Instant Pot

[Evilgrin]

Just got a Dou Gourmet on sale. Tired of stuff like beans taking forever but first...............

How are you guys doing rice? Just plain white rice or rice cooked in chicken stock? Are you using the rice to water ration of 1 to 1 like in the instructions and "rice setting" or is something else working better. I like firm rice but cooked. Depending on the rice i prefer less sticky too. Not a huge deal if my good koshihikari is sticky, its supposed to be. Stuff like jasmine or just plain long grain i like to be less sticky and fluff nice..

I got a couple ideas for pork belly too. Anyone done a Asian style pork belly?

 

[Deadalus]

I add a little bit more water for the rice. I've been working with around 1 to 1.125, 2 cups rice to 2.25 cups water. I always make sure to rinse it. I think the Instapot takes that into account. It also weighs the mixture I read. Mostly have cooked just Jasmine though since purchasing.

 

[Evilgrin]

just using the rice setting or??????

 

[RolandD]

Yes, use the rice button for all white rice. Rinsing keeps the rice from being sticky.

My wife tried several times to make rice using manual settings, using instructions she found on the internet. They all turned out under cooked or scorched on the bottom. It never occurred to her to use the rice button. Perfect rice ever since. She did the same with eggs, lol.

 

[Evilgrin]

Ran the test run. It works.

Used 4 cups of bottled water instead of 3 because i needed a quart of water with ginger for the wine im making. Letting it natural release to get the most out of 100 grams of ginger.

After rice im going to try some pork belly. Sorta like red cooked pork.

 

[Deadalus]

just using the rice setting or??????

I use the manual setting. If keep warm comes on turn it off, it'll dry out that way. I've been using 4 minutes for jasmine. I found these instructions useful How to cook perfect rice in an electric pressure cooker - Instant Pot

 

[Evilgrin]

On a side note

After cooking the ginger in the IP i saved it and added the water to my carboy. Covered the ginger in more raw organic sugar. Then dried it out a little more
DELICIOUS candied ginger!!!! I tasted my ginger water too. WOW, intense ginger flavor.

Will try some rice today. I may use bone broth instead of water.

 

[Evilgrin]

Trial run
2 cups plain long grain rice...well rinsed
2 cups bone broth
1/4 cup water
Dash of each, garlic powder, onion powder and turmeric
1/4 tsp salt because my bone broth has no salt added
A couple pinches of celery flakes

Rice button but set to 5min on high pressure. Default was 12min on low. I thought that sounded a bit long.

Ordered a stainless steamer basket and glass lid off Amazon too. Would love to see if i can get it to steam rather than boil rice also. Got the lid for slow cooking.

 

[Evilgrin]

Initial thoughts....Only needed 4min. Rice is just slightly over cooked.

Still pretty tasty though with a little Katsuo Fumi Furikake on top.

I think im going to need to try this again with Lop Cheung. Its a slightly sweet Chinese/Taiwan pork sausage. Its used in both a fried rice and steamed rice versions. Our Costco and Asian markets stock it.

 

[Knightshade]

Gotta go to HK to get the "best"

I kept my Zojirushi for rice, don't even bother w/the IP. Side note..when I put Lop Cheung in the rice pot, kids usually scramble to get the portion of rice that it cooked on top of. Quite funny to watch.

 

[bleme]

I have a Power Pressure Cooker XL (minor differences from IP)
For long grain rice I have a set of glasses like this. I fill it to the 'line' with rice, then to the top with water. I know that doesn't help you very much.

For sticky rice I use 400 grams of glutenous rice and 350 grams of water.

Either way uses the Rice button (which is 6 minutes) then natural release.

 

[Evilgrin]

I got some older Jasmine i need to use up. I will try the default rice setting but the same small increase of water. Default on mine for 2cups of rinsed rice and 2.25 cups of water was 12min and low pressure. From what im reading the plate under the pot flexs. That flexing is how it "measures" things and adjusts temp/pressure.

So im curious how smart it is.

 

[Deadalus]

I got some older Jasmine i need to use up. I will try the default rice setting but the same small increase of water. Default on mine for 2cups of rinsed rice and 2.25 cups of water was 12min and low pressure. From what im reading the plate under the pot flexs. That flexing is how it "measures" things and adjusts temp/pressure.

