Smoky Vegan Pumpkin Chipotle Fried Rice made within minutes using the Instant Pot! A seasonal twist on restaurant-style fried rice your whole family will love! Glutenfree soyfree Nutfree, stove top option in notes
Pumpkin Chipotle Fried Rice – a seasonal twist on traditional Chinese Fried Rice
Pumpkin Chipotle Fried Rice is definitely not the traditional fried rice. It’s not even fried per se as we prepare it in the Instant Pot but let me tell you, this seasonal twist is amazing. Its what I call, use up the veggies and remaining pumpkin fried rice! It’s so finger-licking good, I might have made it several times even when I didn’t have any pumpkin to use up!
The best thing – it’s all made in the Instant Pot within just 5 minutes of cooking time and 10 minutes of natural steam release. The prep work is minimal – just remember to soak the rice before you add it to the Instant Pot to get the perfect “fluffiness”.
The slight heat from the chipotle chili powder goes to well with this dish. I use a chipotle chili blend and also add some cumin and thyme to seal the deal – all spices that pair beautifully with the sweet pumpkin puree,
FOR MORE VEGAN RICE DISHES CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES:
- Turmeric Lemon Rice
- Vegetable Carrot Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Rice Pulao
- Masala Fried Rice with Turmeric Onion Raita
- Peanut Sauce Fried Rice
Which rice shall I use for making fried rice?
Use long grain rice for making this fried rice recipe.Why? Because long-grain rice holds its shape better and stays separate when cooked. Basmati rice is my top choice but you can also go for Jasmine rice which has a delicate and light floral aroma. You can also use long grain brown rice. Pressure cook for 20 mins and use hearty veggies as otherwise they will be too soft and overcooked
Pumpkin Chipotle Fried Rice Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain basmati rice
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups chopped veggies I use frozen.
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chipotle chili blend or any other chili powder of choice plus 1/2 tsp chipotle chili flakes or powder, or you can also use cajun spice blend, or jerk seasoning, or garam masala
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree or mashed cooked pumpkin or butternut or other winter squash
- 1 cup water or broth
- optional add ins: 3/4 cup veggie crumbles or 15oz can drained beans
Garnish:
- Sliced Jalapeno
- Pickled Jalapeno
- Corn chips
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
Instructions
- Soak rice in hot water for at least 20 minutes. Wash and drain, and set aside.
- Oil the bottom of the inner pot, then add in all of the ingredients, and mix well.
- Close the lid, and pressure cook for 5 minutes(high pressure, vent at sealing). Let the pressure release for 8 minutes, then quick release then open the lid. Fluff, taste and adjust flavor.
- Transfer the rice to a serving container so it doesn’t continue to cook in the hot instant pot. top with garnishes of choice, and serve.
Notes
Variations:
- Add in a 1/4 cup of chopped onion along with the rest of the ingredients.
- To make this with brown rice, pressure cook for 20 minutes.
- Add in 15 oz of cooked black beans or chickpeas with the rice for a full meal. Add more chili powder and a bit more salt
- This recipe is easily doubled. Double everything, use a few tbsp less water, pressure cook time remains the same.
Nutrition
To soak or not to soak?
Yes, soak it! It tastes better when it has been soaked.
For this recipe, the Basmati Rice is soaked at room temperature in warm water before cooking to release and enhance the natural flavor of the rice.
Ingredients for making Instant Pot fried rice
- Opt for long grain rice like basmati rice or jasmine rice for this recipe.
- For the pumpkin part I am using canned pumpkin puree but you can use homemade one. It lends this dish its gorgeous orange color and some sweetness. Don’t have pumpkin? Use mashed butternut or winter squash or sweet potato
- Jalapeno peppers along with garlic and garlic powder for heat and umami,
- I also added some frozen veggies for color and added vitamins. Use whatever you have kicking around – just stick to the ratio!
- To add some oomph to this simple autumnal rice dish, I am using a chipotle chili blend as I really enjoy the smoky notes. But any other chili powder of choice will do or you can also use a Cajun spice blend, or jerk seasoning, or garam masala (all of these can be found in my Everyday Kitchen book).
- ground cumin and thyme go so well with the smoky chipotle chili
- salt – always
Tips and Variations:
- Add in a 1/4 cup of chopped onion along with the rest of the ingredients.
- To make this with brown rice, pressure cook for 20 minutes.
- You could go all crazy and serve this up in a whole steamed or baked pumpkin. What a showstopper that would be!
- Feel free to up the amount of spices or add some more curry powder or more chili powder blend instead of cumin if that’s what you like
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It reheats beautifully in the microwave or on the stovetop. If heating on the stovetop, add a small amount of oil and fry for a couple of minutes.
- I used a frozen veggie mix for this recipe but you can use canned corn, fresh green beans, fresh sliced or diced carrots or bell peppers.
How to make Chipotle Pumpkin Instant Pot Fried Rice
Soak the basmati rice in hot water for at least 20 minutes. Wash and drain well, and set aside.
Oil the instant pot, then add in all of the ingredients and mix well.
Close the lid, and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release for 8 minutes, then quick release then open the lid. Fluff, taste and adjust flavor.
Transfer the rice to a serving container, top with garnishes of choice, and serve.
Garnish:
I like serving this dish with some sliced Jalapenos but the options are endless. Here are some suggestions.
- Sliced fresh jalapeno
- Pickled jalapeno
- Corn chips
- fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
- Lime juice / fresh lime wedges
Merv says
November 28, 2020 at 10:53 amMade it today. Smells wonderful. So delicious. I added garbanzo beans and doubled the recipe.
Richa says
November 28, 2020 at 11:57 amYay that was quick!!
Ann says
November 28, 2020 at 3:37 pmHad leftover squash and rice with bell peppers from the Thanksgiving feast. Made this on the stovetop with chipotle paste, pickled jalapeños and roasted garlic. It turned out great.
Susie says
November 29, 2020 at 7:33 pmFinally found a vegan recipe for my instant pot, thank you . I used veggie from our garden , bell peppers, pea , butternut squash and a can of garbanzo beans . Simple great tasting.
Richa says
November 30, 2020 at 2:57 amAwesome!!
Fanny says
April 5, 2021 at 4:24 pmHi Richa, i tried this today with little chunks of sweet potato instead of pumpkin puree.
I’m still very inexperienced with IP and during the pre heating i got a ‘food burn’ warning. So I added some water, but do you have any idea what could have gone wrong?
Nonetheless, it tasted great and I’ll definitely try this recipe again 😀
Richa says
April 6, 2021 at 4:28 amSome new instant pots can heat too much and hence scorch more easily. Just deglaze really well and continue.
Fanny says
April 6, 2021 at 11:17 amHi Richa, thank you for your reply! I just read that someone else had a similar question, sorry! I’ll try the deglazing 🙂
Rachel W says
November 30, 2020 at 3:24 pmTasted great and came out well but my instant pot stopped cooking due to burn. I wonder if it’s because I used fresh veggies.
Richa says
November 30, 2020 at 3:37 pmDepends on what vegetables you added. I’ve made this with fresh vegetables and don’t have a problem. But then my Instant Pot generally isn’t that sensitive. Some pots are
highly sensitive Or have uneven heating, It’s going to cause burn errors.Was anything stuck to the bottom when you open Instant Pot?
Rachel W says
November 30, 2020 at 5:25 pmAfter it gave the burn error, I left it closed for ten minutes so that it would still cook. There was a slight glaze on the bottom, but it scraped right off when I stirred.
Richa says
November 30, 2020 at 6:38 pmHmm. Grease the pot really well and prob add a few tbsp more water. I get a burn error when there is proper scorching like a good amount of brown black .
Frankie says
December 21, 2020 at 6:01 pmWe tried this tonight, doubling the recipe in our 6 qt IP. Got the food burn error, noticed some burnt onto the bottom of the pot, but stirred the rest and added more water. Food burn error happened again, and there was a significant amount of rice burned onto the bottom so we followed the advice from Instant Pot and transferred the rest of the unburnt food to a different container, washed the pot, and tried again with more water. After we got a third food burn error, there’s only a little stuck to the bottom this time but it seems something went horribly wrong. The rice is both mushy and undercooked somehow at the same time. This is the first meal we’ve actually ruined so we are a bit dismayed. I wonder where we could have gone wrong.
Richa says
December 21, 2020 at 7:49 pmIt’s the pot unfortunately. Some pots just heat too much or unevenly. I have 3 and the recent 8 qt is more likely to burn but the other 2 never do. I think doubling might,ve also added to the problem. That much pumpkin purée probably thickened a bit too much. When doubling use one and a half times the pumpkin purée and add a quarter cup more water
Julie says
January 2, 2021 at 6:46 pmCame out nicely and will definitely be making again.
Ron says
January 24, 2021 at 3:24 pmSo good and I was able to prepare it in just about 10 minutes of actual work time. I had everything I needed on hand so it made this super easy! Doubling it and throwing in some baked tofu cubes made this a substantial one-pot dinner for everyone.
Richa says
January 24, 2021 at 3:41 pmAwesome
Sarah Compter says
April 12, 2021 at 10:46 amHi there! I’m planning to use brown basmati rice and kidney beans. Two questions: 1) Since I’m increasing the time for the brown rice, can I put the dried kidney beans in with the rice to cook? Kidney beans take 20 minutes unsoaked. 2) Will my veggies turn to mush in 20 minutes?
Sarah Compter says
April 13, 2021 at 4:03 amOk, so I took a stab at it. Used brown basmati rice and a cup of dried kidney beans. Added 2 extra cups of water for the beans. Everything was absolutely delicious… but it had more of a gumbo texture than a fried rice texture. Next time, if I wanted the latter, I’d cut back on the water quite a bit.