Here’s an easy way to make Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao, a one-pot meal of ground beef and rice, with just enough exotic spices to perk up your taste buds.
Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao
Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao
Sometimes you just want something to use ground beef for something other than chili or meatloaf.
Hi, I’m Urvashi and I was so honored to be asked by Jill to create a recipe to be used on her blog.
Although I have a lot of different ground beef recipes, there’s just something about a family-friendly meal with ground beef and rice, maybe a few vegetables in it, that’s hard to beat for sheer comfort factor.
Using your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, this recipe for Kheema Pulao, is ready for your family to eat, in under 30 minutes.
What is Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao?
- But on to Kheema Pulao. What exactly do those words even mean?
- So Kheema in Hindi means any kind of ground meat. In India very few people eat beef, so this dish is traditionally made with ground mutton, but I’ve used beef here.
- You can use ground chicken, turkey, or whatever type of meat suits your fancy.
- The only thing you should watch for, is to use a lean ground meat, as this is a one pot dish where you don’t really have a chance to drain the meat.
- Pulao is a word used to describe a rice dish, often mixed with meat, grains or vegetables. Whether we’re talking Plov in Russian, Polow in Persian, Pilau, Pulao, Pilaf–all these endless variations just speak to how every culture has some delicious rice and something combination.
Keep in mind that Kheema Pulao is very different from Biryani.
If you’ve never tried making Biryani at home, the easiest but most authentic recipes you will find for Chicken Biryani or Lamb Dum Biryani in your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker are tried and tested, and ready for you to give them a whirl.
But in a biryani the meat is seasoned and sometimes cooked separately. In this easy Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao recipe, we’re going to cook it all at once.
What’s with all these Spices?
- Yes it’s quite the list of spices here but trust me, you won’t regret it.
- All of the flavor in this dish comes from the spices.
- But.
- I have a short cut for you.
- If you don’t want to buy all the individual spices, just buy a good quality ready-made garam masala and use that instead of the whole spices.
This is an easy short cut to substitute to using individual spices–although if you did, it would open up a world of cooking for you.
This Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao has written directions below to make this both ways–with whole spices or with a quality garam masala.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao
I hope you will enjoy this recipe. Check out my Indian Recipes for more delicious goodness.
One of my most popular Indian recipes is my Pressure Cooker Butter Chicken {Murgh Makhani} recipe.
My Pressure Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala with Butter Rice is very delicious too.
Use your leftover Whey from Jill’s Instant Pot Greek Yogurt recipe and cook up a batch of my Yogurt Whey Chapati / Roti recipe, to soak up all the delicious Sauce from my Butter Chicken recipe.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot Ultra 6 Quart
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Cumin Seeds
- Whole Cloves
- Peppercorns
- Whole Cinnamon Sticks
- Green Cardamon Pods
- Garam Masala
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao {Indian Meat & Rice}
Ingredients
For the Spices
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 5 whole Ground Cloves
- 5 whole Peppercorns
- 1 Cinnamon Sticks broken into pieces
- 5 whole Green Cardamom Pods
- OR
- 2-3 teaspoons Garam Masala
For the Pulao
- 2 teaspoons Ghee
- 1 Red Onion sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger Root peeled/minced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Garlic minced
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef (or other lean ground meat)
- 1.5 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1.5 cups Fresh Water
- 1.5 cups Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Green Peas
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to Sauté.
- Once it is hot, add in the ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add in the whole spices (if using) and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add in the minced ginger and garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn them.
- Add in the ground beef, and break up all the clumps. Don’t worry about fully cooking it at this stage. You’re just trying to break it up so it’s not one big piece of meat.
- Once its well-broken up add in the onion, rice, salt, and water, and mix well.
- If you had any browning and fond on the bottom of the pot, be sure to scrape it all up to get the last bit of flavor in your dish, and also so the Instant Pot seals.
- If you’re using ground garam masala, add that now. Mix everything well.
- Close your pressure cooker, and cook it on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
When Beep sounds, wait 10 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure. Open lid and stir in peas. - Serve with a raita, for an interesting twist, serve with a little tzatziki on the side.
Notes
Pin this Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao!
Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao
This was delicious! I tweaked it a little. Added mushrooms, celery and carrots. Also used stock instead of water and increased that to 2 & 1/4 cups as I increased the rice to 2 cups as well. Lots left over which I am happy about as it will be enough for another meal.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Liv. Jill
I’ve made this twice, now, I love it! I am wondering about substituting quinoa for the rice, has anyone tried that?
Quinoa is just a one minute cook time. Jill
Made this as directed with the whole spices tonight. OMG, so easy delicious! I tossed a couple handfuls of spinach in after it was done cooking just to boost the veg, then ate it with some yogurt and lemon juice. Definitely going into my rotation.
That sounds wonderful. Jill
Any way i can substitute caulifower rice for the basmati? I’m diabetic and rice makes my blood sugar soar.
Catherine, I would add the cauliflower rice after pressure is released and also, eliminate the extra water in the recipe. Jill
This is really good! We’ll definitely be making this again. I made the recipe as stated except for a few minor changes. I didn’t have a red onion so used Penzey’s minced onion instead. I used a little less than 1 tablespoon Penzey’s garam masala and about 1 teaspoon of Spice House’s Shwarma seasoning. I probably didn’t add as much salt as called for, just because I measured in the palm of my hand. I think the next time I’ll use beef broth instead of water just to give it that much more flavor! Excuse me while I go back for another bowl.
I was wondering the same thing. I guess this blogger doesn’t respond to questions.
My sweet baby boy was buried yesterday. Sorry for not responding immediately.
I am very sorry for your loss. 🙁
Thank you, Ahsan. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to write this comment to me. It’s been really tough. Chester is my heart and my love. Jill
Oh my! I’m so sorry. I feel like I’ve gotten to know you some through your blog. I’m very sorry.
Thank you for the printable recipe. Can’t wait to try this !
Can you use jasmine rice instead of basmati?
Absolutely, you can. Use whatever rice you prefer. Jill
This looks wonderful. It will be my first (and not the last, I’m sure, Indian Recipe.
Love auto-correct.
Garam Masala
Which spices does the Garamond Marsala substitute for?