Taro is thought to be a native plant of South India and it was the poor man’s potato until the latter became very cheap. Growing up, when the taro plants sprouted amongst the paddy fields, we knew the summer was over, and soon school would be back in session and the rivers would be full.
The taro’s leaves grow as big as an elephant ear, and during the monsoon, it was almost scary to see these monstrous leaves. Even today, during Spring, it gives me so much pleasure to see similar leafy plants, like hosta, sprout up around here. I almost always stop to take pictures and remember the paddy fields with taro plants from my childhood!
In the South, the favorite way to cook this root is to deep fry it, but I wanted to figure out a healthy alternate. Taro roots contain toxic substances, and need to be cooked well. The IP provides excellent control while cooking taro root, and this recipe is a simple and a healthy way to cook it.
Taro Roast is a pure vegetarian and a vegan dish. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Taro Root (cheppankizangu, colocasia) Roast
In the South, the favorite way to cook this root is to deep fry it, but I wanted to figure out a healthy alternate. Taro roots contain toxic substances, and need to be cooked well. The IP provides excellent control while cooking taro root, and this recipe is a simple and a healthy way to cook it. This is a pure vegetarian and a vegan dish. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Add 1.5 cups of water into the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Insert a stainless-steel steamer basket. Place the taro roots in the steamer basket.
Select ‘Steam’ with vent sealed, and cook for 6 min. Once the steam cycle is done, let the IP cool down and the pressure go down naturally.
When the IP has cooled down, open the lid and wait for the taro roots to cool down for about 5 minutes.
Peel off the skin (it should come off easily) and slice the taro root into ¼” round pieces.
Pour the contents of the dry spices into a wide non-stick frying pan (put the spices in one small area of the frying pan).
Pour vegetable oil over the spices (need enough to wet the pan surface plus a little more).
Heat on medium high. When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," spread the cooked taro roots evenly across the surface of the pan. Let them fry.
Add salt. Sprinkle turmeric powder, sambar powder, and the red chili powder uniformly over the surface of the taro roots.
Periodically flip the taro roots, each time spraying with canned aerosol vegetable oil. Continue to sprinkle red chili powder and sambar powder over the surface as needed.
Keep the heat on medium high and slowly dry roast the taro roots until desired color and crispiness are achieved.
Since the taro roots absorb nearly all moisture while they cook, sprinkling water on them occasionally may help to cook the taro roots with spices uniformly.
Once done, sprinkle a few cilantro leaves on top as garnish and serve hot.
Often, the simplest pairings make the most fabulous dishes. South Indian carrot curry (or porrial, as it is sometimes called) is the simplest Indian vegetable stir-fry that you could possibly make. Carrots are not that alien to Indian cooking. In fact, they are originally from neighboring Afghanistan and have been incorporated into Indian cooking for quite some time. However, the current variety of carrot that is widely used in Indian cooking is a domesticated version of a wild carrot originally believed to be from the Netherlands.
In this dish, the goal is to make the spicy chile taste stand out ever so slightly against the backdrop of the subtle sweetness of the coconut and the carrots. The Instant Pot provides an excellent way to steam the vegetables without losing their nutrients.
Carrot curry is a pure vegetarian and a vegan dish. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Carrot Curry (Porrial, Stir-fry)
Often, the simplest pairings make the most fabulous dishes. South Indian carrot curry (or porrial, as it is sometimes called) is the simplest Indian vegetable stir-fry that you could possibly make. Carrot curry is a pure vegetarian and a vegan dish. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Peel the carrots' outer skin and dice them into small cubes. Dice the green chilies into small pieces.
Add 1.5 cups of water into the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Insert a stainless-steel steamer basket. Place the diced carrots and the green peas in the steamer basket.
Select ‘Steam’ with vent sealed, cook for 1 min. Once the steam cycle is done, release the pressure by venting the steam out.
Pour the contents of the dry spices into a wide non-stick frying pan (put the spices in one small area of the frying pan).
Pour vegetable oil over the spices (enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Heat on medium. When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," add the curry leaves, ginger and green chilies, and stir for a few seconds.
Pour the contents of the cooked carrots and the green peas into the frying pan and spread evenly across the surface of the pan.
Add salt, and let the carrots cook on medium heat. Since the carrots are already cooked, just fold the cooked carrots in with a spatula until they are coated/mixed well with the spices.
Add the shredded coconut and stir until the coconut is mixed and blended with the rest of the curry.
Sprinkle a few cilantro leaves on top as garnish and serve hot.
Sundal is a signature TamBram stir-fried dish. While I love a home cooked sundal, which is usually a simple version without any fanfare, what I really crave for is the Marina Beach version with its trademark ‘thenga-manga-pattani’ (coconut, mango and garbanzos) sundal. It is a very simple dish that is high in protein and a perfect one to make it in the Instant Pot. I think it is best served as an appetizer along with some masala vada. No wonder then that the peanut version has become a famous bar food in some of the elite Chennai ‘clubs.’ So here is a recipe for a hipster’s version of this famous dish. But if you would rather prefer a simple ‘sadhu’ version, just drop the onions, ginger and mango part of the recipe.
