pepperhead212
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Instant Pot recipes

I was going to post this on the Indian foods thread, but that had sort of been forgotten, so I figured I'd start one for the Instant Pot, since it was made in that, and it came from the new Milk Street book Fast And Slow. I have made 3 or recipes from it, and all have been good, though, as usual, I will make some changes. They have a good way of offering the option of using the pressure cooking or slow cooking, when possible in a recipe, thus the name of the book.

This recipe I made was the fast version, in the Instant Pot, of Chicken Cafreal. But I cut the amount of chicken in half, and added a pound of diced kohlrabi, since I have all that kohlrabi to use up, and it turned out great! I also added some thickener at the end, probably necessitated by the water in the kohlrabi. I liked their method of saving half of that blended cilantro, chile, garlic, scallion, ginger, and spice mix, to add at the end. Next time, I'll use the same method, but all of the spices (there are 5 or 6 more) from my favorite cafreal recipe. I've noticed them shorting some of the Indian dishes on spices, trying to make them more compatible to the average kitchen.

I made some sorghum/WW flatbread to go with it, but I'm going to have to fool around with that, to get it right. Maybe much wetter, and pressed out, like corn tortillas.
ImageThe cilantro, chile, and spice mix of the Milk Street Chicken Cafreal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished Chicken Cafreal, with kohlrabi, from Fast and Slow by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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Gary350
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Be careful with your instant pot those things explode. We go to vintage camper rallies with 6 different groups they always have pot luck dinners Fri & Saturday night. 1 woman came to the rally with lots of burns her pot exploded she had burns on her face, neck, front side, arms, she spent a week in the hospital. Craig gave me his instant pot lucky he was not in the kitchen when his exploded. I have heard other people talk about them exploding but no details. Broken pot still makes a good 1 gallons soup pot & 4 pint jar water bath caner. Instant Pot is just a new name from a Pressure Cooker.

I love India food. I wish I could afford to eat at India food restaurant, every restaurant in town wants $10 to $12 for lunch & $15 to $18 for dinner. I refuse to pay those prices. $30 to $40 for 2 to eat is not reasonable that was before covid-19 I bet prices are up to $50 or $60 now. The Mexican restaurant we like so much use to cost us $20 for lunch now it is $30 for lunch.

pepperhead212
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I've not heard of any Instant Pots exploding, or any of the other multicookers on the market, though I am seeing more cheap knock-offs on the market now.

Today, to use up some more cherry and grape tomatoes I got out there again, I made a pasta dish in the Instant Pot, a one-dish recipe in one of those free classes from Milk Street - Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Sage. The method worked great, even using a different pasta (they call for long pasta, broken in half, in the recipes I read), which I did. The seasonings are cooked briefly in the olive oil, then the tomatoes and water are added, it is turned off, the pasta is added, and it is pressed down, so all is submerged, then it is pressure cooked 5 minutes. The pressure is quickly released, then some of the sage is stirred in with some smoked paprika (which added a delicious flavor), and it is covered to rest 3 minutes. It is then served with some freshly grated pecorino, and a little more fresh sage.
ImageIngredients for Milk Street's pasta with cherry tomatoes and fresh sage. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImagePasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Sage, finished cooking. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImagePasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Sage, served with a little grated pecorino cheese. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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pepperhead212 wrote:
Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:23 pm
I've not heard of any Instant Pots exploding, or any of the other multicookers on the market
In the early days of pressure cookers, pressure was controlled by adjustable weights that bobbled on top of a vent. There was also an emergency release valve set in a hard rubber plug. My mother was making jam in the cooker one day & must have done something wrong (like making jam - maybe seeds got stuck in the vent?) The emergency valve blew, rubber plug & all, spraying hot, high pressure jam all over the kitchen including the ceiling. Luckily no one got injured but I'm not sure she ever used the cooker again!

pepperhead212
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Vanisle_BC With those old pressure cookers, accident stories like this scared people off of using them, even though when used properly, there are no problems with them. Like you said, a seed or something like that probably clogged the vent - you had to be very diligent with them, to make sure steam was venting at all times. And, if cooking anything that can clog it, like beans, and similar foamy foods, only fill it halfway, or even less (these newer models have sort of a strainer over the steam exit, but you still have to pay attention to this). Overfilling was a major cause of many of those accidents. Fortunately, besides the safety "blowout" of these new electric models, another safety feature that will shut them off sooner, is the temperature sensor - this is how it keeps the pressure at approximately the proper level, and if it goes too high, it shuts off. These things have come a long way, though the old types still work - you just have to watch them closely.

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I've had great success using the IP with making yogurt, though I heat the milk in a saucepan, and just put the jars in the IP to ferment for 8 hours.

Yesterday I used the Instant Pot for fermenting another food - Dosa. This is an Indian flatbread, made with a combination of rice and lentils, which are soaked, then ground to a paste, then thinned to a batter, and fermented.

I used the yogurt mode, adjusted to low, which is the lower temp, for fermenting jiu niang, which I found was around 90°. Since dosa is made mostly in southern India, this would probably
be a "cool" room temperature there, and it took a whole day to ferment! I haven't cooked it, yet - I just put it out on my back porch, to cool.