So im curious how smart it is.

Definitely turn the keep warm off. That may have been the issue I was having when I was getting over cooked rice, but I was adjusting the water up to compensate. I think I still got crunchy rice when I added about a 1/2 cup extra water to 2 cups rice and had keep warm off. But that was about when I decided to go manual. I don't use it very frequently though and it just got downgraded off the countertop (small kitchen, limited space).

 

[charlesbrewer]

Not say being an asian knows it all. But usually we just use the steam/white rice setting and adjust our water by trial and error until we find the optimum for that particular rice cooker. There are many variables, different rice cooker of course. The rice type, batches, season and sometimes water composition too. Exactly like when we brew.

 

[Evilgrin]

Yes, im aware. I have many kinds of rice and sometimes minor adjustments need to be made. Normally in a rice cooker its water over the rice upto your first finger joint with the finger tip on the top of the rice. That will be too much water in a IP.

IP set on rice uses pressure. That pressure is controlled by temp and its all calculated based on a program.

 

[charlesbrewer]

There are many ways sensing when rice cooked. Not sure if that diagram is specific to your cooker but definitely very unconventional and seems prone to error or incompatible with different rice. What makes a good rice is actually getting the rice absorb heat and water to turn the starch, and evaporate the water leaving just the right amount.

If you do it manually, that means getting the water boil, keep that way for 5 min with cover on then open a slit to have the water evaporate with the remaining heat without flame for 15 min. In total should take 25-30 min. The rice cooker just doing the same thing with some kind of heat sensing. But your cooker seems to cycling heat multiple times. I am not sure if that's some fancy way to cook "perfect" rice.

 

[Evilgrin]

It maintains pressure by adjusting temperature. It also appears to be able to sense the amount of rice/water in the pot before you press the "rice button". That way it adjusts the cook time needed.

I needed a "all in one" solution for cooking rice/beans/stocks/meats ect in various ways. Just a rice cooker did not cover all of my needs and multiple appliances are a hassle with limited space. Ive got a much larger pressure cooker and canner. One is a nice Fagor but its just too large for making a meal for 2-3. A 6qt IP is nearly ideal for using often and with minimal attention while its in use.

The first use with bone broth was almost perfect. I can see using this for things like "Spanish rice", paella or arroz con pollo.

 

[Jayjay1976]

It absolutely does not sense weight, amount of ingredients, etc. It operates on smart algorithms that anticipate your actions. It knows what you do before you do it. The instant pot is wise.

 

[Evilgrin]

RICE:

This is the only fully automatic shortcut button. It cooks on low pressure for as long as it needs to based on the amount of liquid it senses in the pot. It is for cooking “regular” rice, according to the manual (white rices?), and takes about 12 minutes to cook 2 cups of rice, 14 minutes to cook 3-5 cups of rice. Note that cooking time will not display while rice is cooking.

Made for white rice only. This fully automatic program adjusts the cooking time depending on the amount of water and rice in the cooking pot.

 

[charlesbrewer]

Ah that make sense with the pressure thing. I was always wondering why did your rice looked that way.

 

[Evilgrin]

I added bone broth and turmeric to the rice while cooking. Using other methods of cooking i have not been as lucky on the first attempt using stock/broth. It was just slightly over cooked. Not scorched just a little softer than i like. Maybe a little longer at low pressure or less cooking time at high will be better?

 

[charlesbrewer]

Yes, it does looked on the soft side. Well am sure next time it will be perfect.

 

[Evilgrin]

2.5 cups brown rice
A little less than 3 cups water
Brown Rice Button and reduce to 25min
Perfect long grain brown rice.

 

[Evilgrin]

Trying a slight twist on charro beans
1 lb of pinto beans rinsed
1 Quart of chicken bone broth
2 Cups water
Spices
1 small can of minced jalapenos from Walmart
4 TBS of bacon crumbles
30min on high pressure with natural release

Add little smokies (cut in half after beans are done) and cook on low another 20-30min

 

[Evilgrin]

 

[Jayjay1976]

Trying a slight twist on charro beans
1 lb of pinto beans rinsed
1 Quart of chicken bone broth
2 Cups water
Spices
1 small can of minced jalapenos from Walmart
4 TBS of bacon crumbles
30min on high pressure with natural release

Add little smokies (cut in half after beans are done) and cook on low another 20-30min

I like to add a couple tablespoons of tortilla chips crushed up real fine. Adds a nice flavor and thickens the sauce a bit. I'd be interested in what spices you use. I like to puree some dried chili pods; ancho, pasilla, etc with water and a splash of vinegar, and a handful of fresh cilantro.

