Instant pot Spicy Black Bean Soup

Black beans are rich in fiber and good for you. I am sure you know all the good stuff about including beans regularly in your diet. This black bean soup is filling and keeps you satisfied.

We had this for dinner with some corn bread, sliced avocado.

Can also be paired with a salad and sour cream on the soup.

Let us get to the recipe.

1 medium onion sliced

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 cup celery diced

1 cup bell pepper diced

1/2 cup carrots diced

1 roma tomato diced

2 cans of black beans ( without salt)

2 tbsp cumin powder

2 tsp red chili powder or to taste

2 tsp salt or to taste

water 1 cup

lots of cilantro

Juice from 1 small lime

2 tbsp oil

Method

turn the instant pot to sauté mode. Add the oil and once it’s hot sauté the onions garlic and tomatoes till the onion is soft and translucent.

add the celery carrots diced bell peppers and give them a toss.

add the cumin powder red chili powder salt and give them a toss.

add the two cans of washed and drained black beans to the instant pot and give them a toss with the veggies and onion mixture.

cancel sauté. Cover the instant pot. Sealing, with pressure cook for 3 minutes

wait for natural pressure release.

immerse your stick / immersion blender into the instant pot and give it a couple of pulses to get the soup into a creamy consistency with the black beans.

alternatively you can take a couple of ladles of the soup and use the immersion blender separately and then pour that mixture into the instant pot

check for salt and other spices and adjust as per your taste.

add lots of cilantro and squeeze the lime juice.

Enjoy your soup warm.

This soup freezes well and would be a great option to take for lunch if there are any leftovers. This recipe was adopted from cookie and Kate. The blending of the black beans gives a very creamy consistency to the soup Black beans are rich in fiber and good for you. I am sure you know all the good stuff about including beans regularly in your diet. This black bean soup is filling and keeps you satisfied.

We had this for dinner with some corn bread, sliced avocado.

Can also be paired with a salad and sour cream on the soup.

Yogurt in Instant pot

I usually make my own yogurt at home. Some times I do buy it from the store and my favorite brands are Mountain High whole milk and the yogurt available in Indian stores. But, if you try to use these store brand yogurt as a live culture to start your yogurt, you end up in a slimy stringy mess. I always keep some my own home made yogurt as a starter.

The traditional method includes boiling or scalding milk, let it coll a little and then add the live cultures and wait for the yogurt to set. Many Indian house holds do not use any thermometer to measure temperature of the liquid. Most of his feel the vessel with hand and know by experience when to add the cultures.

Almost a year ago i learned about the cold start yogurt in Instant pot. I have made it several times, especially if I am making yogurt for a large party. It comes out so well all the time. I have wanted to share this recipe with all of you and now is the time.

The cold start method does not need boiling milk. One can use the ultra filtered milk which has been boiled before. The brand that is readily available in the US markets is called Fairlife milk. Since it is ultra filtered, it has less sugar and provides almost 13 gms of protein per serving and did  I say, so yummy too. They have a whole milk and 2% version available in most super markets here.

I tried 2 methods of making yogurt in the instant pot with fairlife milk.  I am sharing both results with you. The end product is a thick creamy yogurt with no sliminess in it , not one bit.

Method one :

• 250 ml Fairlife 2% milk ( right from the container, no boiling)
• 1 tbsp homemade yogurt starter

How I did it 

• In the instant pot insert, add the milk, started yogurt
• Mix well
• Turn on your instant pot, press Yogurt and set to 9 hrs
• Cover the IP with the sealing ring, and the weight towards sealing
• The timer will start counting up
• Open IP after 9 hrs, your yogurt is ready.
• If you want a little sourness to the yogurt, increase the time to 10 hrs.
• You can see the yogurt is set well as the spoon inserted in it stays upright.

Method 2

250 ml Fairlife 2% milk

1 tbsp Fage 2% plain greek yogurt

• In the instant pot insert  add 1 cup of water
• In another container, either mason jar, stainless steel or pyrex container add 250 ml milk
• Add the Fage yogurt to the milk, mix well
• Place the milk contained inside the water filled IP insert
• Turn on your instant pot, press Yogurt and set to 9 hrs
• Cover the IP with the sealing ring, and the weight towards sealing
• The timer will start counting up
• Open IP after 9 hrs, your yogurt is ready.
• If you want a little sourness to the yogurt, increase the time to 10 hrs.

