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Instant Pot Banana Bread with Walnuts

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IMG_8192 2

Recipe by Chop Secrets with slight modifications

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Coat the inside of a 6-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine baking soda in the sour cream. Set aside to allow the baking soda to dissolve.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until uniform.

Add the baking powder, bananas and vanilla extract to the sour cream mixture and stir to combine, then fold into the large mixing bowl with butter/sugar mixture. Add the flour and walnuts. Stir until just combined. Do not overtax. 

Pour batter into the bundt pan, tap gently on the counter, and cover loosely with foil. Do not seal. Place in the silicone sling.

Put 1½ cups of water in the Instant Pot. Carefully lower the bundt pan into the Instant Pot. 

Select “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” function. Use (+) or (-) to set the time for 45 minutes.

When the time is up, press “Cancel” and let the pressure naturally release until the pin drops (typically 15-20 minutes), then careful remove the pan from the Instant Pot and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Turn out onto a plate while still warm.

*The MANUAL and PRESSURE COOK buttons are interchangeable.

Instant Pot FriChik Curry

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FriChik Curry-lastIngredients:
For the spice blend

12 Cashew nuts
½ cup hot water
5 cardamoms
5 cloves
2 1-inch piece of cinnamon
1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
1 small piece of black stone flower, optional
¼ cup grated coconut
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 tablespoons cilantro

Directions:

Add the cashew nuts to a small bowl. Cover them with half a cup of hot tap water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Add the cashew nuts, along with the water they were soaking in, into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside until you are ready to use it in the curry. 

Ingredients:
To make the curry

¼ cup oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup ground onion
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, depending on heat and your preference
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala, optional
2 medium potatoes, each cut into quarters
1 cup Lima beans
1 large can (2 lbs) Worthington FriChik original, drain and cut into four pieces
Salt
3 cups water
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

Select sauté to pre-heat the Instant Pot. When the word “Hot” appears on the display add the oil. Add cumin seeds and ground onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric. Sauté for another 2 minutes. When the raw smell of turmeric disappears add the tomatoes. Sauté for a minute. Add cumin powder, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, potatoes, peas, FriChik, and salt. Mix well. Add water. 

Close and lock the lid. Select “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” and set 4 minutes. When time is up use Quick release. (Release pressure instantly, by pressing (Cancel) and then turning the steam release handle on the lid to “Venting” position.)

Instant Pot Vegetable Pulao

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20121021-201118.jpgIngredients:
For the spice blend

2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 1-inch pieces of cinnamon
5 cloves
5 cardamoms
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
¼ cup grated coconut
¼ cup warm water

Heat coconut oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Fry for a minute, and remove from heat, and cool. Add all the ingredients to a blender with the warm water, and grind to a smooth consistency. Set aside till ready to use.

Ingredients:
For the rice

3 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
½ cup diced carrot
½ cup diced French beans
1-2 green chillies, slit in half, optional
½ cup green peas, fresh or frozen
Salt
2 cups rice
3 cups water

Rinse the rice and soak it in fresh water for 15 minutes. Strain the water and set aside.

Select “Sauté” to pre-heat the Instant Pot. When the word “Hot” appears on the display, add the oil and sauté the spice blend for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Sauté for a minute. Add turmeric and sauté until the raw smell of turmeric disappears.

Add carrots, beans, green chillies, peas, salt, and rice. Sauté gently for two minutes. Add water. Taste to make sure there is enough salt.

Close and lock the lid. Select “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” and then use the (+) or (-) button to set 4 minutes of pressure cooking time. 

When time is up, open the lid using the “10-Minute Natural Release”.
(Let pressure cooker go into “Keep Warm” mode and count up to 10 minutes. Then press “Cancel” and position the steam release valve on the lid to the “Venting” position.

Malaysian Chicken Curry – Nyonya Chicken Curry

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Malaysian Chicken Curry4

Nyonya chicken curry is one of my all time favorite dishes. I love it and it is worth hunting for all the ingredients that go into making it. Some time ago, I shared my beef rendang recipe, another one of my favorite Malaysian dishes. The next item that I will share with you, from my list of favorite Malaysian recipes, is roti canai.

