“Instant” Indian Food
I love Indian food – the variety, the spices, the vegetables! My husband and I make it a point to eat at every Indian restaurant we can, whether around the corner, in another state, or another country. The food and flavors are rich and enjoyable. My husband leans towards meat dishes while I prefer vegetarian ones (although I am not a vegetarian by any means – I just love the variety of vegetables and how they can be combined with fantastic spices to create so many wonderful dishes).
Unfortunately, eating out isn’t cheap so after I bought an Instant Pot, I was ready to finally try Indian cooking for myself! For those who do not know, an Instant Pot is a digitally programmable pressure cooker with multiple additional functions like a slow cooker and yogurt maker.
Wary of new and different ingredients and the amount of prep and cook time for some of my favorite restaurant meals, I was worried that my foray into Indian cooking would be a disaster. Thankfully, I had several cookbooks from the library as guides.
I searched “Indian instant pot” in the library’s catalog and put a hold on everything I could find. Some books were officially made in conjunction with Instant Pot itself, which was very helpful to a new Instant Pot user like me as they explained in detail the apparatus and its settings. Other books had unique recipes that were not “traditional” Indian meals but a blend of common Indian spices and basic proteins.
Here are three of the Indian Instant Pot cookbooks I used and my favorite recipe from each.
The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Archana Mundhe
This book is authorized by Instant Pot and has a section about how to use your Instant Pot as well as a “troubleshooting” guide. I made Curried Cauliflower with Peas (Gobhi Matar) from this book. It was a quick and easy meal that was filling and flavorful. The cauliflower absorbed the tomato and garlic flavors and was tempered with the slightly sweet taste of the peas. Pair this meal with basmati rice (that you can also make in the Instant Pot) and you have a quick and savory meal.
Indian Instant Pot Cookbook: Traditional Indian Dishes Make Easy and Fast by Urvashi Pitre
Another cookbook officially recognized by Instant Pot, this one has classic dishes like Cauliflower and Potatoes (Aloo Gobi) and Chicken Korma (chicken in a rich, creamy sauce). I opted for a time-honored vegetarian dish, Kichadi (lentils and rice). Kichadi is an easily digestible comfort food for young and old alike. The mild moong dal provides plenty of protein and blends well with the cumin seeds, salt, and turmeric. The author also recommends adding peanuts for additional flavor.
Madhur Jaffery’s Instantly Indian Cookbook: Modern and Classic Recipes for the Instant Pot by Madhur Jaffery
I found this book to be more advanced than the others I’ve reviewed, both in the types of recipes offered and the assumed knowledge of the Instant Pot. A lot of these recipes seem to be adapted by Jaffery for the Instant Pot or created especially for it by combining a few age-old ones and making something new. Alongside a recipe for Dal Makhani (Buttery Lentils) – commonly served at many Indian restaurants - you can also find recipes for Sweet, Hot, & Sour Eggplants and Squid in a Tomato-Chili Sauce. I used the recipe for Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) to make a filling meal of tender chicken in a creamy tomato sauce for my family to enjoy with rice.
Please share your favorite Instant Pot recipes from around the globe in the comments below!
Unfortunately, eating out isn’t cheap so after I bought an Instant Pot, I was ready to finally try Indian cooking for myself! For those who do not know, an Instant Pot is a digitally programmable pressure cooker with multiple additional functions like a slow cooker and yogurt maker.
Wary of new and different ingredients and the amount of prep and cook time for some of my favorite restaurant meals, I was worried that my foray into Indian cooking would be a disaster. Thankfully, I had several cookbooks from the library as guides.
I searched “Indian instant pot” in the library’s catalog and put a hold on everything I could find. Some books were officially made in conjunction with Instant Pot itself, which was very helpful to a new Instant Pot user like me as they explained in detail the apparatus and its settings. Other books had unique recipes that were not “traditional” Indian meals but a blend of common Indian spices and basic proteins.
Here are three of the Indian Instant Pot cookbooks I used and my favorite recipe from each.
This book is authorized by Instant Pot and has a section about how to use your Instant Pot as well as a “troubleshooting” guide. I made Curried Cauliflower with Peas (Gobhi Matar) from this book. It was a quick and easy meal that was filling and flavorful. The cauliflower absorbed the tomato and garlic flavors and was tempered with the slightly sweet taste of the peas. Pair this meal with basmati rice (that you can also make in the Instant Pot) and you have a quick and savory meal.
Another cookbook officially recognized by Instant Pot, this one has classic dishes like Cauliflower and Potatoes (Aloo Gobi) and Chicken Korma (chicken in a rich, creamy sauce). I opted for a time-honored vegetarian dish, Kichadi (lentils and rice). Kichadi is an easily digestible comfort food for young and old alike. The mild moong dal provides plenty of protein and blends well with the cumin seeds, salt, and turmeric. The author also recommends adding peanuts for additional flavor.
I found this book to be more advanced than the others I’ve reviewed, both in the types of recipes offered and the assumed knowledge of the Instant Pot. A lot of these recipes seem to be adapted by Jaffery for the Instant Pot or created especially for it by combining a few age-old ones and making something new. Alongside a recipe for Dal Makhani (Buttery Lentils) – commonly served at many Indian restaurants - you can also find recipes for Sweet, Hot, & Sour Eggplants and Squid in a Tomato-Chili Sauce. I used the recipe for Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) to make a filling meal of tender chicken in a creamy tomato sauce for my family to enjoy with rice.
Please share your favorite Instant Pot recipes from around the globe in the comments below!
- Liz, Hightstown Branch
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