25+ Popular Instant Pot Indian Food Recipes
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Ditch the takeout menu and learn how to make popular Indian recipes at home using your Instant Pot pressure cooker. This post shares a collection of 25+ easy-to-make Instant Pot Indian food recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights as well as for when you are hankering for restaurant-style Indian food.
Instant Pot, with its saute and pressure cooking function, makes cooking Indian food easy, fast, and with perfect results every time. The biryanis turn out flavorful with rice grains fluffy and distinct, the legume curries have the perfect melt-in-the-mouth texture, and the meats come out tender, juicy and flavorful.
If you are looking for recipes to make in this electric pressure cooker, this list of 30+ authentic and popular Indian Instant Pot recipes is for you. It is a delightful collection of your favorite Indian vegetarian recipes, and restaurant-style Indian meals, along with some easy everyday meals that are perfect for weeknights.
Rice recipes
Basmati rice
If you use rice cookers or stovetop pressure cookers, I would still urge you to try making rice in the Instant Pot. It takes less time than a rice cooker, is hands-free, and yields fluffy white rice with the perfect texture every time.
Sona masoori rice
Sona masoori rice is widely used and very popular in South Indian cuisine. Most famously, it is an integral ingredient used during the Pongal festival (check out this Instant Pot ven pongal recipe).
It goes really well with curries and dals or to make fragrant coconut rice.
Jeera rice (cumin rice)
After a long day at work, our hungry stomach often demands a satisfying meal that doesn’t take hours to make. That’s when a good recipe for jeera rice will come in handy. Pair it with dal and a side dish to make an elegant yet effortless dinner.
Yellow turmeric rice
Homemade Indian Yellow Turmeric Rice has never been easier than this 20-minute Instant Pot recipe. Made with anti-inflammatory turmeric, this fragrant rice recipe makes the perfect side to curries, seafood, chicken, and more!
Vegetable biryani
Vegetable biryani requires very little hands-on time and is perfect for busy weeknights when you are juggling a million things. Make sure to chop the ingredients the previous day, and you’ll have this delicious-tasting veg biryani in no time. Pair this easy Instant Pot recipe with raita for a complete meal.
Egg biryani
Fragrant Basmati rice and masala eggs come together in this delightful egg biryani recipe. Learn how to make this flavorful biryani in a pressure cooker in about 40 minutes.
Chicken biryani
Layers of seasoned rice, tender marinated chicken, and homemade biryani masala come together for an authentic and filling dinner in this Instant Pot chicken biryani recipe.
Made in one pot, this Hyderabadi chicken biryani is an aromatic and savory rice dish perfect for any night of the week.
Shrimp biryani
This shrimp dish is perfect for when you want to charm your family of biryani lovers. This is one recipe that I have made over 100+ times because my family can’t get enough of it.
What we love about this dish is that it is spicy (can be made mild), flavorful, and fragrant.
Curries and dal recipes
Dal makhani
If you have never had dal makhani before, think of it as a creamy, lightly-spiced curry made from whole urad dal and red kidney beans (rajma). You could easily overpower the dish with spices but don’t just a hint of garam masala is enough. The stars of this dish are the lentils – let them shine.
Tadka dal
This tadka dal is easy to make, needs only a few simple ingredients, and makes for a nutritious accompaniment to roti or rice.
Dal fry
This recipe for dal fry comes from my mom’s kitchen and is fabulous if you ask me. I know I am biased, but I would love for you to try it and share your opinion.
Chana masala (Indian chickpea curry)
Chana masala, widely known as Punjabi Choley, is a flavorful, high-protein dish that appeals to both meat lovers as well as vegans and is perfect for a crowd. Pressure-cooked choley is added to an onion-tomato-based sauce that has been seasoned with aromatic spices. It is then cooked some more till all the flavors have melded in. The end result is pure deliciousness!
Rajma masala
Use your pressure cooker or Instant Pot to make this quick & delicious Dhaba-style Punjabi rajma masala. While you can serve it with rotis, the combination of rajma and chawal (rice) is what makes this dish truly special.
Egg curry
Love eggs? Try this easy North Indian-style egg curry recipe. It is perfect for when you want a quick meal.
Indian Chicken curry
This simple and easy Indian curry chicken recipe is one more reason you’ll love cooking in your electric pressure cooker.