I used a cup and a third of parboiled rice, and a half cup of urad dal, soaked about 8 hours. They were drained and rinsed, saving the lentil soaking water, then blended on high speed in the Vitamix. It got very thick, almost like glue, until I added a lot more water than they suggested. I put it in a 3 qt SS pan, covered with plastic, and set it in the IP, setiing the yogurt mode to low, which automatically sets to 24 hrs. I had almost forgotten about it, when the beeper went off last night! :lol:

The stuff looks like a sourdough rye sponge, the gray coming from the black skins of the urad dal. Usually, they are split and hulled, but these were the ones that were split, but not hulled.
ImageDosa, before fermenting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

After fermenting 24 hours:
ImageDosa fermenting by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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Gary350
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pepperhead212 wrote:
Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:39 am
I was going to post this on the Indian foods thread, but that had sort of been forgotten, so I figured I'd start one for the Instant Pot, since it was made in that, and it came from the new Milk Street book Fast And Slow. I have made 3 or recipes from it, and all have been good, though, as usual, I will make some changes. They have a good way of offering the option of using the pressure cooking or slow cooking, when possible in a recipe, thus the name of the book.

This recipe I made was the fast version, in the Instant Pot, of Chicken Cafreal. But I cut the amount of chicken in half, and added a pound of diced kohlrabi, since I have all that kohlrabi to use up, and it turned out great! I also added some thickener at the end, probably necessitated by the water in the kohlrabi. I liked their method of saving half of that blended cilantro, chile, garlic, scallion, ginger, and spice mix, to add at the end. Next time, I'll use the same method, but all of the spices (there are 5 or 6 more) from my favorite cafreal recipe. I've noticed them shorting some of the Indian dishes on spices, trying to make them more compatible to the average kitchen.

I made some sorghum/WW flatbread to go with it, but I'm going to have to fool around with that, to get it right. Maybe much wetter, and pressed out, like corn tortillas.
ImageThe cilantro, chile, and spice mix of the Milk Street Chicken Cafreal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished Chicken Cafreal, with kohlrabi, from Fast and Slow by pepperhead212, on Flickr
That looks good. When I saw the green color I though maybe it is the recipe, 50% mint, 50% cilantro, can't remember if it has lime or lemon juice. I don't remember the name either. I have an India cookbook but I have trouble getting the spices. I also can't cook India food as good as the restaurants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SU7jn0z2ys

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I made some Indian today, since I was making those dosa. I had a couple okra pickles on the side, instead of chutney.

While making those dosa, I made a quick sambar in the IP, adding those extra butternut cubes I had at the end, and letting them sit 10 minutes or so, and adding the tarka at the end, for tempering.
ImageTarka, ready to stir into the sambar. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished butternut sambar, with a couple of dosa. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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Today I made another dish in the Instant Pot; though not a one dish meal, it was started by cooking 3/4 c each of pearl barley and spelt (these cook in about the same time, under pressure), cooked in 4 c of salted water, set on low pressure for 20 min, and released naturally. While doing this, I cooked the pound of sweet Italian sausages and mushrooms my normal way - steamed the pricked sausages in a skillet, then boiled the water off, and browned them in the fat. The washed pound of mushrooms I halved, and steamed in a small amount of water , and boiled that water off, and browned the mushrooms in just a half tb of oil. All this was combined, and set aside; the rehydrated 2¼ oz of dried eggplant (about 1½ lbs equivalent) was drained, and set aside.

After the grains pressure released, I drained them, and set aside. In the rinsed out IP, I sautéed 1 large onion in a few tb olive oil,, adding 1 tb minced garlic, and 2 tb of tomato paste towards the end. I added a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, and 1/2 oz of dried tomatoes, which I rehydrated, and blended with 1 c water. I added about 4 tb flat leaf parsley, 3 tb fresh marjoram, 1 tb fresh Syrian oregano (thyme scented), and a tb of fresh rosemary, all minced, and some crushed red pepper. The eggplant was stirred in, then the lid was sealed, and it was set to 15 min high pressure. I let the pressure release naturally, turned it off, then stirred it briefly, then stirred the sausage and mushrooms in. Then I set it on slow cook, high (basically a slow simmer), for 20 min. I stirred it briefly, then stirred in the grains, and simmered another minute or two. I let it sit, on off, for 10 more min, and then served it, with some grated locatelli cheese.
ImageRehydrating dried eggplant by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageTomato sauce, with the mushrooms, sausages, and re-hydrated eggplant added, to simmer. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageTomato mix, after simmering 20 minutes, with the cooked barley and spelt added, to simmer briefly. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished gruel, before topping with cheese. by pepperhead212, on Flickrk

ImageFinished dish, topped with locatelli by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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A couple nights ago I made a gumbo type dish in the Instant Pot. I started by cooking 1 1/4 c barley, in 3 1/2 c water, plus some salt, for 20 min., then let the pressure release naturally. Then I rinsed it, and it filled a quart soup container, and I put it in the fridge. I also thawed 2 pint containers of okra - still good from 2019! I rinsed it, to get the slime off, then I sprayed a NS wok with a little baker's spray, and cooked the okra over med-high heat for about 10 minutes, drying the okra, and browning it some. I cooled this, and refrigerated it.

Next day, I made the gumbo, which was going to be meatless, until I remembered some beef kielbasa I had in the fridge, so I diced that, and sautéed it on the low setting, too cook as much of the grease out as I could. I drained that on paper, then in some olive oil I sautéed on regular the onion and diced green bell pepper about 10 minutes, adding some garlic, the spices, and a small can of tomato paste, and stirred for 2 minutes. Then I added a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, rinsed the cans out with about a half cup of white vermouth, and mixed it in, then covered, and set the pressure cooker for 15 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally.

