Rinku Bhattacharya's Blog, page 26

Instant Pot Easiest Channa Masala

Channa Masala or Indian Curried Chickpeas is a simple comforting dish. There are many ways to make this dish. One of my favorites, is the slow cooker version on my site. Today’s version is a super simple easy version, that you can make anytime. Easiest Channa Masala ever.

It is my go to version, when I am in a rush. It guarantees an old favorite, that is done in a single step. Yes, you heard that right, everything goes into the instant pot and we are done.

Just to clarify, there are more than one way to cook chickpeas, so just on my site you have several. Along with the one I mentioned earlier, some of my favorites are,

Pindi Choley – Dark and Spicy Chickpeas

Classic Channa Masala

Dhaba Channa Masala – Truck Stop Chickpeas (Yes, this one is in the Instant Indian Cookbook)

So, why I am giving you yet another recipe? Well, folks this one is my tested and tried, absolutely easy recipe for chickpeas.

In this recipe,

I have simplified the ingredients to a few key essentials.
This is a single step recipe, we toss the ingredients in the instant pot and then let the pot do its thing.
Open and serve.
We even skip loads of garnishes in today’s recipe.

There is something that I do recommend, that is to pre-soak the chickpeas. Now if you have forgotten, and want to make this recipe anyway, do not fret. Just increase the cooking time by 5 minutes. It just does not do the same justice that soaking does for the chickpeas. But then again, let’s face it I did promise you at this recipe would be a ridiculously easy version.

So, the quarantine that started with school bread for my two kids, is getting maturity with exam weeks. The next two weeks are busy ones. So, a recipe like this is certainly a good handy idea. And things are so much calmer in New York. All seems to be well.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintInstant Pot Easiest Channa Masala

Prep Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours, 50 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

A flavorful and ridiculously easy take on chickpeas. It is the easiest Channa Masala, done in the instant pot.

Ingredients

1 medium sized onion
1 inch peeled ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 and 1/2 cups soaked chickpeas ( soaked for several hours)
1 teaspoon garam masala
Fresh lemon or lime juice to finish
Thinly sliced red onions

Instructions

Place the onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper, red cayenne pepper, salt, turmeric, and diced tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth.
Turn the instant pot into saute mode. Add the oil and heat for a minute or two. Add in the cumin seeds and when they sizzle, add in the prepared spice paste. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add in the chickpeas with another 1 and 1/4 cup of water and set to 25 minutes of pressure. Allow a natural release.
Remove the cover. The chickpeas should not be watery. If needed turn on saute mode to dry out the water.
Add in the garam masala. Sprinkle with lime juice and serve.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/instant-pot-easiest-channa-masala/

 

The post Instant Pot Easiest Channa Masala appeared first on Spice Chronicles.

Seeded Sourdough Turmeric Crackers

Gosh, I am addicted to these Seeded Sourdough Turmeric Crackers. They are crisp, a little crumbly, a lot of tangy and perfect for your favorite dip game. We love them especially with either regular or black bean hummus.Yes, hummus is so back on the rotations. Perfect for a healthy pick me up, or even a meal.

This is probably the best and easiest use for your sourdough discard. Now the crackers get their vibrant color from turmeric, their tang from the sourdough, and the nice texture from the assortment of pumpkin seeds and almonds.

 

Those black specs are black sesame seeds. I have a whole bunch sitting in my spice closet somewhat gathering dust. All those odds and ends that I am not sure I will every get completely rid off. This said, there is more space in my spice cabinets these days. I am working down and discarding a lot of demo supplies. I do not sadly believe that I will be doing a live demo or cooking class anytime soon.

The children are trying hard to make things special for tomorrow. It has been interesting to see that they have also been clinging closer to each other for comfort. They are good that way. They keep each busy.

I am generally feeling a sense of lethargy. A bit of disorder. I need to plan some more about cooking and staying on track this upcoming week. There seem to be too many odds and ends sitting around in my refrigerator. In general, that is often what I tend to do. Cook and eat meals without a lot of cohesion.

