Today we’re going to use the pressure cooker as a rice cooker. We’re going to make two recipes. First, a perfectly steamed brown rice and second, a super simple Basmati Confetti Rice. I’ll teach you the key to perfectly cooking any rice in your pressure cooker and how to add vegetables to any rice recipe without making a big mess.
Welcome to Pressure Cooking School!
Most electric pressure cookers have a rice program. The problem is, these programs are all over the map. For example, the Fagor pressure cooker’s program cooks for ten minutes at low pressure, the Breville five and the Instant Pot twelve. Could they all give you perfectly cooked rice? I don’t think so.
If you’re having problems perfectly cooking rice in your pressure cooker, or you don’t have a rice program. Let me show you the hip method.
Nice videos for cooking rice but what about washing rice first? As you know rice has the highest amount of arsenic in it from the ground. All rice should be washed well first. I would like to know how this effects the water ratio when pressure cooking rice.
If you look at the rice cooking chart (http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-times/#rice) there are cooking times and ratios for rinsed and soaked Basmati, Jasmine and Sushi rices. I have not personally tested other rices. Jill Nussinow, aka The Veggie Queen, specifically recommends NOT soaking brown rice. In her experience each brown rice variety has their cooking time slightly changed, so because of the inconsistent results she does not recommend it.
If I see that there is enough interest in doing this, I will do some experiments to see if I can come up with a rule of thumb. ; )
Ciao,
L
P.S. Jill also has her own sliding ratio for pressure cooking brown rice, which is detailed in her cookbooks. Per additional cup of brown rice she decreases the cooking liquid by a certain amount.
@Patty geary
a) As far as rinsed Jasmine and Basmati go, if you drain your rice well after rinsing it, the recommended ratios and times from the HIP PC Time Chart should remain quite accurate, thus should work fine with Laura’s excellent “Rice Basics – Pressure Cooking School” video.
b) You are absolutely correct about the arsenic threat. All rice should indeed be washed well prior to cooking, and should also be drained well prior to measuring recommended rice:liquid ratios.
@Laura Pazzaglia
Liquid compensation when cooking rice simultaneously with water engorged vegetables is a brilliant idea. Thank you, Laura!
I have found that ” well rinsed & drained” Basmati works perfectly with the IP Rice program as long as one uses the supplied “IP rice cup” (160 mL) to corresponding Line number inside the liner. Ex. 2 “IP rice cups” (320 mL) + liquid to line 2, 3 “IP rice cups” (480 mL) + liquid to line 3, etc.
However, I don’t think it would work if you cooked vegetables with your rice since the Rice program timing is apparently sensitive to weight.
An advantage of the IP Rice program is that you don’t have to worry whether your Basmati rice is wet or dry (aside from the health aspect). Unfortunately, the program doesn’t treat all rice equally. Just my two ¢ents.
I don’t know about the IP, but I know that my venerable rice cooker APPEARS to be cooking by weight as it takes longer the more you cook. What I think is happening is that the cooker is detecting the rise in temperature as all the water is absorbed.
Thanks for sharing your experience Adnreid. In fact, the little measuring cup and markings on the inner pot speak to the origins of Electic Pressure cookers – they are rice-cooker measurements and markings!!
Ciao,
L