Instantpot Sambar

I specifically prepared this post for my hubby dear, as he wanted to cook sambar on a special day using Instant pot (electric pressure cooker). He made sambar using white pumpkin (200 gm) and tomato (2 nos). 

This is a step by step procedure and sure it will help anyone to cook sambar easily. 

Mixed vegetable sambar in Instant pot I made earlier 

My hubby's White pumpkin sambar in Instant pot

1. To pressure cook first:

Toor dal (Thuvaram paruppu) - 3/4 cup. Wash 3 times

sesame oil - 1 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

hing (Asafetida)- 1/8 tsp

small garlic - peeled handful (optional)

See that the water stands 1 inch above dal.

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.

Time : 10 minutes

Set it to pressure cooking high and 10 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

2. To pressure cook next:

drumstick - 1 

Thai eggplant (round white or green with seeds) - 3

tomato - 2

green chili - 2

Tamarind - small gooseberry size

raw mango - 1/2 cup sliced

salt - to taste

sambar powder (2 tsp)- sakthi or achi brand or homemade (dissolved in 1/2 cup water or tamarind juice)

To temper:

Shallot -2 

curry leaf - few

ghee - 1 tbsp

mustard - 1 tsp

cumin - 1 tsp

fenugreek (methi seeds) - 1/2 tsp

dry red chilly -2

To garnish:

Jaggery / brown sugar - 1 tsp

cilantro - few

Method:

1.First pressure cook the dal to 10 mins in instantpot. (Oil is added for uniform cooking of dal. I suggest adding garlic in every food we cook, but it is optional only).

2.In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and cut them.

Extract juice from tamarind.

Soak the cut vegetables in tamarind juice and keep aside. (especially for brinjal (egg plant))

3.After the dal is cooked and the pressure subsides, open the cooker lid. (or release manually after 5 mins)

Using a spatula, mash the dal.

4.Start pressure cook setting (high pressure , 3 min). Lid should be open.

Add the items mentioned under part 2 (vegetables and tamarind).

Add sambar powder, salt to dal in cooker.

5.In the meantime prepare the tadka (tempering). Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small wok.

Add mustard, cumin, methi seeds and wait till mustard crackles.

Then add the slit shallots, / onion , curry leaf.  Saute till shallot gets mild red.

Add to cooker.

Close the lid. Let it cook.

After it switches off itself, release pressure manually after 5 mins or naturally.

After opening, check salt, add jaggery, cilantro, add if required chili powder 1/2 tsp.

Instantpot sambar is ready

Note: other vegetable combinations suitable for sambar are 

white pumpkin  200 gm + tomato 2

Beans 10 + carrot 1 + potato 1 + tomato 1

okra  15 + tomato 2 (little different - saute the okra and do not pressure cook it)

Shallot  15 + tomato 2 (onion sambar)

brinjal 4 + mango 1/2 + drumstick 1+ tomato 2

broad beans (avarakkai)  20 + tomato 2

yellow pumpkin and all native Indian vegetables together 300 gm (Kalyana sambar)

fried vadai sambar

Mullangi (radish 200 gm) sambar 

Spinach (small bunch / 2 cups chopped) sambar 

Bottle gourd 1/2 + tomato 1

Instant pot basic recipes and timings,

Electric pressure cooker (aka Instant pot) is the new hero in many households nowadays. Since its arrival, desi women have started 'fan clubs' for it :) . I too got two IP s , but still using both my traditional cookers too often. (Now since June 2020, traditional cookers are in my storage only😃). 
Still I don't believe that IP can totally replace the traditional pressure cooker of Indians. In my view IP is more safer for anyone who is new to cooking, it won't need much monitoring (switch off automatically) etc. But electric pressure cookers are more expensive than traditional cookers. Also the accessories for all brands of electric cookers are way more expensive than old cookers. 

Still I love electric pressure cookers , as it won't pollute the air inside the house. 