 

Now back to these crackers. I promise you, once you make them, you will want to work with sourdough just to make these crackers several times over. And they are just so ridiculously easy. I am sure you can do things like cut them into neat and tidy squares. But, why waste your time on crazy things like that.



PrintSeeded Sourdough Turmeric Crackers

A bright and vibrant crisp and tangy cracker. This sourdough cracker is a great way to use up your sourdough discard.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups sourdough discard
1 and 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek or mint leaves, (optional but adds a nice flavor)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup chopped almonds or any other nutes

Instructions

Spread a sheet pan with parchment paper, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the sourdough discard, turmeric, and salt.
Add in the dried fenugreek or mind leaves if using.
Mix in the pumpkin seeds, black sesame seeds and almonds.
Add just enough flour to bind the mixture to a crumbly consistency. Tihis will depend on the moisture in your starter.
Spread the mixture in the parchment paper. Use a fork to spead this out. It will be a little uneven. Just get this as thin as you can.
Pop in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let them rest for another 5 to 7 minutes in the oven. They turn crisper as they cool.
Enjoy with your favorite dip or just by themselves.
3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/seeded-sourdough-turmeric-crackers/

 

The post Seeded Sourdough Turmeric Crackers appeared first on Spice Chronicles.

Bhindi Masala/Spiced Okra Air Fryer or Sheet Pan

My children love Bhindi or Okra. This is our family version of Bhindi Masala, with eight degrees of simplification. I just put everything in the air fryer basket in two stages. And then pull it out, sprinkle garam masala and its done. Just like that. Just like familiar comforting things bring us happiness, in the middle of the lock down, this simple okra has been making them happy. Enough, for me to cross the border to the somewhat further Indian store to procure the okra. And, let me tell you a secret, you can do this with broccoli, turnips, and or carrots. So, do not fret if you do not have okra on hand.

It feels strange to realize that a school year is drawing to an end. It has been a little hard for my daughter in her last but one high school year to realize that there is no real commencement. She wants to be able to celebrate those rites of passage with her outgoing friends. For me, I am excited about this headline from the Obamas on Graduate Together event. I however, feel for the children, their families and anyone else who is missing their rituals. It is not always easy to brush off something that you have looked forward to for so long just in the spirit of “it could be worse”. As with everything, along with the gratitude it is important for us to also make room for acknowledging the loss and disappointment.

And in our crazy household, next week promises to be entertaining as always. We have home exams, that we are supposed to proctor. It is less the proctor part, more the having to deal with the exam crazies so up close and personal. So, a lot of comfort food alert. Like this okra.

Now, the great think about cooking this in either an air-fryer or sheet pan is this,

It is ridiculously easy.
You are guaranteed crisp results without much oil.
And the cleaning is quite a breeze.
See notes on frozen okra and the sheet pan method

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintBhindi Masala/Spiced Okra Air Fryer or Sheet Pan

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

An air fried version of class Indian okra or Bhindi Masala

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 pounds of okra, trimmed and chopped (3/4 cm thickness)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon garam masala
Chopped cilantro

Instructions

Place the okra in a mixing bowl. Toss with the turmeric, cayenne, ginger, and garlic.
Place in the air fryer basket and sprinkle with the oil.
Cook at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and mix well.
Add the onions and tomatoes and cook for another 4 minutes. Stir well and add in the salt.
Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro and serve.

Notes

1. You may need to do the okra in two batches in your air-fryer.

Sheet Pan Oven Method

Scatter the okra on a sheet pan, and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then add in the onion and tomatoes and cook for another 6 minutes.

Using Frozen Okra

This is not ideal, but if you have to defrost thoroughly, and blot out any excess moisture with paper towels before proceeding.

3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/bhindi-masala-spiced-okra-air-fryer-sheet-pan/

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Spinach, Cauliflower and Feta Polenta

There are some ingredients in my pantry that are quiet and comforting ingredients. Polenta is one of them. It is a blank comforting canvas. Something that I can play with. Much like creating this Spinach, Cauliflower, and Feta Polenta. This is a creamy soothing and easy dish. A little goes a long way. Can certainly be done in the instant pot. I try this either way. It depends on time on hand. What I am doing with myself. I have used Polenta in cakes, the soft creamy denseness adds a nice richness to the cake. I have added Indian flavors and used it instant of semolina in this recipe for upma.