After this, I added the barley and okra, plus a half cup of lentils. I tasted it, added some soy sauce for salt, but it needed some acidity, so I added some amchur powder - an Indian ingredient used to add acidity, sort of like adding sour salt. I brought it to a boil in sauté mode, then put it on slow cook, high, to simmer for 20 min., to finish it.
ImageGumbo, before adding the quart of cooked barley, and 3 c of cooked okra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageBarley and okra, added to the gumbo. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageGumbo, simmered 15 minutes after adding the barley and okra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished barley gumbo. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

This stuff is almost better leftover, and I even had some for breakfast! I love things like this leftover.

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This is simply spicy chickpeas (and easier than it looks), and the term can be used to refer to the dish, or the spice mix used to make the dish, which is different everywhere, of course.

This isn't quite made entirely in the Instant Pot, but almost, and if I had made up a generous batch of that spice mix in advance, which I may do in the future, it would be entirely in the IP.

I first soaked the chickpeas overnight - not necessary, but helps keep the skin on, plus the baking soda helps with the gas! Then cooked them briefly - much longer if not soaked.

1 1/4 c dry chickpeas
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tb kosher salt
6 c water

Mix well, and soak overnight. Rinse well, and place in the IP, with 6 pieces of black kokum (optional - didn't really flavor it much - just the color-more sour from the pomegranate seeds), 5 c water, and 2 tsp salt. set on manual/pressure for 15 minutes, and let pressure release naturally.
ImageCooked chick peas, dark from the kokum in the water. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Meanwhile, make the masala:

measure out the following spices, while heating up the toasting pan over medium heat (my method for doing this, so I start with the hot pan) -
4 black cardamom pods
2" piece of Sri Lankan cinnamon, broken up
1 large, or 2 medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
5 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp pomegranate seeds (anardana)
1 tsp ajwain seeds
4 whole kashmiri or byadagi chilis

Toss the spices in the hot pan for about 2 minutes, until well toasted, tehn grind with the turmeric.

3/4 tsp turmeric, to be ground with the toasted spices
ImageSpices for chana masala by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageSpices for chana masala, toasted. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageGround up spices, for chana masala. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Next, release any pressure in the IP (shouldn't be any), drain the chickpeas, saving some of the liquid (I only used about a cup of it for this, but it's still good).

The remaining ingredients:

3 tb oil
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped, or a 14 1/2 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb low fat ground beef (optional, if a vegetarian dish, cook more chickpeas with it)
salt, to adjust flavor
amchur powder, or lemon juice, to adjust the sour

Chopped cilantro, minced ginger, and chopped onion, for garnish, as desired.

Heat oil on sauté in IP, and cook the ginger and garlic a minute or so, then add onion, and cook about 5 minutes, until it starts to brown; add the meat, and cook until red is gone, chopping up any large pieces.
ImageSpices added to the meat mix, for chana masala. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Add masala, and cook, stirring, until aromatic, and totally mixed up with the meat, then add the tomatoes, and mix well. Turn off, then on sauté/low, to cook a few minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the chickpeas, adding a little of the chana cooking liquid, to make it a little liquidy (it will cook down), bring it to a fast simmer, then turn off, and on slow cook fast mode - this keeps it at a fairly fast simmer, without needing constant attention. Adjust the salt, and let it simmer for 15-20 min. (I put a splatter screen over it here). Adjust the flavor of the salt, and the sour here (with the amchur or lemon juice), mash a little of the chickpeas in it, to thicken it, if desired, and serve with roti, naan, or over rice, with some cilantro, chopped onion, and/or minced ginger.
ImageFinished chana masala, with tomatoes fairly broken down. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made some Navy bean soup today, using some of that ham I butchered yesterday (I bought two sale hams, to stock up for things like soups and jambalaya), and some of the ham stock I made, using a bunch of those scraps and fat. I froze the two main bones of each ham, for later soups, plus all the skins, plus just under 10 lbs (158 oz) of chunks of meat, most in about 1 lb batches, a few 8 oz, or slightly over, and a few 12 oz. All but one of those Foodsaver packs fit into a 2 gal Ziploc - sort of like a puzzle! And I used a bunch of the smaller scraps of meat in that soup tonight.

All of the rest of the scraps and small bones I put in the Instant Pot, and covered with water, added some seasoning (but no salt, of course!), and pressure cooked for 80 minutes, letting it release naturally. I scooped all the meat out with a fine strainer, and the flavor was almost totally gone, so it worked - most was in the broth! I put it on the back porch - cold last night, fortunately - and early this morning, the ¼" or so of fat just peeled right off the top! I got just over 3 quarts of broth, not too salty, surprisingly, so 2 quarts are in the freezer, the other 5 quarts are for today's soup.

The soup was made using Milk Street's quick soak method in the IP - place beans in the pot with 6 c water, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 2 tsp salt, and set for 5 min pressure cook. When done, release pressure, drain, and rinse. On sauté mode in some oil or other fat, cook onions, garlic, or whatever is going in the beans, return the beans, along with liquids, then, either pressure cook them again, to do this fast, or, like I did today, set it on slow cook mode. I sometimes will also put some grain in later on (this time I put in some black quinoa, to thicken it some, and add some nutrition), and also add the ham later on, so all the flavor won't cook out of it.

I also made some cornbread to have with the soup, adding a little chipotle, and some roasted, peeled green chiles.