Nyonya cuisine is a blend of Chinese ingredients with spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay/Indonesian community. They call their wet spice paste rempah. The cooking skill of a new daughter-in-law is judged by listening to her preparing rempah with a mortar and pestle. I definitely wouldn’t qualify as a good cook, because I used a blender to make my rempah!

When I first started experimenting with other world cuisines, many of the herbs, spices and techniques were unfamiliar to me. Some of the ingredients mentioned in this recipe may not normally be on your kitchen shelf or in your refrigerator. But with all the specialty markets springing up these days, it was easy for me to find all these ingredients. Challenge yourself and try cooking this dish. I am sure you, your family, and your friends will be delighted with the results.

Malaysian Chicken Curry – Nyonya chicken curry
Prep time: 30 minutes, (includes time for soaking chillies)
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
½ cup peanut oil
1 star anise
3 cloves
3-inch piece cinnamon, (broken in half)
2 sprigs of curry leaves
3 lbs chicken, (cut into small pieces)
10 baby potatoes, (peeled, halved and parboiled)
2 Thai red chillies, (slit in half)
2 14 fl oz (400 ml) cans of coconut milk
1 kaffir lime leaf
salt
2 teaspoons sugar

For the wet spice paste (Rempah):
4 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
20 dried red chillies, (broken in half, seeded, and soaked in boiling water)
1 teaspoon fish sauce, (or one piece belacan, broken into bits)
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh turmeric root
3 tablespoons finely chopped galangal
3 tablespoons finely chopped lemon grass
2 tablespoons sliced garlic
2 cups roughly chopped shallots or red onions
½ cup water, (or use the water that you soaked the red chillies in)

Directions:
To make the wet spice paste, break the red chillies in half, remove the seeds, and soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and save the water to use to grind the paste.

Next, roast the coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds in a small non-stick pan over medium-low heat for five minutes or until they smell fragrant. Cool completely.

Drain the soaked red chillies and put them into a blender. Add the roasted spices, fish sauce or belacan, turmeric root, galangal, garlic, shallots and half a cup of the water that you soaked the red chillies in.  If you forgot to save it just use water. Blend to a smooth puree.

Place a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and when it shimmers, add the wet spice paste, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and curry leaves and sauté for 10 minutes or until you see the paste thicken, darken in color, and the oil separating from the mixture.

Add the chicken, stir until the paste coats each piece. Add potatoes, chillies, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaf, salt, and sugar. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked. Roti canai is the perfect accompaniment to this Malaysian chicken curry.

Pune Peanut Chutney

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Pune Peanut Chutney1

Having grown up in the peanut growing state of Maharashtra, India, I have eaten my fair share of a variety of peanut chutneys. Some of the most popular ingredients that go into making peanut chutney are fresh or dry grated coconut, garlic, dry red chillies, sesame seeds, tamarind, and whole garam masala.

You can easily make this recipe your own by changing the quantity of the ingredients to suit your taste. I love all the different peanut chutneys I learned to make when I lived in Maharashtra. Peanut chutney goes well with plain rice, dal, and a vegetable fry. I hope you will try it out.

Pune Peanut Chutney
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
1 cup roasted peanuts, (salted or unsalted)
¼ cup freshly grated coconut, (or frozen grated coconut)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
5 dry red chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
2-4 garlic cloves, (depending on your preference)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon sugar
salt

Directions:
Place a non-stick pan, over medium-low heat. Add the coconut and roast until it turns light brown. Transfer to a plate and cool. Next, add the sesame seeds, chillies, garlic, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds to the pan. Roast until the sesame seeds pop and the rest of the ingredients are fragrant. Transfer them to the plate with the coconut. Let the ingredients cool for about five minutes.

Grind all the ingredients to a coarse powder in a food processor, or blender. Use very little salt, if you are using salted peanuts. Make sure you don’t turn the chutney into peanut butter! Store in a small bottle or jar. Peanut chutney is a great accompaniment to any meal.