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    Home » Recipes » Kidney Bean Recipes

    Easy rice and beans (Instant pot & Stovetop recipe)

    Modified: Jun 3, 2025 Published: Dec 17, 2019 by Sravanthi Chanda. 10 Comments

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    4.80 from 5 votes
    Detailed Steps Jump to Recipe

    Simple rice and beans is comfort food. Make this easy rice and kidney beans recipe today and serve it for your lunch and dinner. This vegan and gluten-free dish is very versatile, and you can serve it as pilaf, taco, burrito.

    beans and rice in a bowl

    Ingredients

    Kidney beans: I used homecooked kidney beans. Canned red kidney beans or other beans like black beans and pinto beans also work in this recipe. You can even use chickpeas, black-eyed peas to make this beans and rice recipe. If you want to cook dried kidney beans at home, I have a detailed post on how to cook kidney beans, have a look at it. 

    Basmati rice: This recipe uses basmati rice. Though we can use any rice, this recipe will not work for other rice types like brown rice as the water to rice ratio will differ for different rice.

    Veggies: Veggies are optional, but I usually add them to make this rice beans a complete meal. You can skip these and serve the rice along with some veggies salad.

    Spices: I used whole spices - cinnamon, mace, cardamom, cloves to make the dish mildly spiced. Instead of whole spices, we can use garam masala powder or curry powder also in this recipe.

    Instant Pot Instructions

    • Rinse the basmati rice a couple of times.
    • Soak the basmati rice for 20 to 30 minutes. Start the recipe by soaking rice, and by the time you add rice to the dish, it will soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
    • Chop the veggies and keep them aside.
    • Start the Instant pot in saute mode.
    • Add oil to the inner pot and then add whole spices & chopped ginger to hot oil.
    • Then goes sliced onions and let them fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Onions will taste good when they brown a little bit.
    • Now add chopped veggies of your choice and stir it once.
    • Add cooked red beans and spice powders to the veggies mixture and mix them well.
    • If using canned beans, make sure to drain them very well. Else rice will turn sticky.
    • Drain the water from the soaked basmati rice and add it to the instant pot. If you are not soaking rice, rinse the rice and add it.
    • Add water to the instant pot and give it a good stir. You can check salt and adjust it at this step.
    • Stop the instant pot saute mode and close it with its lid. Seal the valve.
    • Start the instant pot on manual or pressure cook mode and cook it for 5 minutes on high pressure.
    • Once the Instant pot finishes cooking, wait for 10 minutes and manually release the pressure. 
    • Open the instant pot and take the inner pot out. This will prevent the cooking of rice further.
    • Add chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fluff the rice and beans. Cover and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
    • Easy Instant pot rice and beans is ready to serve!

    Stovetop Instructions

    • Rinse the basmati rice a couple of times and soak the basmati rice for 20 to 30 minutes. Start the recipe by soaking rice, and by the time you add rice to the dish, it will soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
    • Chop the veggies and keep them aside.
    • Heat the pressure cooker over medium heat and add oil to it. Add whole spices and chopped ginger. 
    • Now add sliced onions and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • Add chopped veggies, mix them once and let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • To this veggies mixture, add cooked kidney beans.
    • Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, ground coriander, and salt. Mix everything well.
    • Drain the water from soaked basmati rice entirely and add it to this veggies mixture.
    • Then goes water into this rice. Stir it once and taste the water for salt. You can adjust salt now.
    • Close the pressure cooker with its lid and pressure cook on medium to high flame for 1 to 2 whistles (around 7 to 8 minutes) and switch off the stove once done. 
    • Once the pressure releases naturally, open the lid. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and fluff the rice. Easy rice and beans is ready to serve.

    Recipe Notes

    • I used carrots, green beans, and potatoes in this rice and beans recipe. Other veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, peas, beetroot will also taste good. 
    • You could add tofu or paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cubes in this recipe to increase the protein content of the dish.
    • For stovetop rice and beans, pressure cooking the rice will make it easy. But if you are not using a pressure cooker, use 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice and cook it till done.
    • Soaking rice is optional, but it will make fluffy rice.
    • As we use basmati rice, we cannot use dried black beans as cooking times will not match.
    • When cooking instant pot rice and beans, do not wait for natural pressure release as it will overcook the rice and makes it mushy.
    • Want to make it more flavorful? Use vegetable broth or chicken broth for cooking the rice instead of plain water.
    rajma rice recipe

    Serving suggestions

    We are using veggies, beans, and rice in this recipe. This can be a complete meal, and you can serve this alone, and it will be absolutely delicious. However, to serve this as Indian-style pilaf, serve this along with raita (Indian spiced yogurt) and some papad.

    This dish tastes well even if it is cold, so this makes an ideal lunch box item.

    You can use this rice and beans as a burrito or taco filling.

    Storage

    At room temperature, this rice and beans keep well for 8 to 10 hours. And you can refrigerate the rice for 2 to 3 days and reheat it in the pan or steam it in the instant pot just before serving.
    Though we can freeze this kidney beans and rice for three months, I prefer freezing beans alone and making the rice and beans when needed.