 

[Evilgrin]

3 TBS onion flakes
1 TBS ground cumin
2 TSP Kirkland no salt seasoning
2 TSP garlic powder
2 TSP tomato powder
1 TSP chipotle powder

After its pressure cooked.
Cut the lil smokies in half and lightly brown them in a pan
Add them to the beans with any of the rendered fat in the pan
Slow cook for upto another hour or just leave on the "keep warm" setting

It will thicken slightly from the bean starch and the fat.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

Alright, I'll blow your mind with cooking rice. Rinse your rice as needed/desired. Then add water to your rice so that with the cuticle of nail of your trigger/pointer/index finger is covered in water with the tip of your finger resting on the rice bed. No more guessing. Just add rice and fill with water to cover. Just use your finger.

 

[Jayjay1976]

3 TBS onion flakes
1 TBS ground cumin
2 TSP Kirkland no salt seasoning
2 TSP garlic powder
2 TSP tomato powder
1 TSP chipotle powder

After its pressure cooked.
Cut the lil smokies in half and lightly brown them in a pan
Add them to the beans with any of the rendered fat in the pan
Slow cook for upto another hour or just leave on the "keep warm" setting

It will thicken slightly from the bean starch and the fat.

Tomato powder, I didn't know there was such a thing. I'll look for it, thanks.

 

[Evilgrin]

Alright, I'll blow your mind with cooking rice. Rinse your rice as needed/desired. Then add water to your rice so that with the cuticle of nail of your trigger/pointer/index finger is covered in water with the tip of your finger resting on the rice bed. No more guessing. Just add rice and fill with water to cover. Just use your finger.

Been doing that for ages with my microwave rice cooker. Water to the first joint on my finger for most rice. Finger just touching the rice

 

[Evilgrin]

Tomato powder, I didn't know there was such a thing. I'll look for it, thanks.

I used it only because i keep it in stock for quick meals. You can certainly use a fresh mater chopped up if you like. Brown your bacon and/or meat, Remove it and soften the onion/peppers in the rendered fat. If you need more fat use something healthier with it. Like rice bran oil or avocado oil. When its soft add the chopped mater. Add it all to the pot and cook until the beans are done.

I would change one thing. Use half the can of Walmart diced jalapeno or about 1 mild fresh jalapeno pepper deseeded. Its not too hot with the whole can but the jala is quite noticeable.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I used it only because i keep it in stock for quick meals. You can certainly use a fresh mater chopped up if you like. Brown your bacon and/or meat, Remove it and soften the onion/peppers in the rendered fat. If you need more fat use something healthier with it. Like rice bran oil or avocado oil. When its soft add the chopped mater. Add it all to the pot and cook until the beans are done.

I would change one thing. Use half the can of Walmart diced jalapeno or about 1 mild fresh jalapeno pepper deseeded. Its not too hot with the whole can but the jala is quite noticeable.

Thanks for sharing. I love cooking dry beans and charro is my favorite style, though I'm not good at making them yet. My latest breakthrough was adding a spoonful of Herdez chipotle cremosa sauce as a topping at serving time.

 

[Evilgrin]

I picked up some Kiolbassa brand all beef smoked sausage yesterday. They had them for $5 off a pack at Costco. Last time at the market i picked up several bags of Mexican yellow beans aka Peruano beans. This makes a really good bean soup/stew. Have not tried it in the Instant Pot yet.

 

[Evilgrin]

Arroz rojo

2 cups long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 TBS dried onion flakes
1 TBS no salt added taco seasoning.

Onion flakes, seasoning and the Rotel carefully laid on top. Most recipes recommend not mixing the salsa (or whatever) into the rice to prevent the "burn" warning.
Rice setting on 5min and high pressure.

If the test works i will try it again with chicken thighs and fresh onion for a Arroz Con Polo. Just brown the boneless thighs and saute the onion in a pan first before putting them on top.