Hello again! I’m back with a confession. I hate to admit it, but I have succumbed to the Instant Pot. I’ve always been suspect of kitchen gadgetry but for some reason after reading this article by friend Priya Krishna I was sold. I also bought the book mentioned in the article but have not yet used it since I’ve just been making plain beans or lentils in it so far. What I like about the Instant Pot is that I don’t have to babysit it (in addition to a real baby:) like I do a pressure cooker or even a pot on the stove. Plus it’s like a slow cooker on steroids and cooks everything super fast. You just literally press a button and walk away, which right now is all I can handle.
And I know it’s quite easy to just buy a can of beans and call it a day but when you cook beans from their dried form, the taste and texture is 100 times better (not to mention it’s way cheaper to buy dried beans than canned)! Also the broth really is a great way to further flavor your dish and it’s very protein rich. I find that I usually throw away the chickpea liquid from the can because the gelatinous texture kind of urks me though I know that making aquafaba is all the rage.
My routine now is to make either kidney, chickpea or black beans or even lentils in the Instant Pot on Saturday or Sunday. After the beans have cooked, I salt them and either just throw them in the fridge for quickly flavoring during the week or if I have a bit of time I will make a recipe with them right then. I’ve only done this once but you can also saute in the Instant Pot and make the dish all in there but for some reason I have not gotten my act together enough to do that – just making the beans is a victory for me currently.
This last weekend, I made a quick and dirty version of my Great Aunt’s chana masala, adding some leftover feta we had in the fridge. That salty bit really set this dish off. I served it with a dollop of yogurt (have also done sour cream when I’m feeling decadent), some of my roasted garlic achaar and chopped cilantro. I fed the same thing to Alok with a little tomato achaar and it was a hit (not starting a baby food blog anytime soon but just saying you can feed yourself and your baby at the same time SUCCESS!)
And on a related bean note, my friend Lukas Volger wrote a recent article on a very pressing issue surrounding the legume. According to Lukas’s findings on the matter, the more you eat beans the less you fart so go ahead and enjoy beans to your heart’s content:)
This recipe is one I often double nowadays.
Chana Masala with Feta & Herbs
Ingredients
1 cup dried chickpeas, preferably soaked at least 4-6 hours (equivalent to 2 15 oz cans of chickpeas)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom pods, cracked
2 cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
pinch of asafetida
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon Indian chili powder or cayenne (or to taste)
feta, cubed
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
Method:
If you have soaked your chickpeas, drain them and then add 3 cups fresh water to the chickpeas. Put the stopper in the sealed position on top and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes and then let the pressure naturally release (meaning do nothing). If you have not soaked the beans, just add the chickpeas and water and then press the Bean setting with the stopper on the sealed position on top. When the chickpeas are finished cooking salt them generously.
While the beans are cooking, heat ghee or oil in a pan under medium heat. Add in cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom pods and cloves. When they start to sizzle, add in the cumin seeds and the asafetida. Shake the pan so everything mingles. Once the cumin seed starts to brown, put in the onions and mix them around. Add the the turmeric powder and and fry the onions until translucent.
Next put in the ginger and garlic and mix and fry for a few seconds. Next add in the diced tomatoes and cook until it separates from the oil. Add in the coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chili powder and salt and mix well. Cook for a few minutes.
When the chickpeas are done cooking, add them and the cooking liquid (as much as you like if you want it drier or more of it if you like it to be more soupy). Simmer for about 10 minutes and then add the feta and simmer for a few minutes until softened but not breaking apart. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and taste. You want just a bit of tang. Add more if needed. Taste for salt. Slottica bahis giriş adresinde sizler için çok güzel hediyeler bulacaksınız! Hemen girin
Garnish with a sprinkling of garam masala and cilantro (or herbs of choice).
Serve with rice, yogurt (or sour cream if you are feeling decadent), and achaar.
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