3 Easy Instant Pot Recipes That Can Elevate Your Dinner In No Time

What's an Instant Pot?

An instant pot is a type of multi-functional electric pressure cooker that has gained popularity in recent years. It is an extremely versatile appliance. Instant pots can be used as slow cookers and pressure cookers to cook entire meals. They can also be put to use for smaller jobs, such as sauteing or for making yogurt. People find the instant pot a convenient tool because it allows them to do multiple things in just one pot.

What You Can do With an Instant Pot

Of all the modern Restaurant Technologies that quicken cooking, the instant pot is perhaps most useful to a small foodservice establishmentparticularly one that runs on a small budget and a small staff. What makes this appliance so popular is the convenience it affords its users. From rice to chicken, beef stew to soups, and even pot roasts, the instant pot can cook almost anything. But there are a few facts you need to know before you use it. Here they are-

• With the instant pot on pressure cooker mode you can cook the toughest meat in half the time it would otherwise take.
• Use the slow cooker function to make soups and chilis. You'll get the job done in far less time compared to traditional methods.
• The traditional method of making pasta requires you to boil the water and remove the stock, which is a tedious process. But with an instant pot, there's no need to drain the water. What little liquid remains in the pot only helps the sauce stick to the pasta. The same goes for rice.

How to Cook Risotto in an Instant Pot

Servings- 2

Ingredients-
8 oz short-grain rice, 4 oz white wine, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp Olive Oil, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 28 oz chicken broth, 4 oz freshly grated Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Method-
Use the saute mode on your instant pot cooker and heat the oil and butter on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir. Add the rice and some salt, keep stirring till the rice takes a little color. After five minutes, add the white wine and cook for one minute. Stir the broth. Put the lid on and cook for five minutes on high pressure. Later, open the lid and stir and continue cooking for two to three minutes. Add the Parmesan and stir. Serve once done.

How to Cook Chicken Breasts in an Instant Pot

Servings- 2

Ingredients- 2 boneless chicken breasts, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 4 cups water, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 bay leaves and salt.

Method-
Add salt, oregano, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves to the instant pot and pour 4 cups of cold water over the ingredients. Add the chicken breasts and cook for less than a minute on high pressure, and later for 9-12 minutes on natural release. Take out the chicken breasts and check the internal temperature using a food thermometer. If done, cut them in slices and serve hot.

How to Cook Beef Roast in an Instant Pot

Servings- 4

Ingredients-
3 lb beef, 1 onion (sliced), 6 garlic cloves (minced), 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 spoon dried rosemary, 2 bay leaves.

Method-
Select the 'Saute' mode on your instant pot and cook the beef for eight minutes. Add olive oil to the pot. Use a towel to dry up the beef for seasoning. Apply salt and pepper to the beef on one side and put it back in the pot with the seasoned side facing down. Cook for four minutes till it turns brown. Now put salt and pepper on the other side and cook for three minutes. Similarly, cook the other two sides for two minutes each. Keep the roasted beef aside.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, add the bay leaves, rosemary and garlic, and keep stirring for 30 seconds. Pour the chicken broth in the instant pot and stir well. Add the soy sauce and mix. Now layer the beef stack on the pot using steamer racks and close the lid. Cook on high pressure for three minutes and on natural release for 25 minutes. Once this is done, take out the beef roast and check its internal temperature. Let it rest by wrapping it in foil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the gravy for the beef roast with 1.5 tbsp flour and 3 tbsp water. Add this to the beef juice to thicken it. Slice up the beef roast and serve it hot.

Instant Pot Vs. Pressure Cooker - What's Better?

At first glance, it may seem like the two appliances serve the same purpose. Both can be used to cook food quicker than traditional methods, by using steam pressure. However, there are some key differences between the instant pot and pressure cooker that make one a better choice than the other.

For starters, an instant pot is more versatile than a pressure cooker. It can be used as a slow cooker, yogurt-maker, rice cooker, steamer, and warmer, in addition to being a pressure cooker. On the other hand, a pressure cooker is just that, a pressure cooker. While it can accomplish certain tasks similar to an instant pot (like slow cook and pressure cook), it doesn't have nearly as many settings or functions.

Another big difference lies in safe cooking and Food Safety. Because instant pots build up less steam pressure than traditional stovetop pressure cookers, they're safer to use. In fact, they're designed with ten safeguards to prevent accidents from taking place. Pressure cookers don't have nearly as many safety features built in, so there's always a risk of them exploding if not used properly.

So which one should you choose? If you want a do-it-all appliance, an instant pot is a good choice. But if you only plan on using it as a pressure cooker and nothing else, save yourself some money and buy a traditional stovetop model.

Cooking Tips for an Instant Pot

While there are a number of high-tech kitchen appliances dominating the market these days, instant pots continue to be promoted by Food News platforms. This is because of the ease of use and convenience instant pots offer. These appliances are among the safest and simplest kitchen appliances around. But if you really want to make the most of your instant pot, you'll do well to remember these tips-

• Try not to use the quick pressure release feature for every dish you cook in an instant pot. Although it speeds up the cooking, it is not ideal for preparations that need more cooking time.
  
• If you get a burn error on the device, don't panic as there might still be time to save your food. Pause the cooking and make the necessary corrections.
  
• While the instant pot user manual recommends a set cooking time for different dishes, trust your own judgement. Some dishes like meat preparations and eggs may take longer than the time specified.
  
• You can cook multiple items using the pot-on-pot technique. For example, after putting a base layer of rice, you can add water and place another small pot with a side dish to cook over it. Both will cook simultaneously.