In this recipe, created for an online cooking class, I paired this with loads of spinach and cauliflower and just enough Feta to round out the flavors. The result is a cozy comforting dish. As I was putting things together, I was determined to to buy anything new for this recipe and I did not.

There are few things to remember with cooking polenta,

Do not scrimp on the water, it might seem like you are adding a lot of water, but the polenta absorbs it and transitions into this beautiful creamy creature.
If cooking on the stove top, take your time to cook this slowly to allow it to thicken.
In general, you can use this as a blank canvas to finish this as you see fit.
Lots of black and red pepper, topped with some pesto, or just leave the dish as is.

One of things that I have been relishing is the general quite and peace. I love to see people outside with their children. It is soothing to hear the sound of the birds chirping. The birds are flying closer to us. I do not miss the cacophony of the traffic. I do however miss seeing people when ever I want.

 

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintSpinach, Cauliflower and Feta Polenta

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Creamy comforting and loaded with vegetables, this polenta makes a great one pot meal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cup polenta
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 cup chopped, grated or riced cauliflower
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups of chopped spinach or any tender greens of your choice
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil and add in the garlic and cook for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.
Add in the polenta and the water and salt.
Stir in the cauliflower. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The polenta will gently simmer and thicken.
Stir in the feta and cook for another 5 minutes. At this point the polenta should be soft and creamy. Stir in the spinach and the butter if using. Turn off the heat. The polenta might appear a little thin, but it will thicken as it rests.
Sprinkle with the ground black pepper and red pepper flakes before serve.

Notes

Instant Pot Instructions

Turn on the Saute mode, add in the olive oil and add the garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
Add the polenta, water, salt and cauliflower. Cover and set to 3 minutes high pressure. Allow a natural release.
Remove the cover, stir in the feta and spinach and then the butter if using.
Serve topped with black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/spinach-cauliflower-feta-polenta/

The post Spinach, Cauliflower and Feta Polenta appeared first on Spice Chronicles.

Quinoa Oothapams/Savory Indian Pancakes (Instant Pot)

Working down my grains, I am discovered that quinoa fits in well instead of rice, in the traditional idli/dosa/oothapam batter. And if your use a combination of red and white quinoa, you get this rather beautiful purple colored batter. Healthy and Pretty! Just my kind of win. These quinoa oothapams are a healthier option to the traditional rice based option. If you know anything about me by now, you know that I am all about color and trying to make food visually appealing. Naturally of course. As in colored with natural ingredients.

What feels like forever, is a little over a month. It sounds like New York is inching to partially get back to normal. With children still at home, this new normal is anything but normal. However, at the moment I am still grateful that we are all safe and sound. With the numbers far from comforting, I wonder when I will ever see the city again.

Now, an interesting observation is that I have not really increased my food shopping a lot. However, we certainly are eating a lot more at home. True, that I am chowing down some stocked up pantry staples. Overall however shopping much fewer times with more thought is resulting in less wastage. A good thing to be able to maintain once this are more relaxed. At this point, I will take hair salons over sit down eating. Hey I can cook, but cannot really cut hair.

So on to the recipe on hand. To make the batter,

I use equal parts of Quinoa and Urad Dal (white lentils)
Soaking for a long time (About 24 hours), yields very good results
Throwing in some fenugreek seeds helps with fermentation
And then throw this into your instant pot, or any nice warm place to ferment the batter. And add any of your favorite vegetables, odds and ends to top these little pancakes. As they say, its all good.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintQuinoa Oothapams/Savory Indian Pancakes (Instant Pot)

Prep Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 48 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: Makes 20 mini oothapams or 6 medium sized oothapams

A beautiful take on classic oothapams, using quinoa instead of rice.

Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa (I used a mixture of red an white quinoa)
1/2 cup of white urad dal
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
1/2 cup of beaten rice (poha) (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chopped onions
1/4 cup of peas
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
Chopped green chilies (to taste)
Oil for frying

Instructions

Rinse the quinoa and the urad dal well and soak for 1 day, with the fenugreek seeds. The fenugreek can we with either ingredients.
Grind the dal with a little water until the mixture is soft and fluffy. Do not add too much water. Pour into the instant pot steel insert.
Grind the quinoa until smooth and creamy, this can be done in the same blender jar without washing.
Pour this into the same insert as the dal, mix well. Stir in the poha (if using) and the salt. Place the insert in the instant pot and set to the yogurt mode for 8 hours.
Stir the batter.
To make the oothapams, heat the oothapam pan and grease gently with a little oil. After a couple of minutes, tablespoons of the batter evenly into each well. If desired, you can make large oothapams as well.
Cover and allow the batter to set a little. Add in a little of the vegetables while the batter is still soft. Cook for 2 minutes or longer if making larger oothapams. When done, the bottom will be crisp and the oothapam can be removed quite easily.
Turn and cook for about a minute on the other side.
Serve hot with a condiment of your choice.
3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/quinoa-oothapams-savory-indian-pancakes-instant-pot/

The post Quinoa Oothapams/Savory Indian Pancakes (Instant Pot) appeared first on Spice Chronicles.

Vegan Jambalaya and Virtual Classes

Vegan Jambalaya is one of old recipes, that is a fail safe. Something that I love to through together once in a while. My recipe uses farro and red kidney beans. Like all jambalaya’s it is forgiving and the ingredients get tossed together into a happy medley. I am excited to report that I am planning some virtual/zoom classes. I have been missing my cooking classes. So, zoom is the new way I guess to cook along. This Jambalaya was the first in a four part series that I am doing for my friends at Harrison Public Library. They are open to the public, but naturally you do need to sign on. And, I am also doing an essential Indian cooking Class in May, here is the eventbrite listing.

So, about the jambalaya, to get this to cook comfortably without fuss, no canned ingredients, etc. You need to do something simple – soak the farro and the red kidney beans. This essentially allows them to cook together comfortably and in a relatively short period of time in your instant pot. All in, I got this done in about 25 minutes. What you get is an amazing creation that is thick, rich, and brimming with flavor.

My children even claimed that this was better than the regular jambalaya. I will confess, about 4 weeks into studying at home and dwindling supplies, the novelty of everything is wearing off for them. Despite all the challenges, I am grateful that I am getting out to the office. I probably am just not one of those who would successfully survive completely being at home. It is of course extremely quite and sporadic for us at work. In some ways the quieter work space suits me just fine.

And for other things such as managing with odds and ends. Substituting stuff, coping with cooking every meal it really is just another phase of getting used to things. So here is from me to you, welcome to another new week.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintVegan Jambalaya and Virtual Classes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

A hearty and soulful one pot meal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 large onion, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional, I often do not have this on hand)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
3/4 cup farro (soaked for 6 to 8 hours)
3/4 cup dried red kidney beans (soaked for 6 to 8 hours)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
Chopped green onions to finish

Instructions

Turn your instant pot or electric pressure cooker onto saute mode and add in the oil. Heat for a minute.
Add in the cumin seeds. After 30 seconds, add in the onion, bell pepper, celery (if using) and the minced garlic. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
Add in the thyme, oregano and salt and cayenne pepper. Turn off the instant pot. Stir in the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Add in 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
Cover and set to 12 minutes of high pressure. Release the pressure after 3 to 4 minutes. Stir well.
Let it cool slightly. Serve in bowls garnished with green onions.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/vegan-jambalaya-and-virtual-classes/

The post Vegan Jambalaya and Virtual Classes appeared first on Spice Chronicles.