This is a vegan dish. It can also be prepared as a gluten free food, if you avoid the hing while garnishing/cooking.
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Thenga, Manga, Pattani Sundal
This is a vegan dish. It can also be prepared as a gluten free food, if you avoid the hing while garnishing/cooking. Here is a recipe for a hipster’s version of this famous dish. But if you would rather prefer a simple ‘sadhu’ version, just drop the onions, ginger and mango part of the recipe.
Rinse the garbanzos thoroughly and soak them for about 20 minutes.
Dice the green chilies and the onion into fine pieces. Peel the mango skin, and grate it into small pieces.
Rinse the garbanzos and pour them into to the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot. Add about 3.0 cup of water. Make sure that the water level is enough and over the surface of the garbanzos. Close the lid, and cook for 25 min at high pressure. Cool down naturally. Open the lid and drain the water. Set the garbanzos aside.
In the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
Add oil to the Inner Pot. When it is hot, add hing, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and the red chilies. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add cumin seeds and the urd dhal. Stir for a few minutes.
Add, salt, green chilies and the ginger. Add one half of the cut onions. Continue to stir until they blend in with the rest of the spices. It is not necessary to cook the onions completely.
Add the drained garbanzos and stir it constantly until the garbanzos and the rest of the spices are mixed well with the spices. Add the rest of the onion and slowly fry the garbanzos for one to two minutes. Add coconut and the shredded mango and mix well.
Set the Instant Pot on ‘saute’ mode with high heat. Fry them together for a minute.
Press ‘cancel’ to get out of the sauté mode. Set the Instant Pot on slow cook set on ‘normal’ (medium) heat, and put the lid on. Cook for 30 minutes.
Garnish with long cut onions, green chilies split along the length, and cilantro.
Leave the Instant Pot on slow cook on medium heat and serve the sundal hot from the dish, just the way it is done in the Marina Beach.
Chole was the very first north Indian dish I started to crave. Since my mother did not cook chole at home, my taste for chole is entirely developed based on the street foods that I have eaten over the years. In my opinion, the finest chole is the bazaar food variety where the vendor typically makes the dish hot (spicy) with a tinge of sour taste. This unique taste comes from aamchur (dried mango powder). But the tricky part of chole is to cook the beans to the right texture with the correct moisture content. The best chole I ever had was from a very small shop in the main bazaar just opposite to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The place is called “Bhai Kulwant Singh Kulchian Wale’ and it is very popular for its kulcha naan, but I found their chole was simply world class! Ever since then, I wanted to cook my own Amritsari chole and I think I finally did it.
Chole The Spicy Soul
To get the best flavor, it needs to be slow cooked. So here is a recipe for slow cooking.
You can make this as a completely vegan dish by simply substituting butter with a suitable vegetable oil. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Amritsari Khatte Chole
Best Chole recipe! You can make this as a completely vegan dish by simply substituting butter with a suitable vegetable oil. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Soak the garbanzos overnight. Rinse the garbanzos thoroughly and pour them into the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Add enough water (about 1.5 cup) to cover the garbanzos (water level should be just over the surface of the garbanzos). Add salt and the tea bag to the IP. In a tea infuser, add bay leaves, cinnamon, clove, pepper and green cardamom. Drop the infuser into the IP and make sure that it is immersed completely. Turn on the IP to 'slow cook' on ‘high.’ At this setting, the IP will keep the temperature around 210°F (99°C).
Wash the potato thoroughly and start to boil it with a pinch of salt. Once cooked, remove the skin and set it aside. Mash the potato thoroughly.
On a different skillet, heat the oil on high heat and add hing and cumin seeds to it. Add the onion. Fry the onion until it becomes golden brown and very soft.
Add butter, green chilies, and tomato sauce. Bring them all to a boil.
When they are thoroughly mixed, add red chile powder, turmeric powder, chole masala, garam masala, and coriander seed powder. Cook them well until the oil starts to separate. Then add the ginger and garlic paste to the mix. Continue to stir well.
Add the mashed potato to the spice mix and stir well. Bring it to a good boil.
Once well cooked, add this cooked mix to the garbanzos (ensure that the garbonzas have cooked at least for three hours) in the crockpot and cook (at least for another one hour) until it is all mixed well.
Once done, garnish with long cut onions, green chile split along the length and cilantro.
Optional (here is the Khatte part): If the chole masala has enough amchur (mango powder) in it, then it will already be somewhat sour. But if the cooked chole is not sour enough, and/or you prefer to make it more sour, then follow this additional step:
Put two tbsp of chopped onions, ½ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of chopped green chili, some ginger and lemon juice (from one half of a lemon). Mix well. Set aside.