    Have you tried this recipe? Provide your feedback by giving a star rating and/or leaving comments. And don't forget to share the recipe with others on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.

    Recipe

    beans and rice in a bowl

    Easy rice and beans (Instant pot & Stovetop recipe)

    By: Sravanthi Chanda
    Simple rice and beans is comfort food. Make this easy rice and kidney beans recipe today and serve it for your lunch and dinner. This vegan and gluten-free dish is very versatile, and you can serve it as pilaf, taco, burrito.

    Rate this recipe by clicking the stars!

    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Global, Indian
    Servings 4
    Calories 304 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Instant Pot
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup basmati rice
    • 1.5 cups kidney beans cooked
    • 1.25 cups water Use 2 cups water for stovetop method
    • ½ cup potatoes
    • ½ cup carrots
    • ½ cup green beans
    • ½ cup onion
    • 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
    • 1 inch cinnamon stick
    • 4 cloves
    • 4 green cardamom
    • 1 mace strand optional
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • Salt to taste
    • 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse the basmati rice a couple of times.
    • Soak the basmati rice for 20 to 30 minutes. (Optional)
    • Chop the veggies and keep them aside.

    Instant Pot Instructions

    • Start the Instant pot in saute mode.
    • Add oil to the inner pot and then add whole spices & chopped ginger to hot oil.
    • Then goes sliced onions and let them fry for 3 to 4 minutes. 
    • Now add chopped veggies of your choice and stir it once.
    • Add cooked red beans and spice powders to the veggies mixture and mix them well.
    • If using canned beans, make sure to drain them very well. Else rice will turn sticky.
    • Drain the water from the soaked basmati rice and add it to the instant pot. If you are not soaking rice, rinse the rice and add it.
    • Add water to the instant pot and give it a good stir. You can check salt and adjust it at this step.
    • Stop the instant pot saute mode and close it with its lid. Seal the valve.
    • Start the instant pot on manual or pressure cook mode and cook it for 5 minutes on high pressure.
    • Once the Instant pot finishes cooking, wait for 10 minutes and manually release the pressure. 
    • Open the instant pot and take the inner pot out. This will prevent the cooking of rice further.
    • Add chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fluff the rice and beans. Cover and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
    • Easy Instant pot rice and beans is ready to serve!

    Stovetop Instructions

    • Heat the pressure cooker over medium heat and add oil to it. Add whole spices and chopped ginger. 
    • Now add sliced onions and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • Add chopped veggies, mix them once and let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • To this veggies mixture, add cooked kidney beans.
    • Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, ground coriander, and salt. Mix everything well.
    • Drain the water from soaked basmati rice entirely and add it to this veggies mixture.
    • Then goes water into this rice. Stir it once.
    • Close the pressure cooker with its lid and pressure cook on medium to high flame for 1 to 2 whistles (around 7 to 8 minutes) and switch off the stove once done. 
    • Once the pressure releases naturally, open the lid. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and fluff the rice. Easy rice and beans is ready to serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 8gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 196mgPotassium: 489mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2.852IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg
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    Comments

    1. G says

      January 23, 2022 at 12:35 am

      Good one I tried it today and came
      Out well.

      Reply
      • Sravanthi says

        January 24, 2022 at 6:23 pm

        Thank you for sharing the feedback. I am so glad that you liked it

        Reply
    2. NARMADHA says

      April 13, 2020 at 11:48 pm

      5 stars
      Such a healthy and nutritious pulao with rajma. Would love to try it sometime

      Reply
    3. Harini Rupanagudi says

      January 11, 2020 at 9:55 pm

      One of the best ways to enjoy Rajma if you ask me. Love the ease of cooking in one pot. Wonderful flavors.

      Reply
    4. Chef Mireille says

      January 06, 2020 at 6:58 am

      5 stars
      This is my kind of combination rice dish. I can easily dig into this. It looks so good!

      Reply
    5. saraswathi Tharagaram says

      January 03, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      wow this is perfect just the way it looks! delicious one pot meal! great for lunchbox!

      Reply
    6. Amara says

      December 18, 2019 at 9:38 pm

      That's such an inviting plate Sravanthi. Love one pot meals because they are convenient and time saving. Perfect for lunch boxes.

      Reply
      • Meriah says

        December 06, 2022 at 7:20 am

        I don't have the whole spices. How much garam masala could I use in place of them? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Sravanthi says

          December 06, 2022 at 10:35 pm

          I use 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder.

          Reply
    7. Srivalli Jetti says

      December 18, 2019 at 11:23 am

      The pulao looks so nicely done and inviting..I am so for such one pot meals, makes cooking so easy !

      Reply
    4.80 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Sravanthi Chanda author of everydaynourishingfoods

    I'm Sravanthi Chanda and I share Indian lunch and dinner recipes on my blog. These easy-to-follow recipes are made from scratch using fresh ingredients and come with step-by-step photos, perfect for family meals.

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