I thought I should write down some of the simple recipes and timings in this post, which I use regularly. (I will be updating this page often).

Links for Instant pot manual : Ultra 10 in 1 , Duo

Sarkarai pongal in Instant pot

Some terms in Instant pot:
NPR - natural pressure release (IP releases pressure in its own - this is more safer)
MPR - Manual pressure release (by turning the feature in weight valve)
Always be careful while releasing the pressure manually. I always suggest waiting a minimum of 10 minutes before opening.

Basmati rice:
Rice - 2 cups, Water - 2 cups 
number of cups of Water = number of cups of rice  
Rinse and add rice and water to Instant pot (directly to the inner pot given).
Choose pressure cooking, high pressure setting.
Set time to 3 minutes. Close lid . Check the pressure weight valve and keep it in sealing position)
After it finishes cooking, let cool for 5-10  minutes (NPR - natural pressure release).
Release excess steam manually now. Open the lid.
We can release pressure immediately also (no need for waiting time).
Gently loosen up the rice using a fork , by stirring it once.
Perfectly cooked rice is ready.

Toor dal (paruppu):
Toor dal - 1 cup, Water - 3 cups (thrice of dal).
(or) just see that the water stands 1 inch above dal.

Rinse the dal and clean it in water.  Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp hing , 1 onion (sliced), 3 green chilies, 1 tsp cumin.
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 7 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 7 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

Mutton (lamb):

Lamb loin (or any lamb / goat meat) - 1 lb , Water - let water stand 1 inch above mutton pieces. 

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 7  minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 7 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or open immediately by manual release mode or wait till pressure releases naturally.

Chicken curry:

Chicken with bones - 2 lb, Water - should be 1 inch above curry.

Prepare curry as per directions in any recipe (use saute' mode) . 

Add water for a curry consistency.
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 5 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 5 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

Chicken roast (sukka / dry curry):

Chicken with bones  or boneless - 2 lb, Water - should be just enough to cover curry.

Prepare the onion tomato masala as per directions in any recipe (use saute' mode) . 

Add chicken and saute.

Sprinkle water just enough to cover curry.

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time :3 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 3 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

Open the lid and set to saute mode to evaporate the standing liquid, to get a dry curry.

Hardboiled Egg (5-5-5 minutes rule):

using an egg rack for instant pot is more convenient. 

I got this from Walmart for $2 on clearance sale. 

Pour 2 cups of water in a 3 qt (or any) IP inner pot. Place the steel trivet inside (see images to understand what this means).
Place the eggs . (I keep a silicone IP egg cooking holder above the trivet and place the eggs on it).
Set to high pressure, pressure cooking mode, 5 minutes.
After it finishes cooking, wait 5 minutes, release steam manually.
Fill a separate bowl with cold water (tap water) and keep the eggs for 5 minutes.
Peel them off.
Perfect hard-boiled eggs are ready !

Oats:
Steel cut / old fashioned oats - 2 cups
water - 5 cups (cups of oats x 2 + 1 cup water)
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 5 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 5 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

Curd oats: (after it cooks, release pressure valve after 5 mins or naturally. 

For 2 adult serving : Take half of the cooked oats. Keep other  half in fridge for next day.

Then add 1/8 tsp salt ,1/4 tsp pink salt, 1/4 tsp cumin powder, 3 shakes of hing, yogurt 3/4 cup). Mix well. serve.) 

Dry peas (green or white pattani):
Dry peas - 1 cup, Water - 3 cups (thrice of dal).
(or) just see that the water stands 1 inch above dal.
Rinse the dal , Soak the peas overnight (or) Boil some 5 cups of water. Add the dry peas and keep it closed for an hour before cooking.
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 2 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 2 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

Green gram (whole moong  / paasi payaru):
green gram - 1 cup, Water - 3 cups (thrice of dal).
(or) just see that the water stands 1 /2 inch above dal.
Rinse and soak green gram overnight .
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 1 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 1 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .
If not soaked overnight,
Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 3 minutes
Set it to pressure cooking high and 3 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

Black beans:

Soak overnight.