Add this mixture to the Chole (in the IP) during the final stages of chole. Mix it thoroughly.
Of course, a dish as popular as Sambar must have a real tall tale to showcase its mighty origin! One day, Sambaji (none other than the son of the great Maratha warrior Sivaji), who also happens to be a great cook, finds himself without his favorite ingredients in his cousin’s kingly court kitchen in Tanjore. He magically creates this world-famous dish with local ingredients and aptly names it after himself – Sambar! Whether you relegate this to the great storytelling ability of our people or assign it to historians for further research, it is in general agreed, that the origin of this dish must have been from a modest Tanjore Brahmin’s kitchen and has since spread across South India over time. In doing so, it has incorporated elements of local cuisine, such as adding coconut in Kerala or even jaggery in Karnataka. But the real credit goes to the Udupi hoteliers who popularized their version of Sambar, which is sometimes referred to as ‘Hotel Sambar.’ It is this version that has ‘traveled the world and seven seas’ to become ubiquitous in all Madrasi restaurants and kitchens alike.
Sambar – The Spicy Soul
When my mother heard that I am going abroad for my studies, she immediately made sure that I learned to cook Sambar, and she sent me off with a packet of Sambar powder. Ever since then, I have been evolving my Sambar recipe. Now it contains all the key elements of all the Sambar recipes that I have come across. Try it for yourself…I think you’ll really enjoy it!
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Sambar (Vegetable lentil stew)
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic/ginger paste mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add onions to pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft, just until they are translucent.
Add salt, sambar powder, and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, mix them well and let them cook together. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Bring it to a boil. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1 cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (6 cups of) water
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
In a bowl, add the tamarind, and add a cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes. Once cool, make a puree by squeezing. Remove all pulp. Dilute the tamarind, if needed, for the right consistency and keep 1 cup of tamarind juice aside.
Add all the ingredients (except the coconut) for the paste to a small frying pan and add 2 tsp of oil. Fry them on medium heat until the lentils become slightly brown.
Grind the fried spices into a fine paste using a grinder and by adding enough water to achieve a paste consistency.
Open the grinder, add the coconut and grind them together for a few seconds. Set aside the paste.
In a small frying pan, add a bit of oil, some salt and gently sauté the cut vegetable until it is about half cooked. Add a small amount of water if necessary.
Add the tamarind juice, and the ground paste to the pan and cook them all together until they come to a boil. Turn off the stove after it has reached a boil.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the Cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add the cooked ingredients to the inner pot. Add water, if needed, for consistency. Set the IP for ‘slow cook’ high for 30 minutes. Close the lid, with the vent open.
Once done, taste and add salt if necessary. Add Jaggery (optional), if preferred.
Add in fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve hot over rice.
It is time to seek refuge in the kitchen and cook some ‘rasam’ for the soul! Rasam, as we call it, ‘the very essence’ as it translates, is as fundamental to our food as the very air we breathe, and yet it is the simplest form of a soup. It is a comfort food for us, and to all our South Indian neighbors. When we were a kid, it is the first solid food we ate and the go to food when we were sick. When the British came to India, it was the first Indian food that got anglicized. They called it mullaga (chile) water, which eventually evolved into Mulligatawny Soup. Apparently, they liked it so much so that today, in its varied incarnations, it is available the world over. Warning it is very spicy and tone it down if you like and you do need to have the Instant Pot.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more’. This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping", pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add salt, pepper, rasam powder, turmeric powder and tomatoes. Add 2 cup of water to the pan. Mix them well and let them cook together. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Stir just enough until all the spices are mixed with the tomatoes. Bring it to the first boil. Wait for a minute.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (5 cups of) water,
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
On a bowl add tamarind, add a cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes. Once cool, make a puree and remove all pulps. Dilute the tamarind, if needed for the right consistency and keep 1.5 cup of tamarind juice aside.
Make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and the pin (pressure) is down. Open the Cooker lid, and be careful the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add the tamarind juice. Taste and add salt if necessary. Stir once, and close the lid. 'Slow cook' in high for 30 min.
Once done, squeeze ½ a lemon without seeds. Add in fresh cilantro for garnish.
This is one of my favorite ways to make Dhal. It is very simple to make in the IP and has served as a complete meal on way too many occasions. This dish also happens to be the very first one that I really mastered. It’s inspired by the ever so popular Andhra Tomato Pappu. Over the years, this has become my go-to comfort food, and I often crave for this Dhal on rice along with a few (or more) fresh potato chips. Sometimes life’s “most simple things can bring the most happiness.”
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Andhra Tomato Pappu (Lentil Soup)
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic/ginger paste mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add onions to pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft, just until they are translucent.
Add salt, sambar powder, turmeric powder, and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, mix them well and let them cook together. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Bring it to a boil. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1 cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (4.5 to 6 cups of) water. Adjust water based on the consistency you are looking for.
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the Cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add in fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve hot over rice.
