Go Back
–+ servings
Vegan Mushroom Pulao served in a white plate with grey and brown side. Served with some raita. Some flowers seen in the background.

Easy Vegan Mushroom Pulao (Instant Pot Lunch Box Recipe)

Busy mornings are made easy with this quick Instant Pot lunch box a one-pot Easy Vegan Mushroom Pulao Loaded with fresh vegetables.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Rice Basmati or any long-grain rice
  • 2 cups mushrooms 7-8 small size
  • 1 cup vegetables mixed , celery, broccoli, carrot
  • 1 onion small chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced or chopped
  • ¼ inch ginger ½ tablespoon
  • 2-3 green chilies optional
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala optional
  • Salt to taste
  • Water for soaking rice.
  • 2 cups water to cook rice.
  • 1 tablespoon Oil One can use ghee too, if ghee used it is not vegan

Instructions

Prep work

  • Rinse and soak the rice.
    1 cup Rice
    Soaked Basmati Rice.
  • If you have time let it soak for at least 30 minutes or just soak it in the beginning until you do the remaining steps. This will at least soak it for a minimum of 5-10 mins. Instant is fine too.
  • Rinse the veggies.
    1 cup vegetables
  • Cut the celery and carrots into small bite-size pieces.
  • Chop the mushrooms lengthwise.
    2 cups mushrooms
  • Cut the broccoli into small florets.
  • Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chili.
    1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2-3 green chilies, ¼ inch ginger
  • All the chopping can be done in a mandoline slicer to save time.

Cooking in Instant Pot

  • Switch the Instant Pot to pressure cooker mode.
  • In the inner of your instant pot add oil/ghee.
    1 tablespoon Oil
  • Once hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and cloves.
    1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 3-4 cloves
    Tempering of Cumin seeds, clove and Bay Leaf in Instant Pot.
  • Add onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili.
    1 onion, ¼ inch ginger, ½ teaspoon garam masala, 2-3 green chilies
    Onion, garlic and ginger added to oil in Instant Pot.
  • Cook until the onion starts changing color.
    Salt to taste
  • Now add the celery, carrot, and broccoli.
    1 cup vegetables
    Vegetables added to oil in Instant pot.
  • Mix and cook it for a minute.
  • Now add rice, garam masala, water, mushrooms and salt.
    2 cups mushrooms, ½ teaspoon garam masala, Water for soaking rice., 2 cups water to cook rice., Salt to taste
    Pulao rice and vegetables mixed all together in Instant Pot.
  • Mushrooms and Garam Masala added to Instant Pot.
  • Mix everything and cancel the saute mode of Instant Pot.
    Vegetarian Pulao ready to be cooked in Instant pot.
  • Close the lid and switch on the instant pot on pressure cooker mode for 3 minutes.
  • Once done let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Release all the pressure.
  • Once the pressure has been released and the pin dropped open the lid and gently flip the rice with a fork.
  • Pack this in your hot food lunch box or serve with some yogurt or raita.

Cooking in Stove-top Pressure Cooker

  • Switch on the pressure cooker.
  • Add oil/ghee.
  • Once hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and cloves.
  • Add onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili.
  • Cook until the onion starts changing color.
  • Now add the celery, carrot, and broccoli.
  • Mix and cook it for a minute.
  • Now add rice, garam masala, water, mushrooms and salt.
  • Mix everything and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
  • Pressure cook it for 1-2 whistles maximum.
  • Once done let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Release all the pressure.
  • Once the pressure has been released and the pin dropped open the lid and gently flip the rice with a fork.
  • Pack this in your hot food lunch box or serve with some yogurt or raita.

Cooking in Open-Pot

  • Add oil/ghee in a heavy bottom pot.
  • Once hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and cloves.
  • Add onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili.
  • Cook until the onion starts changing color.
  • Now add the celery, carrot, and broccoli.
  • Mix and cook it for a minute.
  • Now add garam masala, water, mushrooms, and salt.
  • Mix everything cover with a lid and let the water come to a boil.
  • Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add rice.
  • Close the lid halfway if it does not have a vent to release steam, or else close it completely.
  • Let the pulao cook until the water has evaporated almost 75 percent.
  • Now reduce the heat to medium or slow and let it cook.
  • Once the water is almost evaporated, switch off and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, gently flip the rice with a fork.
  • Pack this in your hot food lunch box or serve with some yogurt or raita.

Notes

Standard US-size cups and spoons are used. 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon =15 ml, 1 cup =237 ml.
One can use ghee too, if ghee is used it is not vegan