Mundhe Archana - The essential Indian instant pot cookbook: authentic flavors and modern recipes for your electric pressure cooker

Acknowledgments

A huge, humble thank-you to all my readers and followers. Thank you for trying my recipes, for giving your feedback, and, of course, for your constant support and encouragement. My day starts and ends with reading and replying to your notes. Many of you have asked for a cookbook, and this book is dedicated to you.

Thank you, Anna Di Meglio of Instant Pot, for your timely support and guidance. It has been a pleasure working with you over the past few years. The Instant Pot has made home pressure cooking feasible and accessible for so many of us.

Thank you to the entire Ten Speed Press team, especially Lisa Westmoreland, for believing in me and for making my vision for this book a reality; Kara Plikaitis; Lisa Schneller Bieser; Daniel Myers; Kristin Casemore and Windy Dorresteyn; and Doug Ogan. Thanks also to Jane Tunks Demel, Colin Price, Jeffrey Larsen, Kristene Loayza, and Glenn Jenkins. Thank you, Kate Bolen, my talented project lead for guiding me through this incredible journey and for your brilliant editing.

Thank you, Neil Posner, for your expert and timely guidance through the initial stages of this cookbook and for introducing me to the world of publishing.

Thanks to my recipe testers for testing and providing the most valuable feedback on the recipes: Indu Rajesh, Ketal Patel, Meghana Shinde, Neema Sempebwa, Nina Patel, Reshma Patel, Ruchika Sah, Rupa Khandwala, Shilpa Nayyar, Shital Lakhani, Sonali Mody, Stacy Hughes, Swati Engel, Tejal Jinwala-Patel, and Veena Deshmukh.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me to believe in myself and for instilling discipline and perseverance in me. Thank you, Mom, for your endless gourmet home-cooked meals and for introducing me to so many healthful ingredients and unique recipes, not just the traditional meals. Thank you for tirelessly putting up with me during our hours and hours of phone calls as I worked on developing my recipes.

I am grateful and forever thankful to my cousin and best friend, Shital Lakhani, whose support and motivation made this book possible. Not only did she tirelessly test the recipes but her impeccable attention to details made this book truly unique with easy recipes and authentic flavors. Thank you for the vision and inspiration.

Thank you to my husband, Ravi, for the support and encouragement and for keeping my kitchen pristine as I cooked up a storm day in, day out.

Thank you to my heart, my sons Aum and Arav, for living through these crazy months as I tried to perfect each dish by cooking it over and over again for days and for still dashing into the kitchen with the same excitement and question, Mom, whats for dinner? You both are the reason I continue to pursue my dream.

About the Author

Archana Mundhe is a recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. She is the founder of Ministry of Curry , a blog focused on making cooking international cuisine easy and approachable for everyone.

She began Ministry of Curry as a way to preserve her familys stories and recipes, and her cooking is influenced by the gourmet dishes her mother prepared during Archanas youth in India. As a former software engineer, Archana uses her talents for development and precision to craft and perfect her recipes, updating classics with modern, innovative, and foolproof cooking techniques. She makes authentic and delicious Indian food simple for people with busy lives.

Most important, Archana is a mother of two boys who share her love for food and cooking. Words she loves to hear are, Mom, whats for dinner? The same words she says to her mom every time they speak.

She lives in the greater New York City Area with her husband and sons.

GHEE

MAKES 1 CUPS PREP: 0 minutes COOK: 10 minutes TOTAL: 10 minutes

A staple in every Indian household, nutty homemade ghee is a must for Indian cooking. I love the aromas, color, and texture of unsalted Kerrygold butter, which makes the best ghee. I prefer using unsalted butter, but you can also use salted; just shorten the cooking time by a couple of minutes. Spread ghee on your toast or use it to cook eggs in the morning, add a spoonful over your lentils or to mellow spicy curries, or use in place of butter for your desserts. With its high smoking point, ghee is also great for sauting.

1 pound unsalted butter (preferably Kerrygold), cold (see Note)

1. Place the butter in the Instant Pot.

2. Select the normal Saut setting and cook for exactly 10 minutes, then press the Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot. The ghee will look frothy and will continue to cook for a few minutes. Wearing heat-resistant mitts, lift out the inner pot and transfer to a trivet on your counter. Let cool until the froth subsides and you see golden brown bits at the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Let the ghee cool until no longer hot, then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a jar, discarding the browned solids. Let cool completely and then secure the lid.

4. Store at room temperature for 6 months or in the refrigerator for longer storage. When cold, the ghee will solidify.

NOTES

This recipe is written for butter that is refrigerator cold. If the butter is warmer, it may cook faster than 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the butter as it melts, and as soon as the bottom starts to brown, transfer the inner pot to a trivet to cool.

YOGURT

Dahi

MAKES 4 CUPS PREP: 0 minutes COOK: 9 hours TOTAL: 9 hours

This yogurt is light and slightly tangy. Unlike Greek Yogurt, Indian yogurt is not thick. It provides the perfect airy balance for spicy Indian meals. Use the pot-in-pot method for easy fridge storage, or see the Note to make yogurt directly in the Instant Pot.

4 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon plain full-fat yogurt with live and active cultures (preferably Stonyfield or Desi Yogurt)

1. Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot and place the wire-metal steam rack in the pot. Pour the milk into a oven-safe glass bowl or stainless-steel bowl that fits inside the Instant Pot. Place the bowl on the rack.

2. Secure the lid and turn the Pressure Release to Sealing . Select the Steam setting and set the cooking time for 1 minute.