ImageCornbread, with a little chipotle and roasted green chiles. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageGreen chile and chipotle cornbread, cut. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageNavy bean soup, with ham and quinoa added towards the end of the cooking. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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I don't have an instant pot but I do have pressure cookers. I am sure IP have safety features built in as well. But you do have to read the instructions before using a pressure cooker or IP. One of the instructions on a pressure cooker is to always examine the rubber seal for cracks or other damage as well as replacing the over pressure valve (mine was rubberl) and the seal every 5 years whether it needed it or not. I did have a bunch of hot liquid come out of the pressure valve once, but it was totally my fault. I accidentally knocked the pressure weight off the valve moving the pot when it was still hot. Lesson there is not to move the pot until it is cooled enough to handle. I have had more problems with getting up to pressure because if the pot is too full the safety prevents it from building pressure and the lid has to be on correctly and sealed tight. You also cannot open the lid if there is still high pressure in the pot.
It does sound nice to have different options, but too many options complicates things. KIS.

Your dishes look wonderful. I was wondering what happens to herbs when you put them in early. Dried herbs usually don't matter much but fresh herbs usually look better added at the end of cooking with the heat off.

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@imafan, I used to have old Presto PCs, and remember all those things you mentioned. I also remember certain things, like beans and some grains, that tend to foam up, we were always told not to fill the pot more than half, and anything else no more than 3/4. I follow the same thing with the IP, plus I let the foamy things let their pressure release naturally. I actually had to replace the silicone seal after about 3-4years - the thing seems to have shrunk, and it wasn't sealing unless I pressed down on the lid, and the seal popped up. As soon as I replaced that circular seal, it worked fine. I have two more spares, that I got in a set of several other IP items - a steamer basket, steam diverter, egg steamer cups, and probably something that I forgot! The diverter and basket I use much of the time.

Oh yeah - on that fresh herb thing. I usually use a generous amount early on, like in this one, with 2 tb of minced sage, but a smaller amount, often just added when served. When I freeze batches of things like that I stir a bit into the pint containers, except for things that I can always get fresh in my hydroponics, like basils, or the rosemary outside.

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Navy Beans & corn bread sure do sound good, it reminds me when my mother use to cook beans in the pressure cooker. She cooked the bone until it dissolved into the liquid. After she learned Navy Beans taste much better than Great Northern beans she never cooked northern beans ever again. After cooking beans & ham add onion for 15 minutes then add spices for 15 minutes its ready to eat. Put corn bread on your plate then pour beans with plenty of juice over the corn bread, with plenty of ham. It is so good.

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A lot of things today from the garden.

Today I made a one dish pasta dish, in the Instant Pot, based on a recipe from Milk Street's book Fast & Slow. I saw them do this on a show yesterday, and remembered that it was one that I marked to make, once I started getting my cherry tomatoes coming in.

I changed it, but only slightly. I increased the tomatoes and garlic slightly, plus I added just a tsp of minced fresh rosemary to the 2 tb of fresh sage. I also changed the type of pasta - I never have bucatini on hand! The gemelli did well, but I wasn't sure how it would work - it was hard to get it all under the water, as recommended. Turns out, it cooked evenly, so nothing to worry about.

Here's the changed recipe. A change I'll make next time is switch the crushed red pepper flakes to some morita flakes I often use, since this has the smoked paprika in it, but that smokiness wasn't really noticeable. Not much color in it, because about 90% of the tomatoes are many of those gold tomatoes I grew. But they do have incredible flavor. Didn't use any sunsugars, since that has more sugar, but less flavor.

Instant Pot Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Sage

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 large or 3 medium bay leaves
20 oz halved cherry tomatoes, about 2 pints
1 tb kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 cups water
2 tb fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
Sharved Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

A. Heat the olive oil in the IP on sauté/high mode. When it begins to shimmer, add the garlic, bay leaves, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the garlic just turns to a golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, and water, and stir to mix. Then add the pasta, and stir it in, pressing the pieces below the surface as well as you can. Hit cancel, then cover the pot. Set manual high, for 5 minutes.

B. When finished, vent the steam, then open the pot. Stir in 4 tsp sage, and the rosemary, plus the smoked paprika. Re-cover for 3 minutes, then test the pasta for doneness; if necessary, cover another minute or two. Adjust salt (remembering the pecorino is coming later), and remove bay leaves, before serving, putting a pinch of the reserved sage on top of each bowl, along some shredded pecorino.
ImagePasta with cherry tomatoes and fresh sage, made in the Instant Pot. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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I made another one dish pasta meal today in the Instant Pot. This was an Italian style dish, for which I thawed some Italian sausage I had found in my refrigerator freezer; not where I usually keep it, but still good, since it was vacuum sealed. I also got several red bells, which are good in this type of dish. I added seasonings to the sausage, as always! Some of the garlic, sage, and rosemary, that went into the sauce, went into the sage, along with 1/2 tb of wine vinegar - a favorite addition of mine, learned from Mexican chorizo. I cooked that first, on high sauté, then removed, and made the sauce, starting on medium sauté, cooking a chopped onion, adding a large chopped red bell pepper. After about 8 minutes, I added 2 large minced cloves of garlic, and about 2 tsp each minced sage and rosemary (another tsp of each went into the meat), and 2 tb tomato paste, which I cooked until it was totally mixed up, and starting to stick. 1/2 c dry verouth was used to deglaze, then a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes was added, plus 2 fresh bay leaves. Then I covered it, set to 10 minutes on manual, then released quickly, when finished. I then returned the sausage to the pot, about 3 tb chopped parsley, plus 3 c water, I rinsed the can out with. Added a little salt (didn't really need much, with the sausage and canned tomatoes), and 1 lb dry pasta - I used small shell, this time - and mixed well. Then covered, sealed, and set to manual 5 minutes. When done, I stirred in about 3 tb minced basils - about 1/4 of it Thai basil, to add some more anise flavor. Then I served it with grated pecorino. Absolutely delicious, and easy, as well!
ImageSweet Italian sausage, cooked on high saute, in the Instant Pot, for a pasta dish. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageOnion and red bell pepper, cooked in olive oil, on medium saute mode, in IP. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageSauce with a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, added to the sauteed seasonings, and cooked 10 minutes in high, then released quickly. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageBasils being added to the cooked pasta dish - a little steamy, since it was just added! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageInstant Pot pasta, just after mixing in the basils. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageInstant Pot pasta, ready to eat! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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I made chili today, since it was National Chili Day!
I got 1 1/2 lbs of beef and 1 lb of ground venison out of the freezer. While thawing gradually in the MW, I set up 1 1/2 c black beans to cook in the IP for just 20 min. This way, they were still firm, but ready to finish the cooking in the chili.

