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I don't know if it's the altitude here, but just about every recipe I have tried has needed longer than it called for--and a lot less liquid.

So, yesterday, we went to India for the evening. I made a Dal Makhani, and a simple chicken curry with a tomato and onion base, with basmati rice and naan bread.

The Dal, yet again, had too much liquid, so I had to reduce that down quite a bit. I will make it again with less which I think will maintain the texture of the lentils and beans better though it was still really rather good. I learned my lesson with the chicken curry, and about halved the liquid, and it was about right, and very nice indeed. For both of them, I added about 15% to the prescribed cooking time, and that seemed about right too.

I did short ribs in a red wine sauce the other day--yet again too much liquid, but cooked about right time-wise, however, we both felt that it didn't have the same luscious richness of cooking it in the oven for three hours. But, having raw beef to table in an hour was maybe a decent trade off!

I'd love some favorite recipes... now that the evenings are drawing in, I'm not doing so much grilling (I got a very fancy new gas grill this summer and have been playing with that, too) and need some different options for the magic pot!

Do you like polenta? I never really made it before because it required too much stirring to keep from getting lumpy, but I make it regularly now with the IP.

I use 1:4 polenta to liquid. Usually 1 cup of my concentrated homemade chicken stock, and the rest water. Use the saute function to bring the liquid up to a simmer, then stir in the polenta, cook, stirring, for a couple minutes until the polenta begins to plump a little. Then turn it over to the Porridge setting and put the lid on. When it's done (8-9 minutes under pressure), release the steam and immediately remove the lid and stir again. Add some cheese and whatever seasonings you like at that point, if you're so inclined. Perfect creamy polenta!

Mountaineer, what's your altitude?

Remember that water boils at a lower temp at higher altitudes so I would not be surprised you need to adjust time and/or liquid.

Evidently the Ultra series of the Instant Pot has an altitude adjustment.

Otherwise, maybe check out some of the sites on cooking with pressure cookers at altitude. I found this one that might be a place to start but there were others as well

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-high-altitude-cooking-time/

2 of my favorite recipes:

Ropa Vieja
http://acalculatedwhisk.com/pressure-cooker-ropa-vieja/

Pork Chile Verde
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/201 ... ecipe.html

Thank you WMW, that's very helpful! I'm at 7000 feet, so it would appear I will need to make adjustments, as my IP is of the non-fancy variety! (dh is all "surely it adjusts for that automatically!" err, nope.)

And thanks for the recipes--some new stuff to put up my sleeve!

Many recipes need altitude adjustment. Baking often needs moisture...

I made fudge once (at about 7'k feet) using a candy thermometer. I went from soft ball to cement in about 3 seconds as the temps need altitude adjustment. Ruined my nice pan. Heat canning, make adjustments. Bread may get dryer and I used to rise in the refrigerator to slow down the rise and get that nice yeasty taste

When in doubt, do some research to see if you need to make moisture/temp/time adjustments.

goldhorse wrote:Pork Chile Verde
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/201 ... ecipe.html

Thanks for this link! I noticed under this recipe she has a link to "green chile chicken". It is the same recipe with chicken substituted. Since we have a bumper crop of tomatillos this year (like every year, they are prolific!), we're going to give it a try tonight and compare it to the stove top version which is a bit long. . . Will report back!

Green goodness! Not the best foodie shot ever, but this Is delicious! We somehow arrived home with one less poblano and Anaheim than bought, so I added a couple of extra tomatillos. It had some heat, but could have had more. At the stage where you add the cilantro and fish sauce, I then cooked it (open pot) for about 10 minutes (didn't use blender) w/stirring. I think this gave it an extra richness. Easily as good as the stove top version and about an hour less time. Recommended!

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/201 ... ecipe.html

This is going on the menu this weekend. I just picked about 40# of green chile. Putting fish sauce in it sounds interesting.

Fish sauce is a potent source of umami.
I'm glad you like the chili verde. It's even better the next day.

I am about to jump on the Instant Pot train and I wonder if it is a good fit for me. I am a cook everything from scratch kind of cook and baker. I was reading Cook's Illustrated and they say the Fagor brand is much better than the Insta Pot. What do all you cooks think?

