Pressure Cooker Curried White Beans & Rice

Name: Pressure Cooker Curried White Beans & Rice
Yield: Serves about 6
Ingredients: 1 pound dry white beans, rinsed and picked over; 1 small onion, roughly chopped; 2 carrots, chopped; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 1 bell pepper, chopped; 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced; 2 bay leaves; 5–6 cups broth or water, depending on your pressure cooker and whether the beans are soaked; Black pepper, to taste; 1–2 teaspoons curry powder, plus more to taste; ½–1 cup diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes; Salt, to taste; Cooked rice; Cilantro, green onion, lime, or yogurt (optional)

Jillian Guralski

Sep 14

2 min read

A bowl of curried white beans over rice, garnished with cilantro, lime, and yogurt

Dry white beans, vegetables, broth, curry, and tomato turn into a simple bowl that is inexpensive, flexible, and actually tastes like dinner.

What You Need

Serves about 6

Beans

1 pound dry white beans, rinsed and picked over
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
5–6 cups broth or water, depending on your pressure cooker and whether the beans are soaked
Black pepper, to taste

To Finish

1–2 teaspoons curry powder, plus more to taste
½–1 cup diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
Salt, to taste

For Serving

Cooked rice
Cilantro, green onion, lime, or yogurt (optional)

How to Make It

1. Prep the Beans

Rinse the white beans and remove any debris. You can soak them ahead of time if you want a shorter cooking time, but you do not have to.

2. Add Everything to the Pressure Cooker

Add the beans, onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and broth. Do not fill the pressure cooker beyond its recommended limit for beans and legumes.

3. Pressure Cook

Cook on high pressure according to your pressure cooker's recommended timing for the white bean you are using. As a general starting point:

Soaked white beans: often around 8–12 minutes
Unsoaked white beans: often around 25–35 minutes

Allow a natural pressure release for at least 15–20 minutes. Bean size, age, and pressure cooker model can all change the timing.

4. Check the Beans

Taste one. If the beans are still firm, cook them for a few more minutes under pressure. Once tender, remove the bay leaves.

5. Add the Curry and Tomato

Turn the pressure cooker to sauté or transfer the beans to a pot. Stir in the curry powder and tomatoes. Simmer for about 5–10 minutes so the tomato heats through and the curry blends into the broth. Taste and add salt, more curry, or more tomato as needed.

6. Serve

Spoon the beans over cooked rice. Top with cilantro, green onion, lime, or a spoonful of yogurt if you want.

Calm Kitchen Skill: Add Acidic Ingredients After the Beans Are Tender

Tomatoes taste great with beans, but acidic ingredients can sometimes slow down the softening process. For a more predictable result, cook the beans first and add the tomato later. You still get the flavor without making the pressure-cooking step harder to judge.

Jillian's Kitchen Note

The curry and tomato were the part that made this work. The beans and vegetables gave me the base. The curry and tomato gave it a direction. That is a useful cooking lesson in general: sometimes a meal does not need more ingredients. It just needs a stronger finish.

Make It Easier

Pre-chopped mirepoix
Frozen chopped peppers
Jarred or frozen garlic
Microwave rice

Make It Your Own

Stir in spinach at the end
Add extra ginger
Add red pepper flakes for heat
Use coconut milk for a creamier version
Finish with lime juice
Top with fresh cilantro

Jillian Guralski, MBA, MS, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and nutrition educator with more than 15 years of experience. She created The Jillian Method to make food, cooking, and everyday health habits feel more practical, flexible, and easier to live with.