1.5 cups of coconut milk.
- Using hand mortar and pestle or using a mixer (in pulse mode) roughly grind the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and fennel seeds.
- Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes.
- Roughly the chop the mint leaves.
Instant Pot Method:
- Set the IP in saute mode. When it is hot, then add the oil and ghee. Followed by fennel seeds, bay leaf and star anise.
- Let it cook for 30 seconds and then add slit green chilies,ginger garlic paste, and onions. Cook until the onions turn translucent.
- At this stage, add the mint leaves and the roughly ground masala and mix well.
- Let it cook for a minute and then add the tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots.
- Add salt and let it cook for two minutes.
- Now add the water, coconut milk, and cilantro.
- Drain the water from the rice and then add it the IP.
- Mix all the ingredients and set the IP in manual mode and set it high pressure for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes let it sit in warm mode for 3 or 4 minutes and then quickly release the pressure.
- Carefully open the lid and let it cool for 5 minutes before mixing.
Pressure cooker Method:
- Heat a pressure pan or cooker and add the oil and ghee.
- When it hot, then add the fennel seeds, bay leaf and star anise.
- Let it cook for 30 seconds and then add slit green chilies ginger garlic paste, and onions. Cook until the onions turn translucent.
- At this stage, add the mint leaves and the roughly ground masala and mix well.
- Let it cook for a minute and then add the tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots.
- Add salt and let it cook for two minutes.
- Now add the water, coconut milk, and cilantro.
- Drain the water from the rice and then add it the pressure cooker.
- Mix all the ingredients and pressure cook for just one whistle. Let the pressure subside naturally and carefully open the lid.
- Allow it to cool again for 5 minutes, before mixing.
Notes
- Along with potatoes and carrots, you can use peas, beans, and cauliflower.
- Adjust the salt and spice as per your preference. Instead of water, you can use thin coconut milk. In that case, increase the green chili amount.
- I soak the rice only for 15 minutes and for seerga samba this timing worked out better. The cooking time in IP varies depending upon the rice variety and also based on the soaking time.
- If you want to skip the quick pressure release option, then cook the rice in the low-pressure mode for 3 to 5 minutes depending on the rice variety and let the pressure release naturally. Will post more about the low-pressure mode in the coming posts.
- Instead of seeraga sambar, you can use basmati or regular rice as well.
- I usually serve this with raita, and I pack the rice when it is at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2965IU | Vitamin C: 18.3mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5.9mg