Pour water in instantpot's cooking pot just to cover the beans (up to 1/2 inch above).

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 3 minutes 

Set it to pressure cooking high and 3 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately. Drain and discard the water immediately. (use beans immediately or freeze it). 

White Channa :

Soak overnight.

Pour water in instantpot's cooking pot just to cover the beans (up to 1 inch above).

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 12 minutes 

Set it to pressure cooking high and 12 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately. (Drain the water . Cool and use that water as fertilizer for plants).

Red Channa :

Soak overnight.

Pour water in instantpot's cooking pot just to cover the beans (up to 1 inch above).

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 8 minutes 

Set it to pressure cooking high and 8 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately. (Drain the water . Cool and use that water as fertilizer for plants).

Rajma: 

Soak overnight.

Pour water in instantpot's cooking pot just to cover the beans (up to 1 inch above).

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.
Time : 10 minutes 

Set it to pressure cooking high and 10 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately. (Drain the water . Cool and use that water as fertilizer for plants).

Sarkarai Pongal in Electric pressure cooker (Instant pot pongal)

I made Sarkarai pongal in Instant pot recently. After the arrival of Instant pot (IP) the electric pressure cookers have become a normal in many households. IP is very good for all kinds of Indian foods, so it has become some stylish and 'must have' gadget like an 'apple product' in the eyes of any desi in abroad.
I too love IP, just like any other new fancy gadget....If you are my regular reader , then you will know how much I admire cooking gadgets :)  LOL !

Apart from my shopoholism , Instant pot is really a necessary gadget for people who loves cooking in a schedule. Even though it works like a stove top pressure cooker, it has its own perks. Below are the points I like the best about IP.
1.Electric cooker is much safer.
2. It has automatic ON OFF features, so it is not necessary to count the whistles just like old times.
3. There is no whistle sound , this is much important if we have to cook in a silent environment :).
4.The smells are contained inside the pot and therefore the food smells and tastes better.
5. Food gets cooked much faster and we can be sure of the results.
6. Delay timer is a good option for many schedules.

Here is my recipe for sarkarai pongal.
In this recipe I have used my 3 qt DUO Instant pot. I cooked pacharisi rice  (raw rice) and moong dal in the IP. Then added the molten jaggery solution , tadka and boiled it for few minutes. This is the shortest narration :) Still read below for measurements and time , pressure settings !

Also check out my other versions on Sarkarai pongal
1 . Pressure Cooker pongal
2.  Simple pongal 
3.  Rich sarkarai pongal

Sarkarai Pongal made in Instant pot

Ingredients: (for 4-5 people)
Raw rice (pacharisi)  or Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup
green gram lentil (paasi paruppu)- 1/2 cup
whole milk - 2 cups
water - 3 cups
jaggery (Indian brown sugar ) - 250 gm (1/4 kg)
water - 1 cup
ghee -  1 tbsp
cashew - 5
almond - 5
raisins - 10
cardamom powder - 1 tsp
edible camphor (pachai karpooram) - a tiny pinch

Method:
In the Instant pot pressure cooker, choose the 'PRESSURE COOK' button.
Set the cooking time to 10 minutes in 'high pressure' setting.
Pour the milk and start cooking with lid open.

Meanwhile take the rice and dal together and rinse well. Add it to the milk.
Add 3 cups of water.
 Put the lid on. 
Check the weight valve and make sure that it is not in 'vent mode'.
After we place the lid , the IP will start heating and once the required pressure is achieved , we can see the safety valve rising up. It may take 5 minutes to reach this stage.
The Instant pot will automatically switch off after the set timings.
Now it may naturally release the pressure in about 20 minutes or we can manually release the pressure and open the lid.