Rockabilly wrote:I am about to jump on the Instant Pot train and I wonder if it is a good fit for me. I am a cook everything from scratch kind of cook and baker. I was reading Cook's Illustrated and they say the Fagor brand is much better than the Insta Pot. What do all you cooks think?

I cook nearly everything from scratch (rarely make my own pasta, never mill my own grains), so I was really on the fence about the IP. Neither a rice cooker nor slow cooker are useful for me -- I don't use them -- but I have two well-used stovetop pressure cookers. The ability to turn on the IP and walk away while it comes to pressure, sets the timer, then turns itself off sold me. Being able to toast spices and saute aromatics before setting the pressure was a bonus.

If I were to spend money on a different electric pressure cooker, I'd get the Breville. It has a better saute function, gets to pressure quicker, and has a bunch of other little bells and whistles that make it interesting. But, for the price, I'm a huge fan of the IP.

Are any of you on facebook? I'm a member of a rather snarky, smaller IP group who actually cook. We're spread all over, so there are people to answer questions about using the IP at high elevation, and many do things like cook brisket(?), etc (I'm vegetarian, so no help here ).

I'd be happy to send anyone who's interested invites to the group.

I would be interested. Thanks!

I'd also be interested. I didn't get much out of the big IP group.

Rockabilly, I also cook from scratch and use it constantly. I think I looked into the Fagor, but there were some issues that made me stick to IP. Don't remember any specifics.

I cook most everything from scratch also, but love the IP. We don't use it everyday, maybe once/week at most, but I really like it. We use it as a rice cooker, slow cooker, pressure cooker, and are about to start using it for yogurt. I can't speak to the other brands (I started out looking at Zojirushi rice cooker but got the IP tip here), but a major selling point for me was that it had a stainless steel liner vs. Teflon, etc. And the price is sweet, too.

Trying this next!!! Note source:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/101 ... 81008&te=1

Well, HeddyLamar added me to the IP FaceBook group today and I just saw this posted, Rockabilly:

After 26 years of doing business in the US and Canada, it is with great sadness we have to communicate that Fagor America will be closing its doors. Due to the financial difficulties of the parent company in Spain, the US subsidiary will no longer sell its product line in North America.
Unfortunately Social Media accounts, including the Facebook page and Facebook group cannot longer be monitored.
At this time, service and coverage of Fagor warranties and products continues uninterrupted. Replacement parts can be purchased at: http://www.fagoramerica.com and the Customer Service team can be reached at: info@fagoramerica.com or by phone at: 1-800-207-0806.
We truly appreciate your support and the trust you have placed on the Fagor products and wish the circumstances were very different.
Thank you

Yesterday I made Chile Verde - I admit I didn't go back and read the recipe, but used lots of homegrown green chiles, poblanos, tomatillos, onion and garlic. Salted big pork chunks and gave them a good sear in the pan, added a little bit of concentrated chicken stock and the fish sauce and pressure cooked for 45 minutes. Perfectly fork-tender, but not turned to mush.

In the mini IP I made Spanish rice to go with it.

Looking forward to having the leftovers tonight!

Koolkat wrote:Trying this next!!! Note source:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/101 ... 81008&te=1

DH is lactose intolerant. I wonder if I can substitute coconut milk for the cream. Guess I'll find out

Someone asks that in the comments section below the recipe. They wonder about coconut, soy, or almond milk. . .

I would use real coconut milk - the canned stuff - not one of the non-dairy milk replacements.

I think I need to purchase one of these.....

I am so stupid. SO SO STUPID!!!! I decided to make the pork chili verde so I had food for the rest of the week while DH is out of town. It wouldn't seal and start cooking under pressure. Sometimes that is a problem and I will stand next to the thing and push on the lid until it seals. Today, I gave up and took off the lid, and voila no gasket. Gasket installed finally and we're off to the races

PSA: Buy extra gaskets. They make them in different colors. I use the colored ones for dessert because the one that came with the IP smells like meat stews.
I made a cheesecake in the IP. It was fabulous. Recipe from Melissa Clark's IP cookbook.

Tuddy wrote:I think I need to purchase one of these.....

I did a lot of looking and research before I bought one. I bought a Breville Fast Slow Cooker which is a lot more substantial than the Insta Pot I saw at Costco. Now I'm learning how to use it.

