This Instant Pot vegetarian risotto is an Indian-inspired pressure cooker risotto recipe that’s a hearty and delicious one-pot meal. This recipe is suitable for vegans, too. The bright, warming flavors of coconut curry and the creaminess of risotto make this a family-pleasing recipe that’s healthy and easy enough for a weeknight!
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Traditionally, when risotto is made on the stovetop, you add liquid in small increments, stirring constantly. It’s a bit time-consuming and very hands-on. Instant Pot risotto is so much easier to make. No stirring, just set it and forget it!
Italian risotto is traditionally served as a first course but this Indian risotto makes a great main course especially when you add some protein. Indian spices, coconut milk, and chickpeas make this vegetarian recipe delicious and comforting but also filling!
Some people mistakenly believe that “curry” requires curry powder. In fact, different curries are made with different combinations of Indian spices, such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, etc., which this recipe uses.
This is one of the best Instant Pot risotto recipes that I make. I love how the arborio rice and coconut milk make the recipe so rich and creamy. If you don’t own an Instant Pot, making this coconut risotto so easily is a great reason to go out and get one right now!
➡ If you’re in the mood for another vegetarian recipe, try Turkish Green Beans, Instant Pot Aloo Gobi (cauliflower and potatoes), or Instant Pot Brown Rice with Vegetables. A couple of stews you might enjoy are Instant Pot Vegetarian Moroccan Stew, or Ethiopian Lentils stew.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You Need for Coconut Curry Risotto
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
🌶️ Spices: Use Kashmiri chili powder for color with mild heat. Substitute with a lesser quantity of cayenne. Or use 2-3 teaspoon curry powder to replace all spices. I recommend a fresh jar of curry powder.
🍚 Rice: This recipe is best with arborio. Other Italian medium-grain rice may work, but you would need to test it out.
🥘 Broth: Use a liquid measuring cup for the water/coconut milk. Use vegetable or chicken broth for extra flavor, and adjust salt.
🧈 Ghee: You can use ghee instead of vegetable oil to enhance flavor.
🍅 Tomatoes: Add a cup of diced tomatoes if you want a tangy flavor. Add them on top without stirring to prevent burn message.
🫘 Chickpeas: Use cooked chickpeas or black-eyed peas. If using canned beans, drain and rinse first.
🔥 Burn Message: Rice can be stirred in, but as a precaution against the food burn error, the recipe tells you to layer liquid and chickpeas first, add rice on top, and submerge without stirring.
How to Make Curried Risotto
⏲️ Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute onion, garlic, and ginger
- Saute spices and add liquids
- Add chickpeas and rice
- Pressure cook
- Natural release
- Stir and garnish with cilantro
- Turn on Saute mode. Once the inner pot has preheated, add oil or ghee to the inner pot and let it heat up. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute the onion mixture until the onions are golden brown. Add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the inner pot if needed.
- Press Cancel. The spice will cook in the residual heat. Stir in coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Don’t let the spices burn! Deglaze with a tablespoon or two of water if necessary.
- Stir in water and coconut milk. Stir in chickpeas. Add the arborio rice, but don’t stir.
- Just push down with a spatula so the rice is submerged. *
* We’re doing this out of an abundance of caution to avoid a burn message.
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 07:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a natural release of pressure. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
- Carefully stir the coconut milk risotto using a large spoon. Let the risotto rest (lid open) for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Coconut Curry Instant Pot Vegetarian Risotto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
- 1 ½ cups onions chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste!
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 ¼ cup chickpeas homemade or canned
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Press Saute and add oil or ghee to inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is hot, add onions, garlic and ginger. Stir until onion is golden brown. Press Cancel. The spices in the next step will cook in the residual heat.
- Add coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, salt and stir to coat, about 30 seconds. Make sure there's nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot – deglaze as needed.
- Stir in water, coconut milk and chickpeas.
- Add the arborio rice, and don't stir. Just ensure that the rice is submerged by pushing down with a spatula.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes.
- Do a natural pressure release. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the Instant Pot and carefully stir the curried risotto. Garnish with cilantro.
- Let the rice rest open for 5 to 7 minutes.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onion, minced garlic, etc.
- Use a liquid measuring cup to measure water and coconut milk.
- You may substitute 1 tablespoon of curry powder for the coriander, cumin, garam masala, chili powder, and turmeric.
- The arborio rice is layered on top without stirring in to help you avoid the Burn Message. However, I do stir the rice and other ingredients together with no sealing issues.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Purr McEwen says
I made the chickpea risotto last night and it was a big hit!! I served it as a side dish with a roast chicken and it was so filling it could have easily been the main event. I love risotto, but I hardly ever make it because it is so labor intensive – but this was soooo easy the Instapot does all the work and the natural release kept everything warm until it was time to serve it. It really was a big hit in both ease of preparation and taste! Thanks so much Neena for a wonderful recipe that will become a part of my weekly go to dishes
!!!
Neena Panicker says
Purr, thank you so much for posting a review. I’m so happy you enjoyed the vegetarian risotto recipe!
Sara Nelson says
I have not tried any of your recipes yet but I love your website! I just got an instant pot duo evo plus and the manual that comes with it is pretty bad, I think. I love how you spell everything out and have pictures! Those are going to be great for my husband! I look forward to trying your recipes!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m so glad to hear that Sara. I hope you enjoy my recipes and do let me know which one you try first!
Chrystel says
Made this last night, I was looking for something quick, had all ingredients on hands! Perfect for a cold raining Belgium evening ! Thank you and I couldn’t believe it but everyone loved it !!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Chrystel, thank you for taking the time to comment and I’m thrilled you loved the recipe!
Barbara Sugarman says
Excellent! So easy and so tasty, came out perfect. My whole family enjoyed this so much. Another dish we will have often. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you so much, Barbara, for taking the time to try the recipe and review it!
Lisa M. says
I tried this tonight. I was very pleased. Some curries are too spicy. Loved the flavor in this. Used canned chickpeas low sodium and lite unsweetened coconut milk. Perfect!
Lisa M says
Forgot to add 5 star!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you – that’s so kind of you!