Wholewheat Sourdough Indian Rolls aka Sourdough Pav/Pao

Today, I did a tired happy dance. Tired because, it is winddown after a long week, happy because I think I have nailed a recipe. I am thrilled with the way these sourdough pav/pao’s have turned out. New to sourdough baking, any win is exciting. I am finally happy with the way these Wholewheat Sourdough Pau has turned out.  4 attempts, and I now am happy with the results. Hence the happy dance. Soft, fluffy and comforting this pao is everything I look for in a soft roll.  No one can stop eating them. Dinner tonight with Keema, just perfect and cannot go wrong good.

All my trial and errors, I feel the vinegar and molasses is what nails the texture. Both of these help with jump starting the rise. I also sprinkle a little everything bagel seasoning on the top. This is optional but it does add a nice flavor.

As a bit of trivia, these rolls are especially popular in Mumbai in Western India. They are named Pao after the Portuguese word for bread.

A few things about this recipe,

 The instant pot proofing speeds up this recipe considerably.
 Without the instant pot, just increase your proofing time by another 3 to 4 hours.
 This a small batch recipe, it gives us 6 comfortable rolls, and that works well for us for one meal.
You could possibly shape them into 9 smaller rolls
Do not skip kneading with the milk.
If you want to try this recipe with yeast, you can reduce the moisture in the recipe.
 With a little more patience than me, divvy up the rolls into more even proportions.
It is okay to wash your hands between shaping each ball, in fact, this makes handling the dough easier.

The story of my life, just when I am excited about baking we have a flour shortage. Fun as sourdough experiments are, they are a labor of patience. To get to a perfected recipe, slow rising and all takes time. I do not know about the healthy part of it, but there definitely is something very satisfying about sourdough baking. It is the satisfaction of creating something from nothing.

Naturally, with me you will find a host of recipes that work in my kitchen with my cooking. So, thus far we we have my,

Quicker Instant Pot Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Naan 

Interestingly enough, this particular recipe does not have much tang. I actually call my starter an aristocrat. It is sophisticated and subtle, not one with a powerful sour taste.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintWholewheat Sourdough Indian Rolls aka Sourdough Pau

Prep Time: 4 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6 rolls

A warm and soft sourdough version of an Indian bread called Pau.

Ingredients

3/4 cup fed sourdough starter
3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon molases
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing the top
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/2 cup lowfat milk to knead
Everything bagel seasoning (optional)

Instructions

Place the sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, homey, molasses, cider vinegar, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. If you are using an instant pot or electric pressure cooker for proofing you can do this in the steel inster. Stir well with a wooden spoon. This will make a shaggy dough. Let this rest for about 25 to 30 minutes
At this point the dough should be a little smoother,. Add in the salt, and egg and mix with enough milk to make a soft smooth somewhat wet dough.
Place in the instant pot on the yogurt setting for 1 hour or let it rise in a warm place for about 2 to 3 hours. The mixture should be doubled. Mix well and let it rise again for 30 minutes in the instant pot or 2 hours naturally.
Grease a baking dish. Shape the mixture into 6 parts and place evenly in the dish. Turn the oven onto 350 degrees.
Sprinkle lightly with everything bagel seasoning if desired. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and drizzle with some olive oil. Place back in the oven and let it rest in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
Remove and enjoy warm.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/whole-sourdough-indian-rolls-aka-pau/

 

 

The post Wholewheat Sourdough Indian Rolls aka Sourdough Pav/Pao appeared first on Spice Chronicles.

Wholewheat Sourdough Indian Rolls aka Sourdough Pau

Today, I did a tired happy dance. Tired because, it is winddown after a long week, happy because I think I have nailed a recipe. I am thrilled with the way these sourdough pau’s have turned out. New to sourdough baking, any win is exciting. I am finally happy with the way these Wholewheat Sourdough Pau has turned out.  4 attempts, and I now am happy with the results. Hence the happy dance. Soft, fluffy and comforting this pau is everything I look for in a soft roll.  No one can stop eating them. Dinner tonight with Keema, just perfect and cannot go wrong good.

All my trial and errors, I feel the vinegar and molasses is what nails the texture. Both of these help with jumpstarting the rise. I also sprinkle a little everything bagel seasoning on the top. This is optional but it does add a nice flavor.