Both methods gave me a very thick creamy yogurt.

If your IP is larger, you can keep several small containers inside the IP insert. I have a 3 qt and I used that.

Enjoy this fresh home made yogurt any time as is plain or with rice, rotis or in smoothies.

Try this and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a very popular yogurt based dessert from the Western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Flavored with Indian spices and seasonal fruits, it is very delectable after any meal. Back home, fresh curd is hung in a clean cloth to get a thick creamy yogurt. But, now we have such thick yogurt available in store called greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has lots of  protein and lots of probiotics which are good for our gut microbiome too.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

7 oz	2% Plain Greek Yogurt
¼ cup A pinch 1 tsp ¼ tsp 1tbsp 1 tbsp  Fruits	Sugar ( can replace with honey, stevia) Saffron strands Warm milk or warm water Cardamom powder Sliced almonds Chopped pistachios Ripe mango, pineapple, strawberries chopped Optional

Directions:

• In a small bowl add the saffron strands, warm milk. Whisk and set aside for few minutes
• In a mixing bowl, add the yogurt, sugar, saffron soaked milk, cardamom powder and whisk gently till everything is incorporated
• Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with slivered almonds, pistachios
• Serve Plain or top with chopped fruits.

Beans Paruppu Usili Instant Pot

I have been experimenting with OPOS and instant pot trying several dishes. OPOS has definitely shortened the time it takes to cook and everyday I am fascinated by the things I learn from OPOS. Beans paruppu Usili or beans lentil crumble is a delicacy of a South Indian feast and many people are intimidated in making this. But with the method I am sharing with you, one does not have to be scared of making paruppu usili. This dish is usually made with green beans, cluster beans, banana flowers and it is perfect combination for more kuzhambu.

Get Ready

• Green beans, washed, trimmed and finely chopped 2 cups
• 1/3 cup of channa dal
• 1/3 cup of toor dal
• 2  dried red chili
• 1/4 tsp as afoetida
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
•  few curry leaves

Soak the chana dal, toor dal with dried red chili in water for about 30 mins. drain the water and grind it coarsely with some salt and asafoetida. set aside.

Instant Pot method:

• Turn the IP on. 
• In the inner pot, add one tablespoon of water, the beans, 1/2 tsp salt.

• Keep the trivet in the middle.
• Transfer the ground dal paste to another vessel and keep it on top of the trivet

• Close the IP. press Manual/ pressure cook and set time for 0 mins with vent in sealing position
• Once the timer beeps, do a Quick Pressure release and  and open the pot.

video link to paruppu usili

Pressure cooker/ OPOS method

•  In a 2 litre pressure cooker, add a tbsp of water, chopped beans and spread the ground dal mixture on top of the beans. Cover the cooker, place the weight and turn the heat on.
• Cook for 2 whistles with the flame covering the base of the cooker.
• Release pressure manually and marvel at the green color of the beans.

The next step is common for both methods.

• In a pan, add the oil and do the tadka/ tempering with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
• Crumble the cooked dal mixture and add it to the pan.
• Use the back of your spoon and crumble the mixture and roast  in oil for 1-2 mins
• Add the cooked beans without any water and toss them well with the dal mixture.
• Add salt per taste.
• cook on low fire till the dal mixture is crispy. it make take about 7-10 mins
• Serve with rice, mor kozhambu, samabr or rasam

Let me know if you tried it and liked it.