In the meantime , put the jaggery and 1 cup water and bring to boil and let the jaggery melt.
Pour the clear jaggery solution to the cooked rice+dal in Instant pot.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a frying pan.
Add the chopped nuts, raising and fry for few seconds till the nuts turn mild red and the raisin puffs.
Pour this over the rice+dal+jaggery in IP.
Add the cardamom powder, edible camphor powder and mix well.

Put the lid on.
Press the 'Rice' setting and set the time to 1 minutes and low pressure.

Once it is done, release the pressure manually.

Sarkarai pongal is ready !

Serving suggestion:
Serve as breakfast on Pongal day.
Makes a dessert along with idli during a grand breakfast.

Aviyal in Instant pot (electric pressure cooker)

Aviyal is a mixed vegetable curry prepared in TamilNadu and kerala during auspicious days. The word 'Aviyal' means anything  cooked in water . Aviyal recipe differs from region to region. The below is a kind of Kerala Aviyal.
This dish should be particularly made with native Indian vegetables like unripe plantain, drumstick, brinjal , white pumpkin, cucumber, unripe mango, and all other vegetables and roots vegetables available during the season (except okra, bitter gourd , beetroot etc and some vegetables that can't go in this medley).
The cooking part is much easier than gathering and processing these individual vegetables. The more difficult part is buying all these vegetables in small quantity in abroad.  In Tamilnadu and kerala , the vendors would sell heaps of assorted veggies (called kooru), for sambar and aviyal.  They sell it like 'oru kooru 50 rupees' (one heap for 50 Rupees).
Here most vegetables are sold in lb. We can take 2 or 3 vegetables also, but how can I explain the billing lady that I am buying these in teeny meeny quantity of avarakkai for aviyal. So I avoid that situation by a method. Whenever I wish to do aviyal, I buy all the vegetables (for aviyal) while doing grocery shopping in the available quantity.  Then I reserve each and every vegetable from everyday cooking for a week. For example , if  I buy 3 to 4 unripe banana , I will save one for aviyal in the fridge, after using the remaining for a sidedish on a weekday. Just like that I gather all the primary vegetables.
I use frozen Yam (suran) only, as it is too expensive if we get fresh.

Now coming to the instant pot part. I got a new 3 qt instant pot for $36 in a sale in Kohl's. Though I have a 6qt also, I love the way this small one looks.  I have been eyeing on it for sometime. Then one day I got that push and encouragement from my dear friend Raji, and then I got it on a sale :). wow ! Feeling good !

Instant pot makes the cooking totally easy. Here is the procedure !

Aviyal vegetables

chop the vegetables like this 

vegetables inside vessel

grind the masala paste

add to vegetables

after pressure cooking

add coconut oil, curry leaf, yogurt

mix well

aviyal is ready !

Aviyal made in instant pot

Aviyal vegetables:
Unripe banana (choose Indian banana) - 1
Baby brinjal / small eggplant - 3
Drumstick - 1
Red onion - 1
White pumkin - 100 gms

cucumber - 1 small
Yam (suran / senai kilangu) - 100 gms
Raw mango - 1/2
potato - 1

arbi (seppan kilangu) - 2

avarakkai (broad beans) - 10 number
cluster beans - 10 numbers
green  beans - 10 number
carrot - 1

(Cauliflower , cabbage , broccoli , celery and beetroot do not go along with the recipe. Just use only native Indian vegetables.)

Masala:
fresh shredded coconut - 1 cup
green chilli - 4

shallot - 2
cumin seeds- 1 tsp
black pepper- 1 tsp
(Grind all of the above coarsely).

sea salt - 2  tsp (as per need)

Other ingredients:

coconut oil (or)any cooking oil - 2 tbsp
curry leaves - 2 sprig
thick curd (Indian plain yogurt) - 1 cup

Method:
Cut the vegetables uniformly in to long pieces (1/4 inch thick and 2 inch length). 

Grind the masala given.

Pour the masala paste in the instant pot vessel, add a cup of water and salt. 

Put all the chopped vegetables.