As a bit of trivia, these rolls are especially popular in Mumbai in Western India. They are named Pau after the Portuguese word for bread.

A few things about this recipe,

 The instant pot proofing speeds up this recipe considerably.
 Without the instant pot, just increase your proofing time by another 3 to 4 hours.
 This a small batch recipe, it gives us 6 comfortable rolls, and that works well for us for one meal.
You could possibly shape them into 9 smaller rolls
Do not skip kneading with the milk.
If you want to try this recipe with yeast, you can reduce the moisture in the recipe.
 With a little more patience than me, divvy up the rolls into more even proportions.
It is okay to wash your hands between shaping each ball, in fact, this makes handling the dough easier.

The story of my life, just when I am excited about baking we have a flour shortage. Fun as sourdough experiments are, they are a labor of patience. To get to a perfected recipe, slow rising and all takes time. I do not know about the healthy part of it, but there definitely is something very satisfying about sourdough baking. It is the satisfaction of creating something from nothing.

Naturally, with me you will find a host of recipes that work in my kitchen with my cooking. So, thus far we we have my,

Quicker Instant Pot Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Naan 

Interestingly enough, this particular recipe does not have much tang. I actually call my starter an aristrocrat. It is sophisticated and subtle, not one with a powerful sour taste.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even YouTube.

PrintWholewheat Sourdough Indian Rolls aka Sourdough Pau

Prep Time: 4 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6 rolls

A warm and soft sourdough version of an Indian bread called Pau.

Ingredients

3/4 cup fed sourdough starter
3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon molases
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing the top
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/2 cup lowfat milk to knead
Everything bagel seasoning (optional)

Instructions

Place the sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, homey, molasses, cider vinegar, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. If you are using an instant pot or electric pressure cooker for proofing you can do this in the steel inster. Stir well with a wooden spoon. This will make a shaggy dough. Let this rest for about 25 to 30 minutes
At this point the dough should be a little smoother,. Add in the salt, and egg and mix with enough milk to make a soft smooth somewhat wet dough.
Place in the instant pot on the yogurt setting for 1 hour or let it rise in a warm place for about 2 to 3 hours. The mixture should be doubled. Mix well and let it rise again for 30 minutes in the instant pot or 2 hours naturally.
Grease a baking dish. Shape the mixture into 6 parts and place evenly in the dish. Turn the oven onto 350 degrees.
Sprinkle lightly with everything bagel seasoning if desired. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and drizzle with some olive oil. Place back in the oven and let it rest in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
Remove and enjoy warm.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/whole-sourdough-indian-rolls-aka-pau/

 

 

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Garlicky Spinach Pasta with Buttered Almonds

Another simple and scrumptious pasta that we fell in love with. When in doubt, I go pasta searching. And, usually a simple and comforting recipe like Garlicky Spinach Pasta with Buttered Almonds never lets me down. I found some really good and fresh spinach in the market last week and this is what I made with it.

I am always excited when I find something fresh in the markets. Probably why I still need to brave them just once a week though the pandemic. These days however, any little thing that is good quality or a find is exciting. Again, goes back to how much one learns to take for granted. So bottom line, when I found this gorgeous spinach I needed to celebrate. I needed  to do something that enhanced its fresh and and beautiful softness. And, that is how this pasta emerged.

Instead of spinach, you can use fresh kale. As for the almonds, that toasting in some butter transforms them into something magical. Fridays and round out meals are all about pasta in my house. My children never say no to pasta. They love to enjoy their pasta meals side by side. They make the best TV dinners. The young ones do not have the time that they used to for some of their together activities. The pandemic lock down has helped with more family time.

And like a lot of the pasta recipes done on my site,

This is done in the instant pot/electric pressure cooker
Done with a handful of ingredients and is cooked in a 20 minutes.
Is a one pot meal
Does not disappoint.
And if you want you can just enjoy the garlicky spinach with the pasta. It is just as seriously good.