I browned the beef over maximum heat - despite being watery, from freezing, it eventually browned, though I set off some smoke alarms while doing it! The onion went in next, followed by the garlic, then the minced up green chiles. I deglazed the pan, and all that went into the IP. Then the spices, a little more water, salt to taste, then it all simmered on high slow cook for 2 1/2 hrs. This mode keeps it at a simmer, about what I get in a Dutch oven in the oven at about 280°, which is what I've always liked with chili, and some other stews. I thickened it with about 4 tb masa harina, with some of the liquid mixed with it in a bowl, then added back to the chili, mixed well, and simmered another 5 minutes or so. During this cooking, I heated some fresh corn tortillas, and these are always my favorite serve these with chili.
ImageBrowned beef for the chili, before browning the ground venison. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageAll the meat for the chili. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageNext with the onion. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Image1 1/2 tb garlic, plus 1/3 c roasted, peeled chiles, frozen from last season. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageAdding 3 types of pure chili powder, plus some sweet paprika. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageEverything added to the Instant Pot, ready to simmer. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageHeated tortillas, to eat with the chili. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished chili, after thickening with 1/4 c masa harina. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished chili, with a little shredded cheese. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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Today I made a one dish meal, using that sauce I made a few days ago, with mushrooms and Italian sausage, made with venison. I thinned it with some white wine, and a little water, then added some pearl barley, and whole sorghum, and pressure cooked it for 25 minutes. After the pressure released naturally, I stirred in a bunch more chopped basil, and served with some grated pecorino. It was a little thinner than I wanted, but it will thicken when refrigerated, and I'll have a good amount of leftovers in the next few days.
ImageOne dish meal, using the leftover pasta sauce from a couple of days ago, adding barley and sorghum grain. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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It's not soup weather today, but I made some anyway! I had 1 lb of cremini I wanted to use up, and I made it with some rosemary, thyme, parsley, leaf celery, and some Swiss chard from the garden, and 3 kinds of lentils, kamut, and some diced potatoes. I cooked the kamut first, in the IP, then drained it, and cooked the lentils, starting with the usual onion, followed by the garlic, some tomato paste, and other seasonings briefly, then the water and lentils. Cooked those for 12 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally. During that time, I prepared the mushrooms and potatoes, then added them to the IP, along with the cooked kamut, and simmered about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes were tender. It tasted like it had meat in it, but there was no meat or broth in it. I served it with some grated parmesan.
ImageSoup made with cremini, 3 lentils, kamut, and some potatoes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made a comfort food for lunch today in the IP - a chipotle cheese porridge, with some grits, steel cut oats, and some red lentils, for protein. I put 3 canned chipotles and a tb of salsa negra (made with moritas, garlic, and piloncillo) into the blender with a cup of water and a clove of garlic, and blended 'til smooth. Then I rinsed out the blender until I had enough water, and put the 3/4 c ea of the grits and steel cut oats, plus 1/3 c red lentils into the Instant Pot together, then added some salt (though more will go in with the cheese), and set to cook 4 minutes in "porridge" mode, then let the pressure release naturally. Then stirred in a generous cup of mild cheddar, and the very end of the pecorino grated, about 1/3 c.
ImageA chipotle porridge, made with grits, steel cut oats, and a little red lentils, for protein. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made some chili, due to the cool weather starting up again. I used some frozen venison - a friend called me up to see if I had any room in my freezer (he got a very early deer this morning), and I told him it's packed, and that made me realize I had to start using what I have! So I thawed 1 1/2 lbs he gave me last season, and made some chili in the IP, with standard ingredients - onions, garlic, maybe 5 different dried chiles, a couple chopped jalapeños, Mexican oregano, and about half a disk of Mexican chocolate, before pressure cooking the meat 30 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally. I also added a large can of pintos, after the meat was cooked by itself, and simmered it with some masa harina added to thicken it. And some corn tortillas, as always!

ImageVenison chili, 1 1/2 lbs meat, with 30 oz pinto beans. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageVenison chili, with a couple of charred corn tortillas. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made another one of those IP pasta dishes, one I've made before with the cherry tomatoes and sage, but this time with just under 12 oz of pasta, and a cup of dried black chickpeas, soaked over 12 hours, then cooked on its own, to stir in at the end. It was based on a dish I had made before, from Milk Street, with over a quart of halved cherry tomatoes, 6 sliced cloves of garlic, and 3 tb freshly chopped sage (increased by me, as original recipe was bland), and a tsp of chopped fresh rosemary (added by me). I also used 3 fresh bay leaves (instead of 2 dry).

The chickpeas I started soaking yesterday with a small amount of baking soda, and a larger amount of salt in the water. Then today, I rinsed them, and cooked them in the IP for 60 min, and it was ready to open after 18 minutes, and I drained and rinsed them again, and let them wait. While cooking, I got the tomatoes cut, and the rest of the ingredients ready.