Kadai Paneer Instant Pot

This is a very yummy and easy dish to put together in no time. I have adopted the technique of cooking everything in one pot under pressure as OPOS and applied to the IP.
You can check my other paneer, non IP posts HERE

This dish is inspired by OPOS kadai paneer. Recipe source:From Here

• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded & cut in chunks
• 1 red bell pepper same as above
• 1 carrot peeled & sliced
• 2 roma tomatoes deseeded & cut in chunks
• 1 small red onion cut 
• 1 -2 green chilli slit lengthwise
• 1/2 block of store bought paneer cut into small cubes
• 1-1.5 tsp salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• Cilantro

Spice mix

• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi crushed in ur palm
• 1 /2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste/ powder
• 1 -2 tsp red chili powder ( depending on taste)

Go

• In a bowl add the spice mix, paneer. Toss them well till the spice mix coats all the paneer. Set aside the paneer. Keep the excess spice mix.

• Turn IP to saute. Add oil, once hot add the onions & saute

•  add the green chili, tomato & saute for few mins

•  add the bell peppers, carrot, salt, remaining spice mix powder and toss them well.

• Add paneer as a top layer. Do not mix
•  cancel saute
•  close IP with the vent on sealing position
•  Pressure cook or manual for 0 mins.

•  Do a QR and be amazed the beauty of peppers & paneer.

•  Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Instant pot apple thokku

I have not blogged in a while and am happy to come back and share a lip smacking recipe with you all. It is fall season and there are plenty of apples every where. I have made a lot of recipes using my instant pot and pressure cooker. You would have seen them on  face book pages if you are in those instant pot for indian and OPOS group. Here I am today sharing a mouth watering south indian thokku using green apples or granny smith apple. My mom made them once when she visited the US. She grated the apples and made them like a mango thokku. I was lazy to grate and all and dumped them all in the instant pot and make this thokku.

They are a perfect combination with curd rice, idli, dosa, chapathi or on toast.

Get Ready

• Green Apple 4, washed, cored and cut into chunks
• 10-12 dried red chilli

• Salt 2-3 tsp or per taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp asafoetida
• 1/4 cup gingelly oil( one can use canola too)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp brown sugar ( optional)
• 1 tsp methi seeds, dry roasted on low flame and pounded

Go

• Turn IP to saute. Add all the oil. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
• Tear apart the red chilli and add to the oil.
• Add the turmeric, hing, apples brown sugar and give a toss.
• Cancel saute
• Cover the IP,  turn the weight to sealing and cook on manual for 15 mins. Let the pressure release naturally

• With your immersion blender pulse several times in the pot till the chili is blended.

• Turn on saute, and let it simmer for 10-15 mins till thickened. It will splatter a little. So use any lid to cover. Add the roasted methi seeds powder.

Once cooled save in a clean dry container, refrigerate and enjoy as a side dish. Spicy, sweet, tangy pickle is ready!

Instant Pot Vegetable Ramen Noodles

Here I am with another quick and easy noodle recipe in Instant Pot. It is incredibly easy and delicious too. You kids will love it and so will the grown ups! I used the "Nissin" brand oriental flavor, which is the only vegetarian version available on the markets. We can also use maggi noodles and add any vegtables of your choice. I used the spice packets that came inside the noodles and also added some soy sauce, tomato ketchup and red chili flakes to spice it up. You can use 3/4 cup water per pack of noodles.

Get Ready ( serves 3)

• Instant noodles 2.5 packs
• 2 packs of the spice mix powder

• 1 small onions sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 carrot peeled and juliened
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 green bell pepper 
• 1tbsp oil
• 1 cup water ( the picture shows only 3/4 cup, i added more to the IP)
• 1 scahet soy sauce ( i am cheap, used the one from a chinese take out)
• 1-2 tbsp of tomato ketchup
• 2 -3 tsp red chili flakes as per taste

Go

• Turn the IP to saute mode. Add the oil. Once the display shows hot add the onions, ginger, garlic and saute till the onions are translucent

• Add all the vegetables and saute for a few mins

• In a cup of water add the spice mix that comes with the noodles, chili flakes, soy sauce and whisk every thing well

• Break the noodles  and arrange them on top of the vegetables or just drop them in
• Add the water to the IP, and tomato ketchup.

• Mix every thing well.
• Cancel saute.
• Press manual/ pressure cook and adjust timer to 5 mins.
• Wait for natural pressure release or do a Quick Release ( QR) after 5 mins and noodles is ready.

Enjoy this any time of the day!