This one has just seven ingredients – olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, fresh basil, butter, almonds and spinach. And nine ingredients if you want to throw the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Speaking of fresh, I have a whole bunch of little things sprouting and growing despite this very cold spring.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even Youtube.

PrintGarlicky Spinach Pasta with Buttered Almonds

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A gorgeous gently flavored pasta made in a one pot sauce, done easily in the instant pot.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sliced or crushed almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
1 pound fresh spinach leaves (preferably not baby spinach)
2 cups of grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil
8 oz dried pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to finish

Instructions

Turn the instant pot/electric pressure cooker to saute mode. Melt the butter and let it heat for a minute. Add in the almonds and cook for 2 minutes until the almonds turn golden.
Remove with a slotted spoon. Add in a tablespoon of the olive oil and half the garlic and let the garlic turn aromatic.
Add in the spinach leaves and cook lightly until just wilted. Remove the spinach leaves.
Add in the remaining oil and the garlic and stir well. Add in 2 cups water. Turn off the instant pot and thoroughly de-glaze the bottom of the pot. Add in the basil.
Add in the tomatoes and the pasta. Stir in the salt. Set to cook for 2 minutes of high pressure. Do a steam release after 3 minutes. Stir the pasta well to break any lumps and mix into the tomatoes. The sauce will gently thicken as it rests.
Gently stir in the spinach and add lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Place in four serving bowls. Top each bowl with a quarter of the almonds. Serve with optional grated cheese if desired.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/garlicky-spinach-pasta-buttered-almonds/

 

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Labneh with Instant Pot Yogurt

Today is Tuesday, and I am getting my mojo back. Well, at least trying to. A comforting soothing bowl of Labneh goes a long way. An easy to make addition to any meze platter or just perfect by itself, it starts with yogurt. So, yes, easy and perfect instant pot yogurt. A routine and favorite thing to cobble together in the instant pot. And this is a lovely way to tweak and enjoy a nice and large bowl of the yogurt as a light meal. A soulful meal.

Labneh, is essentially a fresh yogurt cheese. It is ridiculously easy to make, but just needs a little time to put together. Hands off time, time needed to drain the whey from the yogurt. There is a general sense of peace in going back to a recipe like this. It allows one to savor the simplicity of a few key and fresh ingredients. I will confess, given the actual amount of hands on time needed to create a good bowl of labneh is about 15 to 20 minutes, it really is something that is more about planning rather than actually hard work.

So, what else, good labneh needs a wee bit of salt, some good quality olive oil and some zataar seasoning. I made mine at home following this recipe, but will definitely post a recipe soon. And, to my labneh, I also added some good fresh bits of mint. After all, few things beat the beauty of fresh herbs. In addition, to being a part of a meze platter, the labneh is great to cook with eggs, spread on toast and everything in between.

Spring this year is turning out to be very pretty and extremely cold. Probably nature’s way of encouraging us to stay at home. A few easy tips and you will be on your way to some seriously good fresh homemade cheese.

Do use half and half or evaporated milk as you want a good dense yogurt to start with.
Do line you colander with a few layers of cheesecloth
Do salt the yogurt while preparing, it helps the cheese be evenly salty
Do not skimp on the crackers when serving

f you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even Youtube.

PrintLebneh with Instant Pot Yogurt

Prep Time: 16 hours, 15 minutes

Total Time: 16 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A gorgeous and soulful bowl of seasoned yogurt cheese or labneh.

Ingredients

3 cups of half and half or equal parts of whole and evaporated milk
1 tablespoon natural yogurt with active cultures
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 teaspoon zataar seasoning
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

Instructions

Heat the half and half or milk mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to cool down to about 115-120F.
Stir in the natural yogurt and the salt. Pour into a non-reactive container such as stainless steel. Place on a trivet into your instant pot steel insert.
Set to 8 hours using the yogurt function.
Line a large colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Spill the yogurt into the colander and set aside to drain for 5 to 8 hours.
Remove the strained yogurt and place in a serving container. Drizzle with the olive oil, zataar seasoning and fresh mint.
Enjoy with Pita chips or crackers.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/labneh-instant-pot-yogurt/

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