Chicken Biryani

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

A one-pot dish made with long grain basmati rice, chicken, fresh spices and herbs that is cooked over low heat for the most delectable flavors

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6 -8

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 tsp garam masala Add 3 tsp for spicier Biryani
• 1 tbsp ginger grated
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 ⁄2 tsp turmeric
• ¼ th cup of mint leaves
• ¼ th cup of chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 lb whole bone in chicken skinless cut into 12 pieces (If using chicken breasts cut into 2 inch pieces)

Remaining Ingredients

• 3 cups Basmati rice
• 3 tbsp ghee divided
• 2 large onions thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp saffron mixed in 1 tbsp warm milk
• 6 boiled and shelled eggs optional
• 1 jalapeno sliced into 8 wedges optional for extra spicy **

Instructions

1. Make Marinade by mixing garam masala, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric, mint leaves, half of the chopped cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt and salt. Add chicken and coat evenly with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. While the chicken is marinating, wash and soak the basmati rice in water. Keep aside for 20 mins.
3. Turn IP to Saute(Hi). After the ‘hot’ sign displays, add 2 tbsp of ghee and add thinly sliced onions. Cook stirring frequently for 15 mins or until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep aside for garnishing the biryani.
4. Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the IP with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. For extra spicy Biryani add sliced jalapeno. Add bay leaves and marinated chicken. Mix well, deglazing the pot with a spatula to take out any browning of the pot from sautéing the onions.
5. a) For Chicken on bone - Close IP and turn pressure valve to sealing. Set IP to Manual mode for 4 mins. Follow with Quick release. Give the chicken a quick stir.
6. or
7. b) For Chicken Breasts - Mix well and cook on Saute mode 3 mins.
8. Drain the rice and gently pour over the chicken. Add 2 tsp of salt. Add 3 cups of water. Close IP and turn pressure valve to sealing. Set IP to Manual mode for 6 mins. Follow with Quick release.
9. Gently fluff and mix the rice with the chicken on the bottom of the pan.
10. Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, saffron and cilantro.
11. Serve with Raita (Onions and tomatoes mixed in yogurt), hard boiled egg and lemon wedges.
12. ** This recipe makes medium spicy Biryani. For extra spicy add jalapeno. OR add another tsp of garam masala to the chicken.

Recipe Notes

Remember to deglaze the pot after adding the marinated chicken to remove any browned bits from the pot. This will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent the biryani from burning.

One Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice

Prep

10 mins

Cook

25 mins

Total

35 mins

 

Easy, fast pressure cooker chicken and rice is the perfect one pot meal for busy weeknights. Tender chicken, juicy mushrooms, and fragrant rice make the ultimate comfort food.

Author: Pressure Cook Recipes

Cuisine: Chinese

Serving: 2 - 4

Ingredients

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, marinated
• 6 - 8 chicken drumsticks, marinated
• 1½ cup (345 g) Jasmine rice, rinse
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1½ cup (375 ml) water
• Shredded ginger & green onions for garnish

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (not low sodium soy sauce)
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon corn starch
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
• A dash of white pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger, shredded
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder

Instructions

1. Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl. Rehydrate them with cold water for 20 minutes.
2. Chop the drumsticks into 2 pieces. Then, marinate the chicken and mushrooms with the marinade sauce for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse rice under cold water by gently scrubbing the rice with your fingertips in a circling motion. Pour out the milky water, and continue to rinse until the water is clear. Then, drain the water.
4. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and marinated chicken and mushrooms, and 1½ cup of water in the pressure cooker.
5. Close the lid. Cook in high pressure for 9 minutes with an Electric Pressure Cooker, then, natural release for 15 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

Thai Chicken Stew

SERVES: 8

PREP TIME: 12 mins

 

COOK TIME: 12 mins TOTAL TIME: 24 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds boneless chicken (thighs or breasts will work)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Thai red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 cups mixed vegetables (frozen or fresh)
• fresh cilantro, for garnish
• rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the chicken, onion, garlic, in the bowl of an electric pressure cooker (such as an InstantPot).
2. Pour in the coconut milk, tomato paste, curry paste, fish sauce, coconut aminos, lime juice, salt, and ginger and stir to coat the chicken.
3. Secure the lid and set the machine to Meat/Stew for 10 minutes, or 15 minutes if using frozen chicken. If using a different machine, use manual high pressure.
4. When the timer sounds, release the pressure immediately and remove the chicken with tongs. Give it a rough chop then return it to the pot. Add the vegetables to the top. Reseal the lid and set the machine again for 2 minutes. Release the pressure and stir the vegetables into the sauce. Serve garnished with cilantro.

