Urvashi Pitre - Instant Pot Fast & Easy: 100 Simple and Delicious Recipes for Your Instant Pot

INSTANT POT and associated logos are owned by Double Insight Inc. and are used under license.

Text copyright 2019 by Blue Glass Jar Inc.

Photography copyright 2019 by Ghazalle Badiozamani

Prop styling by Jenna Tedesco

Food styling by Monica Pierini

All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-328-57786-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-0-358-02235-0 (special ed)

ISBN 978-1-328-57610-1 (ebk)

Book design by Tai Blanche

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To the family I married, gave birth to, and adoptedand the extended family that adopted me

The universe unfolds as it should, I know this. Yet I continue to be surprised by the twists and turns my life has taken. Ten years ago, if you had told me Id be writing a cookbook, never mind that Id write several of them, Id have laughed at you. Long and hard, too, not just a little smile. Yet here we are.

No one does this on their own. Behind every successful woman is an army of people that helped her succeed. Here are the highlights of my little army.

No one has helped me more than my husband, Roger. I know it sounds clich, but it happens to be true. I cannot imagine accomplishing a fourth of what I have without his help. Its not just the unconditional support, the willingness to help me with my Facebook live videos, the photography on my blog, listening to my madcap ideas, and participating in all thoseits the undying faith he displays in me, even on the days I feel like I am failing at life.

My sons, Alex and Mark, have taught me the joysand the challengesof being a parent. Of questioning yourself every day, of second guessing, of being happy, proud, joyful, and terrifiedoften within the space of an hour. I am deeply grateful that I was given a chance to be a mother, not once but twice over.

My friends John Kasinger and Diane Mastel helped in so many ways. John tested many of these recipes, Diane helped with the blog photos, and they both, along with Alex and Roger, tasted everything I made and dared to provide honest feedback. They are the reason the blog and this book do not include terrible-tasting dishes, so you should really write them a thank-you note as well!

My agent, Stacey Glick, who finally gave in to my pestering her and helped me see what was possible. Thank you so much.

My editor, Justin Schwartz, with whom I exchanged many emails and texts rife with exclamation marks; these exchanges between us occurred at the speed of light. I hope this experience was satisfying for you, and that I wasnt too much of a pain. I cant wait to see you post pics of my recipes on your Instagram account! :D

Ghazalle Badiozamani and her team of accomplished stylists and helpers make my food look prettynot just tasty. Thank you to Monica Pierini, Leila Clifford, Jenna Tedesco, and Bridget Kenny for your great work.

Thanks also to the whole army at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that helped it to make this book a reality without my even realizing it.

But of course none of this would be possible without my fans, followers, and readers. Many of you tell me that I have changed your livesbut no more so than you have changed mine. You are second only to the blessings of my husband and sons. You make me happy, you push me to do more (because, you know, I totally need to be pushed to do more!), and you display such love and support for me that I wake up happy each day and go to bed delighted with having known you. Thank you for all you do for me, and with me. Heres to many more!

I have been cooking with pressure cookers for over thirty-five years. (I feel old just writing that! Lets just assume I started cooking at two years old, okay?) My relationship with them has evolved. Just as in other long-term relationships, over the years I have loved them, used them, taken them for granted during busy times, explored their capabilities during times of rest, understood their giving nature better, and fallen in love with them again.

About five years ago, I discovered the world of electric pressure cookers. Soon after, the Instant Pot entered my life, and slowly, it took over my kitchen. In fact, as my life was taken over by a degenerative disease that often limited my mobility, I began to rely more and more on these devices that allowed me to cook a quick, nutritious dinner without babysitting, standing, stirring, and mixing.

My husband, Roger, and I were also on a weight-loss journey, and home-cooked meals were critical in this endeavor. Together, we have lost and kept off about 175 pounds, and cooking healthy meals at home was an important part of how we accomplished this feat.

My son Mark learned to cook with a pressure cooker when he was nineteen years old. I still remember the day he mastered four different dishes in one day. Now, Mark is scary-smart, this is true, but its also true that pressure cookers are not that complicated.

I want to use this book; my blog (twosleevers.com), and my Facebook groups as a way to introduce you to the delights of cooking in a pressure cooker. I assure you, once you realize all that it can do, you may well find the other appliances in your kitchen, along with your stove, sorely neglected.

If you are a novice cook, forget all your fears, your concerns, and your confusion. Just pick a recipe from this bookany recipeand make it by following the simple directions. Through the pages of this book, Ill help you create amazing meals. Just like the thousands before you who never cooked, but now make my recipes nightly, you, too, can do this. If you are an accomplished cook already, you may enjoy the different shortcuts I use, as well as appreciate the wide range of flavors and cuisines covered in this book.

Theres something for everyone in this recipe book. I hope you enjoy it. If you run into issues, do be sure to ask on my blog, twosleevers.com, or come join my Two Sleevers Facebook group, facebook.com/twosleever, which is filled with helpful, kind folks ready to lend a hand.

Very Easy

If you can chop, mix, blend, stir, and press buttons, you can make these recipes. So, yes, your fourteen-year-old can likely make most of this food. They were designed to be easy for the average home chefyou know, the real people like me who dont have caviar, octopus, and that certain truffle that only grows in the Alps just lying around in their pantry. Many of these recipes use pantry and freezer vegetables, but not canned cream-of-anything soups or ready-made sauces in cans.

Having said that, I do like to cook recipes from around the world. There are recipes that may call for ingredients you dont currently have. I would urge you to get a few special things like whole spices with which to make your own garam masala, berbere, shawarma spice blend, etc. Youll thank me once you realize the huge difference that grinding your own spices can make to a recipe. Its five minutes well invested and will elevate your cooking more than any other single thing you can do.