Rinse the fresh vegetables in cold running water to remove any dirt.
Chop the veggies into equal chunks.
Add water (1 cup for 6-quart and 2 cups for 8-quart) to the steel inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place a trivet over it.
Add the potatoes, beans, peas, carrots and cauliflower in a steamer basket. Place the steamer basket over the trivet.
Close the lid and set the vent to sealing position.
Depending on how you like your veggies, the cooking times will change. Since I am using these mixed veggies in a veg korma recipe, I'll cook them for 5 minutes till they have that melt-in-the mouth texture. If you just want to saute them for an easy side dish, skip using potatoes and use the pressure cook or steam function to cook the veggies for 1 minute under high pressure.
As soon as the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure immediately by moving the steam valve to 'venting'
Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil before serving. Alternatively, you can saute in oil or butter and then add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Tips
Use a steamer basket - don't cook directly in the water to avoid losing nutrients.
To ensure even cooking, chop the veggies the same size. Vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli cook quickly - so it is okay to cut them into larger chunks. Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, beets, and potatoes should be diced into smaller pieces, such as 1/2 to 1-inch pieces so that they cook through.
Don’t overcook – For non-starchy vegetables, do a quick release, i.e., release the pressure immediately after the timer is up and transfer veggies to a plate. For starchy veggies such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, etc., waiting 5-10 minutes after the cooking cycle is complete is okay.
Cook veggies with similar cooking times together so that they all cook evenly.
Season the veggies after cooking - do a quick saute in olive oil or butter and season with salt and pepper.