Instant Pot chicken tikka masala
Grilled chicken pieces (tikkas) which are crisp on the outside and succulent on the side, are added to a creamy onion-tomato-based gravy to make this finger-licking Indian chicken dish. Most Indian chicken curries are on the spicier side, but you can make this one as mild as you want without impacting the taste. That’s what makes it such a popular dish worldwide.
Instant Pot butter chicken
Butter chicken or Chicken makhani is one of the most popular North Indian dishes in which chicken is cooked in a buttery, creamy tomato-based sauce with a medley of whole spices. Learn how to use your Instant Pot to cook this dish in under 30 minutes.
Side dish recipes
Aloo gobhi
Aloo Gobi is the quintessential Indian way of cooking potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi). Get the easy recipe to make it in the Instant Pot.
Aloo matar
Instant Pot aloo matar – this simple peas and potato curry recipe are perfect for days when you want a fuss-free meal that is easy to make and delicious. Pair it with roti or rice to make it a complete meal.
Palak paneer
If you have never had palak paneer (saag paneer) before, think of it as a mildly-spicy, creamy curry made from spinach and cottage cheese. The silky texture makes it a popular dish to dunk your naans in.
Punjabi dum aloo
Dum Aloo is traditionally made by deep-frying whole potatoes and then slow-cooking them in an onion-tomato-based gravy. It is a popular north Indian dish and is commonly found in most Indian restaurants. This recipe calls for shallow frying potatoes and is a healthier take on the classic dum aloo recipe.
Tandoori chicken
Making Tandoori chicken at home just got easier with this Instant Pot recipe. Learn how to replicate the restaurant-style flavor without a tandoor.
Plain, butter, and garlic naan
You can make naan bread at home without a tandoor! This easy-to-follow post will teach you how to make pillowy soft plain, butter, or garlic Indian naan bread at home using your stovetop
Dessert recipes
Gajar halwa
Gajar halwa, or carrot pudding, is a delectable dessert made from grated carrots, milk, and sugar. Learn this (almost) hands-free approach to making one of India’s most beloved desserts using an Instant Pot.
Rice kheer
Making Rice Kheer just got a whole lot quicker with this easy Instant Pot Kheer recipe. This Indian rice pudding comes out creamy and flavorful without spending hours in the kitchen. This rice recipe is very similar to the popular arroz con leche recipe with just subtle differences.
Sev payasam (vermicelli kheer)
Semiyan payasam or vermicelli kheer makes use of sev or vermicelli, that’s made of wheat semolina. Most commonly served during festivals or as offerings to God in temples. I am not sure what’s the best aspect of this dish – its mind-blowing taste or the ease at which you can make it.
Seviyan kheer or Semiyan payasam is a creamy and delicious dessert that you can put together in a cinch. That is why it is perfect for potlucks. Make it in an Instant Pot or a slow cooker and all you need is less than 5-minutes of prep time.
Moong dal halwa
Moong dal ka halwa is a famous (and addictive) North Indian dessert that many people enjoy during the winter months. It is very time-consuming to make over the stovetop; that’s why you’ll love this almost hands-free Instant Pot recipe.
Fruit custard
This fruit custard recipe also goes by the name of fruit salad in India. In this recipe, fruits are added to a thick and sweetened custard sauce.
Making the custard sauce in the Instant Pot is such a game changer since it does not require much monitoring like you would if you made it over the stovetop. Try this recipe today!
Other easy Instant Pot recipes to try
- 30+ Instant Pot vegetarian recipes – Looking for vegetarian recipes to make in your Instant Pot? Then this collection of fast and easy Indian curries, biryanis & side dishes is perfect for you!
- 20+ Instant Pot dessert recipes – Save this list of 20+ drool-worthy Instant Pot dessert recipes – they’ll come in handy when you are in the mood for a quick and easy dessert.
- 30+ Instant Pot rice recipes – From Indian Instant Pot recipes like chicken biryani to global recipes such as Mexican rice, you’ll find a variety of options to choose from in this collection of recipes.
- 30+ Popular Instant Pot curry recipes – Cooking Indian curries just got easier! Grab your Instant Pot and pick a recipe to make from this collection of Instant Pot curry recipes that include 30+ delicious vegetarian, chicken, lamb, and seafood curries to choose from.