Rockabilly wrote:

Tuddy wrote:I think I need to purchase one of these.....

I did a lot of looking and research before I bought one. I bought a Breville Fast Slow Cooker which is a lot more substantial than the Insta Pot I saw at Costco. Now I'm learning how to use it.

Interested to hear how you like it. I have their electric wok and beast of a food processor, and my next major kitchen purchase is their Smart Oven Air. Breville makes great products.

goldhorse wrote:

Koolkat wrote:Trying this next!!! Note source:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/101 ... 81008&te=1

DH is lactose intolerant. I wonder if I can substitute coconut milk for the cream. Guess I'll find out

Did you try it? I made it and shorted the chili powder and garam masala, won't do that next time, wasn't overdone at all. At the end of the recipe it has you simmer for ~10 minutes, went a little longer to thicken the liquid. It was a very good chicken dish, will definitely cook again.


We also used bone in/skin on chicken thighs, caught the SKINLESS chicken thighs half way through the chicken browning step, so half got browned with the skins on. Wasn't exceedingly greasy, might even have added some flavor!

No, I haven't tried it yet. DH has been traveling and it's not worth cooking for one. I did make Melissa Clark's coconut curry chicken and it is now in our routine rotation. From the comments, I follow the suggestion to substitute a large can of diced tomatoes for the grated ones.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/101 ... ry-chicken
And yes, I always use bone in thighs in the IP or they cook too quickly.
Looking for squash soup recipes. Anyone?

Today was the first day I used my Breville pot after circling it for a couple of days . I made chicken broth because I use it a lot. I put in a onion, a Honey Crisp apple and 2 bay leaves along with the chicken. Ir was a process and I might say I would use my other stove top method, but I admit I couldn't leave it alone on my first time using it. Actually it was pretty easy to use. After I strained the chicken and broth and it cooled I measured a cup into quart size freezer bags laying them flat in the freezer for when they're needed.

Rockabilly's post reminds me of bone broth.
I went to Ranch 99 and got a lot of beef neck bones, roasted them in the oven, and then threw them into the IP with some water. Best broth ever. We kept using it for stews and such and when all the good parts were gone, we'd put the leftover broth into the freezer for the next time. Eventually, it became so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

Quick chicken soup recipe:
1 whole chicken
Cut up veggies that you like such as carrots, celery, leeks, turnips, rutabega
32 oz of water or chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce (to supply flavoring and salt)
few thin slices of ginger
Firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Soup setting for 40 minutes

Rockabilly wrote:Today was the first day I used my Breville pot after circling it for a couple of days . I made chicken broth because I use it a lot. I put in a onion, a Honey Crisp apple and 2 bay leaves along with the chicken. Ir was a process and I might say I would use my other stove top method, but I admit I couldn't leave it alone on my first time using it. Actually it was pretty easy to use. After I strained the chicken and broth and it cooled I measured a cup into quart size freezer bags laying them flat in the freezer for when they're needed.

You'll get used to it, and set it and forget it. After I PC my chicken stock, I run the saute cycle a couple times with the lid off to make concentrated chicken stock, so it takes less room in the freezer. Apple in the stock sounds interesting!

Tonight I had leftover leg of lamb that wasn't enough for a meal on its own. Stuck it in the IP for 20 minutes with some water to get it tender enough to shred. Added some of the concentrated chicken stock to the he broth in the IP and cooked polenta. Meanwhile, shredded the lamb and cooked on the stovetop with mushrooms and leeks, then stirred it back into the polenta with shredded cheese.

I have been wanting to make my own bone broth. But... where is this magical Ranch 99? I've never heard of it! (I live in Oakland...)

goldhorse wrote:Rockabilly's post reminds me of bone broth.
I went to Ranch 99 and got a lot of beef neck bones, roasted them in the oven, and then threw them into the IP with some water. Best broth ever. We kept using it for stews and such and when all the good parts were gone, we'd put the leftover broth into the freezer for the next time. Eventually, it became so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

Oops, it's 99 Ranch https://www.99ranch.com/stores

I go to the one in Richmond (more like El Cerrito). It's at the Central Ave exit off of I80 or I580.

Thanks goldhorse!