I rinse the pot out, let it dry from the heat, then add 4 tb olive oil, and set for sauté/high. Stir in the 6 sliced garlic cloves, and cook until golden, adding the 3 bay leaves toward the end. Also stir in the tsp of rosemary at this time, and after about 30 sec, add the generous quart of halved cherry tomatoes, and 2 c water, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tb kosher salt, then 12 oz pasta. Mix well, pressing down, and when it starts bubbling, hit cancel, stir again, and put the lid on, setting the seal. Set manual for 5 min, and when finished, release pressure. Remove lid, mix well, adding 2 tb chopped fresh sage, and a tsp of smoked paprika, then put the drained chickpeas on top, and replace lid, unsealed. Let sit 3 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Serve with some grated pecorino, and a little more sage, for garnish.
ImageA little over of a cup of black chickpeas, soaked over 12 hours, then pressure cooked 1 hour, and still al dente! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Imagestarting the IP pasta dish, with a large number of sliced garlic cloves, peppers, and bay leaves, in olive oil. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageOver a quart of halved cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp minced rosemary stirred in, and 12 oz of 2 pastas, plus 2 c water, before cooking 5 minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe pasta pressure cooked for 5 minutes, with the tomatoes and garlic, almost ready, but the sage and smoked paprika to be stirred in, with the chickpeas. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished dish, with some pecorino, and a little more sage, to top it. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made a comfort food for dinner - a one dish meal, with 2 dals, a bunch of greens, the rest of that batch of congee I made a couple nights ago, and a little more of that quinoa. Seasoned with some of that rasam powder I made a while ago, with some garam masala at the end. Blended it up, before tempering, and adding cilantro.

ImageDal, with greens, and the leftover congee added, blended, then the tarka added, with the cilantro. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made something with the absolute last of my cherry tomatoes, almost all of which had ripened - only 2 stayed green out of all those. And only 8 went bad, in all the time they sat on the tray, to ripen, while I got about 2 pints, when I halved them.

I made another one of those batches of Instant Pot pasta, but I used less pasta, and added some channa dal, which I cooked while prepping the other ingredients. I also added just over 8 oz mushrooms, also cooked separately, and added later. And minced together about 2 tsp fresh rosemary, and 1½ tsp fresh sage, and set aside with 3 fresh bay leaves.

Started on sauté with about 1 tb minced garlic and 1 tsp crushed red peppers in 3 tb EVOO briefly, until just getting golden, about a minute, then the 4 c halved tomatoes, and 2 1/3 c water, and 2 tsp salt. Added 10 oz penne pasta, bay leaves, and half the herbs, stirred until all was under water. Hit OFF, then MANUAL, and set for 5 minutes, and closed the pot.

After 5 minutes, I release the pressure, remove the lid, then stirred in the pre-cooked lentils and mushrooms, and the remaining herbs, and stirred 3 minutes, and tasted for seasoning (needed a little more salt). Served with some pecorino grated on top. Would have minced a little more sage for topping, but I really didn't want to go out there for any more at that time! I'll get more for leftovers.
ImageThe absolute last of my cherry tomatoes, about 4 c halved. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageJust over a half pound of mushrooms, and 2 c of cooked channa dal, to be added to the pasta. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished pasta dish. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished pasta dish, served with some pecorino topping. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made a one dish meal in the IP today - a batch of Navy bean soup today, using up some bacon and a piece of Polish sausage in the freezer, plus almost 2 c of that brown rice/barley, left in the fridge, from another dish. I started with the diced bacon, then added the onions after it was almost browned, and cooked about 5 minutes. Then added a tb each of minced garlic and rosemary, and 2 tb of gochujang, and cooked about a minute, before deglazing with 5 c chicken broth. Then I added a cup of Navy beans, and a generous half cup of those dried long beans, from the garden, then I added 2 fresh bay leaves. I pressure cooked them 25 minutes, then let pressure release 18 minutes, before opening. Then I added the polish sausage, quartered, and cut into half inch pieces, and the rice and barley mix. I then cooked it on slow cooker/high for about an hour.
ImageBean soup, with some Navy beans and dried long beans, plus some cooked rice and barley mixed in. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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This cold weather makes this soup weather, so I made a batch of mushroom barley soup. I made it my usual way, starting with sautéeing an onion in EVOO in the Instant Pot. After 5 minutes or so, added about a tb of minced garlic, and a generous tb of tomato paste, and sautéed about 2 minutes, then added 7 cups of chicken broth, 3/4 c barley, 2 tb light soy (for part of the salt), a little Worcestershire sauce, then set the IP for 25 minutes on manual, and let release naturally.

While that was cooking, I cleaned the soaked boletus, then chopped them fine, and cooked the strained liquid and the boletus down, while washing, and quartering the mushrooms. Added them to the last tb of liquid, then steamed briefly, then removed the lid, added 2 tsp olive oil, and when the water boils off, sauté 6 or 7 minutes, then set aside, until barley is done. I then took some of the broth and rinsed all the fond out of the pan, and added that, and the mushrooms to the IP. Then I added about 3 tb black quinoa (only to empty a jar) and 4 tb masoor dal, adjusted the salt, then simmered 20 minutes, then added 12 oz frozen peas, and cooked 5 more minutes. I then added about 4 tb of chopped parsley, and added a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, to finish it.
ImageA lb of mushrooms, cooked with almost an ounce of dried boletus, ready to add to the soup. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageMushroom barley soup. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I had some broccoli florets to use up, along with some red bell peppers, so I made a one dish salad, using those, and some barley and channa dal, and I made some pesto, from the hydroponics basil. I also added some garlic chives at the end, which are starting to grow out there now. I cooked it all in the Instant Pot, the barley first, then the dal, then just steamed the broccoli, while getting the rest of the ingredients ready.
ImageA barley, channa dal, broccoli, and bell pepper salad, with pesto. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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Today I made some boiled peanuts to snack on, these I seasoned with chipotles and moritas, plus a little ground cumin and coriander - a spice mix I make for Indian cooking, but I use it in Mexican cooking, too. I also added some dried tomatoes, and blended those smooth with some dried moritas and a couple of canned chipotles, plus about 2 c water. I emptied that onto the lb of raw peanuts, and pressure cooked them in the Instant Pot for 45 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally.

