You will love the texture, colors, and warm and inviting aroma, making it an excellent complement to any meal. I shared my instant pot wild rice recipe some time back, and got many questions about how to cook wild rice blend in the instant pot. So here is my detailed method for wild rice blend. The wild rice blend, unlike white rice, is made up of different rice varieties. As a result, it has more fiber and a higher protein, vitamin, and mineral content. The antioxidant content of wild rice blend is also higher as compared to regular rice. Furthermore, this gluten-free grain is ideal for individuals who avoid wheat. Serve this wild rice blend as a vegan and gluten-free side dish with your meal. I also like to substitute quinoa with wild rice in my sweet potato quinoa buddha bowl. Also, try pairing white beans with a wild rice blend for a balanced and delicious meal.
Watch How to Make Wild Rice Blend
What is Wild Rice Blend?
The wild rice blend normally includes a mix of wild rice, brown rice, and a few other grains for color and variety, such as red rice, black rice, and white rice. The irony is that wild rice isn’t really rice at all. It’s a type of aquatic grass that looks like rice and cooks in the same way. It is mostly grown in North America, India, and China as a food grain. It is typically only harvested in North America. This blend is aromatic, wholesome and has a satisfying feel with the delicious nutty texture.
What Is Wild Rice Blend Made Of?
The wild rice blend typically contains a mix of wild rice and other whole grain rice – brown, white, red, brown or black. Different brands use different rice combinations and unique ratios in their wild rice blend. Wild rice blend is not the same as wild rice. Two of the popular brands of wild rice blend are – Lundberg and Bob’s Red Mill. I am using the Lundberg Wild Rice blend for this recipe.
What does Wild Rice Blend Taste Like?
Since the wild rice blend contains different types of rice, it provides contrasting textures, flavors, colors, and nutrition. The flavors are nutty, earthy, and are quite appealing. The textures can vary from chewy to firm, fluffy pillowy, plump etc. A wide variety of colors can be found in the blend – red, brown, black and tan.
Why use a Pressure Cooker to make Wild Rice Blend?
The pressure cooker reduces the cooking time significantly. The stovetop method usually takes about 60 minutes to cook the wild rice blend, but the instant pot version only takes approximately 30 minutes. Also, the instant pot method is hands-free and you can continue doing other tasks while the rice is cooking. You can get a no-fail recipe every single time.
Ingredients
You just need 4 ingredients to whip this simple recipe.
How To Make Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend?
Follow this step-by-step guide to make the perfect wild rice blend!
Thoroughly rinse 1.5 cups of wild rice blend in water. I like to add the wild rice blend to a strainer and put it under tap water until the water runs clear. Add the cleaned wild rice to the instant pot steel insert. To cook the rice, add 2 cups of water or broth. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil to the pot if desired. You can also season it to your liking with salt. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure. Then open the lid.
Gently fluff the wild rice with a fork. Your wild rice is now ready to eat. You can use the same method to make rice in Ninja Foodi pressure cooker.
Pot in Pot Method
This method is a time saver as you can cook your second dish along with the rice blend.
Clean and rinse the wild rice blend with water a few times to get rid of the dirt. Transfer the clean wild rice blend to a steel bowl that will fit comfortably inside the insert of the instant pot. Add 2 cups of water to the bowl. Fill the instant pot steel insert with 1 cup of water. Place a trivet, and the steel bowl containing the wild rice with water on top of the trivet. Secure the lid, and set the instant pot to manual or pressure cook mode on high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release after the instant pot beeps. Then open the lid. Use a fork to fluff the rice gently and serve warm with your favorite entree.
Tips and Tricks
Always buy fresh wild rice blend. It is prone to rancidity and has a shelf life of 6 months. Do not switch on the ‘keep warm’ button. If you leave the rice to sit for a longer period of time, it will continue to cook on the warm setting. As a result, the rice will will dry out and stick to the bottom of the pot. Also, I suggest to take the instant pot steel insert out so that the bottom layer of rice does not overcook and stick to the pot. Do not over-season the wild rice as you’ll be serving it with other flavorful main dishes.
How To Use Wild Rice Blend?
This tasty wild rice blend pressure cooker recipe can be used in a variety of ways.
It goes well with a wide range of curries, stews and veggies. You can simply substitute it for white rice and can enjoy it with dal, sambar or rasam. You can make a pilaf/ pulao with it or even an Indian khichdi. eg. Mushroom Brown Rice Pilaf You can also add it to salads, such as this wild rice salad, and soups for some texture and color, similar to my mushroom wild rice soup recipe. You can even use it to make vegetarian burger patties. Add the wild rice blend to buddha bowls such as this vegan sweet potato quinoa buddha bowl.
How to store
My advise is to cook and eat fresh rice. You can store cooked wild rice blend in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after cooking. Before storing, get the rice to room temperature and store in an air-tight container. Also, you can freeze this cooked wild rice blend and use it in batches. Even for storing in the freezer, the rice has to be at room temperature. I recommend to freeze in small containers so you can defrost as needed. They can be stored up to 6 months. For thawing, place the required amount in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and then use it. Make this delicious and nutritious wild rice in half the cooking time in your instant pot, and enjoy it in soups, stews, casseroles or salads in place of other grains. If you are looking to cook others types of rice/grains in the instant pot, check out the recipes below:
Jasmine Rice Sona Masoori Rice Quinoa Buckwheat How to cook Calrose Rice? Easy Almond Butter
Check out this collection of 23+ instant pot rice recipes.
