Pressure cooker

Pressure cooker risotto with sumac roasted butternut

Risotto isn’t a dish that’s ever really excited me, but since getting my pressure cooker and learning that you can use one to cook risotto, I thought about it giving it a go.

If you didn’t know about this already, just stop for a moment to think. That means no adding stock gradually and no stirring constantly. It means risotto can in fact be a ‘set and forget’ dish and sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with that.

After a few attempts to get it ‘just right’, this dish has quickly become a weeknight staple in my household, well and truly proving that risotto can be good – and simple.

Pressure cooker risotto with sumac roasted butternut
Serves 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp sumac
1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 c arborio rice
3 1/4 c vegetable stock
1/2 c dry white wine
1 tsp salt
1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp non-dairy butter (i.e. Nuttelex)
1 c chopped baby spinach

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Toss butternut pumpkin with 1 tbsp olive oil and sumac then place in the oven until cooked and browning on the edges. Set aside.

While the pumpkin is cooking, heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to pressure cooker and the onion. After a few minutes when the onion starts to brown, add garlic powder and rice. Mix continuously until rice starts to become translucent.

Add stock, white wine and salt. Then, put the lid on and wait for it to reach pressure. Once at pressure, cook for 5 minutes.

Quick release the pressure and mix through the yeast flakes, butter and spinach. Return the lid to your pressure cooker and let it sit for about five minutes.

Gently fold the roasted pumpkin through when ready to serve.

30-minute one-pot dal with quick pickled onion

Another dal recipe I hear you say? Look, my tarka dal and hidden veg dal are both delicious, but this recipe is ‘the one’ for when you want something delicious but don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen.

So, before you open UberEats to order dinner tonight, check your pantry. Pretty much every ingredient in this dish is a kitchen pantry staple. And all you need to do is put everything in a saucepan, so it can do it’s thing.

I’ve also done this one in my pressure cooker and it worked a treat. I cooked it for about 4-5 minutes at pressure.

30-minute one-pot dal with quick pickled onion
Serves 4-6

For the dal
1 1/3 cups red split lentils
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp dried diced onion
1 tbsp dried garlic granules
1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp salt, or more to taste
4 cups filtered water
400ml coconut milk
Basmati rice, to serve

For the pickled onion
1 large red onion, finely sliced
Zest and juice of 1 lime

To make the dal, add all ingredients to a large saucepan and turn on the heat. Bring to the boil then cook over a medium heat for 20-30 minutes until dal has broken down.

While the dal is cooking, place the onion, lime juice and lime zest in a large bowl. Massage the onion with your hands until the onion starts to soften from the acid in the lime juice, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Serve dal with basmati rice and top with quick pickled onion.


Pressure cooker Thai red curry

Earlier this year I spent a few days with my parents on the South Coast of NSW. While I was there, I was introduced to the wonderful world of pressure cooking; they had recently bought one for themselves.

Naturally, it didn’t take long until I was the proud owner of a stovetop pressure cooker. The stovetop cooker appealed to me because I can also use it as a giant stock pot, start a pressure cooked meal by sauteing some spices or ingredients, or reduce a pressure cooked sauce after cooking if I have too much liquid leftover.

Since the purchase, I have been using my pressure cooker two to three times a week. It makes for easier and quicker meals and accentuates the flavour. In fact meals that can take over an hour by conventional means can be ready in 15 to 20 minutes. With my work schedule it has certainly made my life easier and provided more ‘me’ time…highly recommended for stews, curries and soups.

Pressure cooker Thai red curry
Serves 4-6

1 tin Maesri panang curry paste
400ml coconut milk
100g firm tofu, cubed
1/2-1 cup vegetable stock
2 large kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
2 carrots, sliced diagonally
1 red onion, chopped
1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed
150g green beans, ends trimmed
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce, divided
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp coconut sugar, divided
Juice of 2 limes, divided

Add all ingredients into your pressure cooker excluding the 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce, 1 tbsp coconut sugar and juice of one lime. Stir to combine.

Turn on the heat and bring to pressure. Once at pressure, turn down the heat slightly and set a timer for one minute. After one minute, remove pot from the heat and release the pressure.

Add remaining 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce, 1 tbsp coconut sugar and juice of one lime. Stir through and adjust to taste. Then, serve with rice.