Instant Pot Rice Pilaf (Indian Vegetarian)

For rice

• 1.5 cups basmati rice - 260 grams
• water for soaking rice, enough

Vegetables & other ingredients

• 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil use sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil. ghee can be substituted with oil, generic cooking oil
• ½ cup onion or 1 medium to large onion, finely sliced, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup tomato or 1 medium sized chopped tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves , chopped
• 1 tablespoon mint chopped - optional, leaves
• 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger and 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves, crushed in mortar-pestle
• 1 to 2 green chili chopped or 1 to 2 serrano peppers
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or sweet paprika or add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or regular paprika
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) - optional
• 3 cups mixed vegetables i used a mix of cauliflower, french beans, potatoes and carrots, chopped
• ¼ to ⅓ cup green peas - fresh or frozen
• 2 cups water or add as required
• salt as required

whole spices

• 2 tejpatta indian bay leaf) or 1 medium to large tej patta, small
• 2 to 3 cloves
• 4 to 5 black pepper
• 1 piece stone flower pathar ke phool or kalpasi or dagad phool) - optional, small quantity
• ½ inch cinnamon
• 2 green cardamom
• 1 black cardamom - optional
• 1 or 2 mace single strands
• 1 star anise - optional
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds - optional
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds