80 min
Instant Pot Japanese-Style Beef Curry with Potatoes & Carrots
Tender sirloin, chunky potatoes and carrots meet a glossy, mild Japanese-style curry sauce, with the roux stirred in only after pressure to prevent scorching.
Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Uzbek-Style Lamb Plov with Carrots
A two-stage pressure method tenderizes lamb shoulder first, then cooks fragrant rice and carrots just long enough to keep the grains separate and the meat succulent.
Directions
Rinse and drain the rice
Rinse rice in several changes of cool water until nearly clear, then drain in a fine-mesh strainer for at least 15 minutes. Thorough draining keeps the measured pressure-cooker ratio accurate.
Brown the lamb
Season lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Select Sauté High on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, add 1 tablespoon oil and brown lamb in two batches for 4 to 5 minutes each. Transfer to a clean plate.
Build the thin first stage
Reduce Sauté to Normal. Add remaining oil and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in half the carrots, cumin and coriander for 1 minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups broth and scrape the base completely smooth. Return lamb and its juices, nestle in the garlic head and confirm the pot remains below the maximum-fill line.
Pressure-cook the lamb
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes; allow 12 to 15 minutes to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses. Open only after the float valve drops.
Check the first stage
Lamb must reach at least 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest and should be beginning to tenderize. Remove the garlic head. If the lamb is still very firm, pressure-cook 5 minutes more with another 10-minute natural release before adding rice.
Layer rice and carrots
Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Level the lamb mixture, scatter drained rice evenly over it and add remaining carrots and raisins. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup broth over the rice without stirring it into the lamb. Keep grains and liquid below the half-full line.
Pressure-cook the rice
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes; allow about 8 minutes to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use short controlled venting pulses, pausing if starch sputters.
Rest, fluff and serve
Squeeze the softened garlic cloves from their skins and fold them through the rice. Fluff from the edges inward, rest uncovered 5 minutes and finish with parsley. Serve lemon and crushed red pepper at the table so the family pot remains mild.
Why this works
Why it worksTwo pressure stages solve the timing mismatch between collagen-rich lamb shoulder and quick-cooking rice.
Why it worksThin broth touches the fully deglazed heating plate in both stages, while rice stays layered on top to reduce sticking.
Why it worksA full 10-minute natural release after the rice cycle finishes steaming the grains without a violent starchy vent.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe two-stage lamb-and-rice method, half-full grain limit and controlled releases are calibrated for this family capacity.See current options →
Compare on AmazonFine-mesh rice strainerRinse basmati until nearly clear and drain it for 15 minutes so the measured liquid ratio remains accurate.See current options →
Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerVerify lamb reaches at least 145°F with a three-minute rest, then use tenderness to judge shoulder collagen.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use boneless beef chuck cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes and keep the same two-stage timing.
- Replace basmati with another long-grain white rice only if its package timing is similar; do not use quick-cooking or brown rice.
- Omit raisins for a fully savory plov or replace them with dried barberries added after pressure.
Cook notes
- Total time includes two pressurizing periods, both programmed cycles, two 10-minute natural releases and a 5-minute final rest.
- Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Follow your exact model manual for liquid minimums, the half-full grain limit and safe venting.
- Do not double this recipe in a 6-quart cooker; expanding rice requires generous headroom.
- The mild base relies on cumin, coriander and lamb. Add chile only at the table.
Storage
Cool in shallow containers within 2 hours and refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze portions up to 2 months. Reheat to 165°F with a spoonful of water, covered, so the rice steams rather than dries. Do not repeatedly cool and reheat cooked rice.
Questions
Why not cook the lamb and rice together from the start?
Lamb shoulder needs far longer under pressure than white rice. A single long cycle would turn the rice pasty before the meat became tender.
Why is my plov wet after opening?
Fluff gently and leave it uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. If excess liquid remains, use Sauté Low for 1 to 2 minutes while folding from the bottom.
Can I use lamb leg instead of shoulder?
Yes, but leg is leaner. Cut it into slightly larger pieces and check at the end of the first stage so it does not become dry during the rice cycle.
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Instant Pot Uzbek-Style Lamb Plov with Carrots
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1. Rinse and drain the riceRinse rice in several changes of cool water until nearly clear, then drain in a fine-mesh strainer for at least 15 minutes. Thorough draining keeps the measured pressure-cooker ratio accurate.
2. Brown the lambSeason lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Select Sauté High on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, add 1 tablespoon oil and brown lamb in two batches for 4 to 5 minutes each. Transfer to a clean plate.
3. Build the thin first stageReduce Sauté to Normal. Add remaining oil and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in half the carrots, cumin and coriander for 1 minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups broth and scrape the base completely smooth. Return lamb and its juices, nestle in the garlic head and confirm the pot remains below the maximum-fill line.
4. Pressure-cook the lambLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes; allow 12 to 15 minutes to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses. Open only after the float valve drops.
5. Check the first stageLamb must reach at least 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest and should be beginning to tenderize. Remove the garlic head. If the lamb is still very firm, pressure-cook 5 minutes more with another 10-minute natural release before adding rice.
6. Layer rice and carrotsStir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Level the lamb mixture, scatter drained rice evenly over it and add remaining carrots and raisins. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup broth over the rice without stirring it into the lamb. Keep grains and liquid below the half-full line.
7. Pressure-cook the riceLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes; allow about 8 minutes to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use short controlled venting pulses, pausing if starch sputters.
8. Rest, fluff and serveSqueeze the softened garlic cloves from their skins and fold them through the rice. Fluff from the edges inward, rest uncovered 5 minutes and finish with parsley. Serve lemon and crushed red pepper at the table so the family pot remains mild.