Horchata, a delicious and refreshing drink made in Spain and Latin America, is perfect for a hot summer day. This quick and easy Instant Pot Horchata is inspired by the Mexican rice-based Horchata, and is made in under 30 minutes!
So what exactly is horchata? There are so many versions of this drink, that it would be hard to declare one particular version as authentic. The Spanish version of horchata is made with water, sugar, cinnamon and tiger nuts while the Mexican version is made with rice, water, cinnamon and sugar. Milk or condensed milk is optional, and makes for a creamier version of horchata. For a vegan option, add almond milk instead.
How is Horchata made?
Traditionally, (Mexican) horchata is made by soaking rice along with cinnamon sticks in water overnight and then blending it all together until the rice liquifies. The mixture is then strained until it runs clear and is served over ice with a sprinkling of cinnamon.
The traditional version of horchata, although delicious, requires a good amount of planning ahead of time. The pressure cooker version, however, cuts down on the soaking time by cooking the rice very slightly, just enough to infuse the flavour of cinnamon into the rice and break down the rice a little, without cooking the rice too much and releasing its starch.
Step-by-step photo instructions for a quick and easy Instant Pot Horchata:
- Measure out 1 cup of rice (I used basmati rice).
- Wash the rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear.
- Rise out the water.
- Add the rice to a blender, along with 3.5 cups of water and 1 cinnamon stick.
- Pulse a few times, until the rice is coarsely ground and the cinnamon stick is broken up. You don’t want it ground too fine.
- Add the contents of the blender to the Instant Pot, and cook it at Manual for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute, hit Cancel and perform a quick release of pressure.
- Immediately, add 3.5 cups of water, followed by 1 cup of milk to the contents of the IP.
- Stir well
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir again.
- Strain the contents of the IP through a sieve (preferably, use a fine mesh sieve) into a large bowl.
- Add 4-5 tablespoons of sugar (you can add less or more as per your sweet preference) and stir to dissolve.
- Add ice and keep the bowl in the fridge to chill.
- Serve in glasses topped with more ice, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
How to make Horchata the traditional way:
- Add 1 cup of washed and rinsed rice along with 3.5 cups of water and 1 stick of cinnamon to a blender.
- Pulse in the blender until the rice is coarsely ground.
- Transfer the contents of the blender into a bowl, and keep covered at room temperature, overnight or up-to 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, use a sieve and strain the contents of the bowl into a pitcher. Add 1 cup of water, milk or condensed milk, vanilla and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add ice and chill in the fridge before serving.
Instant Pot Horchata
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 3.5 cups of water + 3.5 cups water Separated (see notes on 'Burn' notice trigger, and adjust water accordingly)
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4-5 tablespoons sugar
- ice
Instructions
- Measure out 1 cup of rice (I used basmati rice). Wash the rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear.
- Rise out the water and add the rice to a blender, along with 3.5 cups of water and 1 cinnamon stick.
- Pulse a few times, until the rice is coarsely ground and the cinnamon stick is broken up. You don’t want the rice to be finely ground, else it will overcook in the Instant Pot and can trigger a Burn notice.
- Add the contents of the blender to the Instant Pot, and cook it at ‘Manual’ for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute, hit ‘Cancel’ and perform a quick release of pressure.
- Immediately, add 3.5 cups of water, followed by 1 cup of milk to the contents of the IP.
- Stir well, and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir again.
- Strain the contents of the IP through a sieve (preferably, use a fine mesh sieve), into a large bowl.
- Add 4-5 tablespoons of sugar (you can add less or more as per your sweet preference). Stir to dissolve.
- Add ice and keep the bowl in the fridge to chill.
- Serve in glasses topped with more ice, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Notes
- Avoiding the 'Burn' notice - Certain newer models of the Instant Pot can trigger a Burn warning sooner than others, as they are more sensitive to residue that may stick to the base of the IP. If this happens to your device, increase the amount of water in the Instant Pot when cooking the rice.
- You can replace milk with 1/2 a can of condensed milk, for a thicker version of horchata.
- For a vegan option, replace regular milk with almond milk.
Thank you for explaining the "burn notice". Going to try this tonight.