Mix well by shaking.

Close the lid of the Instant pot.

Select the pressure cooking mode. Set the pressure level to high. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.

Manually release the pressure.

Add the curd (yogurt).  

Add the curry leaves, coconut oil and mix well without breaking the vegetables.

Check for salt. If needed add more.

Aviyal is ready !

Serving suggestions:
It can be served with sambar rice , rasam rice , roti , adai or chapathi .

Instant pot electric pressure cooker recipes - Venn Pongal

Instant Pot Ultra (electric pressure cooker) is a new addition to my kitchen.  Hubby lovingly bought this for me during 'Thanksgiving'. I love it very much. It is very cute and 'smart'.
As a typical South Indian, I have been used to my whistles of  my 'prestige pressure cookers'.  I think most of us would have the same kind of childhood memories, with us all getting up by the whistles of our mom's pressure cooker or a milk cooker. But this electric pressure cooker won't make any such noises (even while we release the pressure manually). It has so many options like 'rice, beans, soup etc' . The best thing about this cooker is , one need not know much about 'cooking timings'. For example, in ordinary cooker one has to memorize 'how many whistles or how much minutes' to cook a dal or rice. . Here one need not know the pressure cooking timing for cooking anything, as everything is 'preset' or 'in its memory'. We can alter it temporarily if needed too.  Soon I will give a honest review and comparison of this electric cooker with ordinary pressure cooker. You are invited to join me in exploring many Indian recipes with Instant pot.

Ven pongal I made in the Instant pot electric pressure cooker.

To maximize the Kohl's cash offer....we stacked up a pyrex container set too :)

My 6 qt Instant pot ultra , 10 in 1, Programmable pressure cooker

Rice and dal

I set the time to 14 mins as this is a mixture of rice and moong dal.

We can latch the lid like this also.

Ven pongal with vadai and sambar.

Ingredients : (for 2 people)
Raw Rice (pacha arisi or briyani rice) - 3/4 cup
Moong dal (green gram dhal) - 1/4 cup  tbsp 
Ginger-1 inch piece (chopped)
salt - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pepper corns -1 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig.
Asafoetida / hing -a pinch
clarified Butter/Ghee/ butter- 1 tbsp
Water- 3 cups (water = 2 times the number of cup of rice + 1 cup)
milk - 1/2 cup  
Cashews- 5 numbers.

Methods :
Rinse the rice and dal together. Add salt and water .
Keep it in a Instant pot pressure cooker. Plug in. The panel will start glowing. 
Select the rice option by rotating the control knob. Press it once to lock the setting.
Again rotate the knob to alter the time if needed. I set it to 14 minutes. But 10 minutes would be enough.
Set to high pressure. Press start.
It will go on preheating for few minutes. Then the pressure will start building and we can see it in the control panel.
The float valve will rise once it reached a whistling stage. But there won't be any whistle sound.
After the cooking is finished it will automatically switch off the pressure cooking and will begin to release pressure naturally. It may take 15 minutes to get the pressure released naturally. But we can manually release the pressure by carefully pressing the release valve.
After releasing the pressure open the lid and proceed with 'tadka' or tempering and garnish the pongal.

After cooking the rice and dhal tenderly, mash them mildly.(not like a paste, but gently.)
Heat a frying pan. Add the ghee.
Add Cumin , Ginger ,cashews, hing and whole pepper.
Immediately after the cashews turn golden in color, add them to pongal .
Serve hot.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with coconut cutney, Idly-sambar, ulunthu(black gram) vadai.
Serves 2 people.
It can be served as both breakfast or dinner.

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Here is a beautiful scene I clicked in my neighborhood Asian grocery store during Chinese New Year February 5 th 2019. Happy Chinese New year dear all !

Happy Chinese New Year : decorations in a nearby Asian grocery store.

Red banana (செவ்வாழைப்பழம் ) I bought from Asian store. mmm...tastes just like Indian red banana.