https://againstallgrain.com/2017/10/02/pressure-cooker-thai-chicken-stew/

Everyday Lentil & Spinach Dal

http://flavorrd.com/2015/05/instant-pot-lentil-spinach-dal/

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

1 large onion (red or yellow), chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp dried cayenne pepper

1.5 cups of red lentils or yellow split peas (or a combination of both)

3 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 large tomato, cut into 6-8 wedges

several big handfuls of spinach (about 4 cups)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

2 tsp butter (optional - this gives a richer flavor, but leave it out to keep it lighter/vegan)

 

To serve:

plain yogurt

fresh cilantro

cooked brown rice or naan

Add the coconut or olive oil to the pressure cooker to cook over medium heat (press the 'Saute' button to begin cooking at medium saute heat). When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and cook until they soften and become translucent. Stir in the garlic, and cook for another minute until fragrant. Turn off the heat (hit the 'Cancel' button), then add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne and mix well to combine.

Add the lentils, water, salt and tomato wedges and stir into the onion mixture. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, and be sure that the valve is in sealed position. Press the 'Manual' button and adjust cooking time to 10 minutes. After the program is finished, press 'Cancel' to turn off warming mode, and wait 10 minutes before opening the valve to release pressure. 

Remove and discard the tomato skins, and whisk together the lentils to emulsify, smashing the tomato wedges against the side of the pot if needed. Add the spinach, along with cilantro and/or butter if desired, and stir to combine. The residual heat will wilt the spinach quickly.

Serve over brown rice or with naan, topped with plain yogurt and fresh cilantro.

Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

Thick, soft, and full of fresh carrot and apple, these Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies are a healthy make ahead breakfast or snack. They're whole grain and refined sugar free, and keep well in the freezer.

Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack

Serves: 18 large cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup oat flour or whole-wheat flour*
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup grated carrot, chopped smaller if desired (2 medium carrots)**
• 1 cup finely chopped (or grated) apple (1 medium), no need to peel

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together honey (or maple syrup), applesauce, egg, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the grated carrot and apple.
4. Use a large scoop or measuring cup to drop ¼-cup portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Use your fingers to gently shape the cookies and flatten slightly, as they won't flatten on their own during baking.
5. Bake 14-15 minutes, until set and lightly golden. (If baking more than one pan at a time, be sure to rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.) Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

*You can make your own oat flour in your food processor. For 1 cup of oat flour, process 1 heaping cup of old-fashioned oats until finely ground, about 1 minute.
**I used my food processor to make grating the carrots quick and easy. A box grater would work as well.

Healthy Smash Cake

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: makes a double layer 4 ½-inch cake, or one 6-inch cake, or 7 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• butter and whole wheat flour for the pans
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium ripe banana (about 3 ounces)
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup milk (whole preferred)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For White Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

For Purple Whipped Cream Frosting*:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

Make the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the cake pans and lightly dust with whole wheat flour, tapping out the excess. (I used two 4½-inch pans. You can also use one 6-inch pan or make cupcakes.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. Place banana, applesauce, milk, and maple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Whisk in the egg and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and mix with a rubber spatula or spoon until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; it's ok if there are a few bits of flour still visible in the batter.
5. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans. Pans should be just over half full with the batter. Bake for about 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Cupcakes will bake for about 14-16 minutes.)
6. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, gently run a knife around the edges and carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

To Make White Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Frost cake as desired.
2. To frost a double layer cake, first add a spoonful of frosting to the top of the bottom layer. Place the second cake layer on top. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting over the top of the cake and then down the sides.

To Make Purple Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. Place frozen blueberries and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until blueberries soften and burst, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Transfer blueberry mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Place in a bowl to cool completely.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Gently fold in the blueberry mixture. Frost cake as desired.
4. To frost a double layer cake, first add a spoonful of frosting to the top of the bottom layer. Place the second cake layer on top. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting over the top of the cake and then down the sides.

*If you plan to make the purple whipped cream frosting, you will want to get started on it ahead of time as the blueberry mixture needs to cool completely before being mixed into the whipped cream.