I have a Fagor. Yesterday, i grabbed a whole chicken out of the freezer, thawed it a bit in the microwave while chopping up some garden veggies. Used the saute function to saute the veggies in butter-flavored olive oil for a few minutes then tossed in the whole chicken and 4 cups water. Set it to pressure cook for 15 minutes, did the slow cool-down thing for another 15 minutes and then pulled the chicken out. Let the pot sit on warm while I picked all the meat off, threw everything back in the pot with more water, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs, set in on low, slow cook and went riding. came back, par boiled the homemade noodles I get from church and threw them in the pot, simmered the whole deal for another 30 minutes while ds fetched my mom and we got ready for dinner. Meanwhile, dh had made 3-bean salad earlier in the day and made french bread while the soup cooked. Best Sunday dinner since last Sunday.

I would not have bought one of these things had it not been for this board. I hardly ever get to use it because dh loves to cook with it so much. I love that I can decide at noon that I want chicken noodle soup, finally get around to gathering ingredients at 2, and by 6 it's ready to eat. The way the pot holds the flavors, I didn't even need any chicken broth, just plain old water and some yummy flavored vinegar.

goldhorse wrote:And yes, I always use bone in thighs in the IP or they cook too quickly.

Emphasis on skin on, not bone in. . . can't get one without the other around here, at least not in the organic/free range lifestyle. But it's easy enough to remove the skin, just missed it in the recipe. . . delicious recipe, DH has requested it again with sweet potato cornbread on the side.

This is out of season now, but does anyone else make corn broth? I used to cook it in a stockpot on the stovetop to so-so results. Some times it was great, other times it ended up tasting burnt. But the same concept in the IP yields a rich, flavorful result every single time.

I toss the washed inner husks, and cobs (I cut most of our fresh corn off the cob -- no gnawed on husks!) into the IP. Cover with water, and cook on HP for 20 minutes. Six cobs yield about 2 quarts.

heddylamar wrote:This is out of season now, but does anyone else make corn broth? I used to cook it in a stockpot on the stovetop to so-so results. Some times it was great, other times it ended up tasting burnt. But the same concept in the IP yields a rich, flavorful result every single time.

I toss the washed inner husks, and cobs (I cut most of our fresh corn off the cob -- no gnawed on husks!) into the IP. Cover with water, and cook on HP for 20 minutes. Six cobs yield about 2 quarts.

Well, no I haven't, but I could learn a few things from you!

goldhorse wrote:Looking for squash soup recipes. Anyone?

This isn't an IP recipe, but it's pretty good, especially now with the squash being local and sweet.

It started out being Martha Stewart's "acorn squash with kale soup", but it is pretty far removed from the original recipe at this point. Nice color and the sweetness of the squash is nicely offset by kale and sausage - really good with a rustic bread - a conceptual recipe. . .


1. Microwave 2 acorn squash separately (5 min/side/squash - your micro may vary) and allow to cool somewhat before using ice cream scoop to remove seeds and then smash or blend meat
In a large soup pot

2. Skin (if desired) 4 small-med red potatoes and steam cook (haven't tried white beans in here instead, but would work)

3. Deskin and cook 2-4 mild Italian sausage (chopping up meat) remove from pan

4. Add a little oil/butter if necessary and cook until translucent a chopped onion - toward the end add chopped red pepper, a garlic clove or 2 at very end to brown/aroma for a minute or 2 - remove

5. Destalk and chop ~lb of kale and sauté in pot until wilted

6. Add about 2 cups chicken broth to pan and stir up brown bits on bottom

7. Add squash to pan and uniformly mix with liquid and then add everything back (add more liquid if necessary)

8. Simmer/heat for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend

heddylamar wrote:This is out of season now, but does anyone else make corn broth? I used to cook it in a stockpot on the stovetop to so-so results. Some times it was great, other times it ended up tasting burnt. But the same concept in the IP yields a rich, flavorful result every single time.

I toss the washed inner husks, and cobs (I cut most of our fresh corn off the cob -- no gnawed on husks!) into the IP. Cover with water, and cook on HP for 20 minutes. Six cobs yield about 2 quarts.

Yes I made the best corn chowder last summer with corn broth. So yum.

My favorite squash soup recipe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvpyi_EmyGQ

I made a roast in my Breville Pot today. It seems to have come out well and is more tender than the traditional oven approach.