ImageChipotle flavored boiled peanuts. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

pepperhead212
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I made a Mexican dish today, started in the Instant Pot with a chopped onion in some oil, followed by some minced garlic and some Mexican oregano, followed by some guajillo and some morita flakes, cooked for about a minute. Then the liquid was added - I had about 3/4 oz of dried tomatoes, soaked in 2 c hot water, then blended smooth, with 3 canned chipotles. The blender was rinsed out with 3 more cups water, and added to the IP, along with 1 c channa dal, and 1/2 c kamut (just to use up the end of the jar). I seasoned it with some salt, that cumin/coriander powder I use for Indian dishes, and set to pressure cook 15 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.

While cooking, I cut up a lot of those greens - all of the arugula and kale, cutting off the tough stems, and most of the mizuna, that doesn't have tough stems. I just cut them into about 1/2" pieces. I got about 3 qts of pieces I added to the lentils, and cooked it down about 15 minutes. Then I made some tacos, on some corn tortillas, toasted on an open flame, along with some queso fresco, and some leaf lettuce.
ImageAbout 3 quarts chopped up greens, added to a batch of channa dal, cooked with chipotle and guajillo flavored sauce. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageA taco made with some lentils and chipotle sauce, with greens added, and cooked down, topped with some queso fresco and lettuce. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

imafan26
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I saw a video that compared the cost effectiveness (I.e. energy use) of different cooking modes regular oven, IP, toaster oven, slow cooker. The IP won. They all used the most power when they preheat, but because the IP is on for the shortest time, it used less power over time. The slow cooker was the less energy efficient mainly because it is on longer.

I don't know if a microwave would have come in second, but it would have been my first choice for versatility for what it can cook. I am again considering getting an IP, but maybe I will see if I can find a second hand one or get one when the price comes down a bit more. The cheapest one is about $100. The price is coming down. It's main function is to save time.

For me, that is not an issue since I don't have to babysit my rice cooker and it can make rice in less than 30 minutes. Actually, I can make a one pot meal in a rice cooker in that time. My 5 cup rice cooker is small and has a smaller footprint and more durability.

I also have a couple of pressure cookers which I use to make soup stock and Portuguese Bean Soup. Six quarts is not going to be enough. As it is, I only use the pressure cooker to cook the hocks because I can cook the smoked hocks in 45 minutes vs 5 hours on the stove. I still have to use the twenty quart pot to finish the soup. I don't know how to make less. I've made saimin broth with a 6 quart pressure cooker. It is good, but not enough broth.

Right now, I don't think I'll get enough use of the IP to make it worthwhile. There aren't enough things I need to pressure cook where the shorter time will make a difference. Reviewers said that that it does not saute as well as a stove top pot and the preheat time on IP can make the actual cooking time longer than using a stove top pressure cooker. They made stew as a test and the stove top pressure cooker got the meat browned and more tender in a shorter time.

I can wait for the price to come down a bit more and for the features to get better. I also have to look around for recipes where an IP would make better sense.

I use the microwave oven for most things. I can actually cook rice in the microwave, but it is too messy, so I would rather use the rice cooker. My new microwave was pricey but but it microwaves, convection oven bakes, toasts, and it even has an air fryer mode. I haven't tried all of those functions yet either because I haven't had any reason to use it.

pepperhead212
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If you don't make that many recipes using pressure cooking, the IP would not be for you. If you made a lot of legume and whole grain dishes, like me, you could definitely make good use of it. I don't make many stews, but when I do, I make them in a Dutch oven, and I have a 9 qt Dutch oven for when making a large batch of something (plus some smaller ones). It is definitely better to brown meat on the stovetop. But the sauté mode in the IP works fine for basic things, like starting out the onions or mirepoix in soups and the like, and I make a lot of one dish meals in it. You just have to figure out when to put the different types of ingredients in, that cook different times, but that's true with any types of cooking.

imafan26
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Thanks Pepperhead. That is kind of what I am thinking too. Most of the videos I see with people using the IP, it is to save time and they are either making stewed dishes or cooking rice. While it does cook rice faster, it really is not worth if for me to trade in my rice cooker just to get it done faster. I don't need fancy rice, if I did, I would get the zojirushi, but I am not that particular about rice. You can get perfect rice in a rice cooker if you use the right ratio of rice to water and if you get good rice. I am using mainly Calrose rice, which is not the best rice to start with. However, a pandan leaf can make it taste like better rice. A little sake will make the rice more tender and last longer. I do more with the rice cooker than just cook rice too. Short grain rice is the staple rice. Some people will add a few grains of glutinous rice to make it softer and a little sweeter. I actually prefer the rice to stick together and absorbs and does not repel gravy like some long grain rice does.

The one thing that I do is make stews and spaghetti on the stove top. It takes less time than the slow cooker and I don't get the mushy vegetables from the slow cooker or the pressure cooker.

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Gary350
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Instant Pot = IP is just an old fashion pressure cooker that operates on electricity instead of cooking on the kitchen stove top. My grandmother & mother had a pressure cooker. Electric pressure cookers came out in the 1970s but they were never popular for some reason. I have 2 old pressure cookers that we have not used in 3 years. Slow cooker = crock pot. We have 2 of the new type slow cookers they heat up in about 10 minutes instead of 2 hours. I have a rice cooker that I never use, rice is very easy to make in a pan on top of the stove in 30 minutes. Too many gadgets in our small kitchen & not enough space. I like Jasmine rice best. Legume = beans are very easy to cook if you soak beans over night then slow cook them the next day. Slow cooker = crock pot is just a tiny electric kitchen oven, sometimes I bake bread in it. Anything you cook in a pot on the stove top or in the kitchen oven can be cooked in a slow cooker. Our kitchen is small the old pressure cookers & rice cooker are in the garage. I bought a new rice cooker 10 years ago and it has never been used, new in box it sets in the garage up on top shelf. When IP first came out there were so many of them exploding we were afraid to have one. 4 people we know had 2nd & 3rd degree burns from their IP explosion that was several years ago. I have not heard of IP explosion in a very long time factory must have fixed the problem. Years ago we use to put, meat, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, in the slow cooker before going to work every morning, when we returned home 9 or 10 hours later dinner was ready to eat. We still cook in the slow cooker, anything you cook on the stove top or in the oven you can cook in the crock pot = slow cooker. Wife cooks in the slow cooker about 6 days every week it is a work saver. It only takes 5 minutes to put a few items in the slow cooker then dinner is ready to eat when you walk in the door a few hours later & you can't accidently burn or over cook anything. The old pressure cooker was fast but you had to stay home to keep an eye on things, I'm not sure about instant pot can you leave home for 5 to 9 hours?

Its funny, change pressure cooker name to instant pot and 50 years later the new generation think it is the greatest thing ever invented. LOL.
Last edited by Gary350 on Tue Mar 14, 2023 2:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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applestar
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…I’m not sure if pepperhead212 qualifies as “new generation” (nudge nudge wink wink :> )

But I appreciate what you are saying @Gary350 — most of these cooking methods have been around for a very long time. You know, I kind of think these newfangled “intelligent” electronic cooking gadgets are probably making the new generation chefs “summer” …(OK what did you do @webmaster — I’ve tried several times to input the word that rhymes with summer but either the forum or my left thumb is refusing to let me hit the letter “d” :lol:)… less intelligent. :wink:

The electronics have pre-programmed functions that are automatically programmed to cook different foods and recipes. No need to remember temperatures, time to cook, when to change temperatures or stop cooking.

Not only microwave ovens and these smaller cooking appliances — but I’m seeing IH stoves like that only have you set temperature to heat contents of pot as designated (it has temperature sensors) or even select food being cooked, etc. and it’ll tell you how long it will cook and be done.

I’m just waiting for the inevitable to be considered obsolete by DD’s for trying to teach them how to cook from recipes…. :D

pepperhead212
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apple I see you posted while I was getting mine ready!

The Instant Pot is much more than just a pressure cooker. While many of those "modes" (which I haven't even used) are just another pre-set pressure cooker time, it also has a rice cooker mode, and a "porridge" mode, which heats up slower, to keep from making whatever it is stick. It also has a low pressure, which can be used for some whole grains, to keep them from exploding. It also has a slow cooker mode, a low, medium, and high setting for that. I only use that occasionally, like when cooking channa dal for salads in the summer - it's easier to not overcook them, than when pressure cooking them, but for soups and curries it doesn't matter how soft they get, so then I always pressure cook them. I have never been a fan of dumping a bunch of uncooked ingredients in a crock pot, and cooking it 10 hours - sautéeing onions, garlic, and things like that make for much better things, along with browning the meats. The IP has a sauté mode - low, medium, and high - which is great for those vegetables, but not really large enough to brown much meat or poultry - a CI pan on the stove is still best for that. This is also a great way to make yogurt, if that is in your menu - I make 4 pints of it at a time. It also has a setting in yogurt mode to make jiu niang - fermented glutinous rice, which is not in most people's menus, but the 90° it stays at makes it useful for sprouting some seeds, like pepper, bitter melon, and others that like heat! This can also be used as a place to ferment the rice and urad dal, for making idli and similar things, in Indian cooking.

With all these things it can be used for, the pressure cooking is what I use it for most. And one good thing about that mode, after the time is up, the heat goes down to a keep warm mode, where it stays for up to 10 hrs. Not that I ever left it that long!

Vanisle_BC
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If we're talking about earlier generations - 'gen?' - Granny had no electronics AND no need of written recipes!

pepperhead212
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And not much variety - the reason for those small markets in the old days. They started getting larger as I was a teenager, but even later when a lot of the ethnic foods started showing up in the supermarkets. And trying to cook all those things would be hard to do without recipes of some sort!

Vanisle_BC
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My recollection of early 'instant pots' - I.e. pressure cookers - involves hot jam all over the kitchen ceiling. The pressure relief must have got clogged and the safety valve blew out. Luckily no one was in the kitchen when it happened: There could have been horrible burns. I'm not sure jam making was even a valid use for the thing. Mother was very careful with it after that.

Both my grannies lived through 2 world wars: For much of the time food variety was just a vague concept. Making something appetising out of the meager rations was the issue. I well remember the 'apple pie' made with turnips and a bit of sugar. Fooled no one!

Sorry for wandering off topic.

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Don’t be @Vanisle_BC. It’s important to be reminded and remember to appreciate what we do have.



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