My Instant Pot often comes to my rescue when time is short, yet the flavor is never compromised. You can easily substitute it with a pressure cooker and achieve the same results.

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 Instant Pot Butter Chicken (No Sauté, One-Pot)

🧂 Ingredients

Main

1. 700 g boneless chicken (cut into medium pieces)

2.  3 medium tomatoes cut into chunks (or 1 cup tomato puree)

3. 1 small onion (roughly chopped)

4. 10–12 cashews

5. 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste or 5 whole garlic cloves and 1 inch ginger

6. 1 tsp red chilli powder

7. 1 tsp coriander powder

8. ½ tsp turmeric

9. 1 tsp garam masala

10. 1 whole cardamom and 1/2 inch cinnamon

11. 2 green chilies, slit 

12. 3 tbsp butter

13. ½–1 cup water

14. Salt to taste

For finishing

13. 2 tbsp cream

14. 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed)

15. 1 tsp sugar (optional)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Add into the Instant Pot: chicken, tomatoes, onion, cashews, ginger-garlic paste, all spices (except the green chilies) , butter, water, and salt. Mix gently once.

2. Close the lid, set valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. (If using a normal pressure cooker, 2 whistles on medium heat)

3. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.

4. Open the lid and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

5. Remove the chicken pieces.

6. Blend everything into a smooth, creamy gravy using an immersion blender or regular blender

7. Turn on Sauté (low) mode until oil separates. (Optional- a tbsp of tomato ketchup)

8. Return the chicken pieces along with the green chilies and let it simmer in the gravy for a few minutes.

9. Add cream, crushed kasuri methi, and sugar (if using).

10. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until the gravy becomes rich and glossy.

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🍽️ Done!

Creamy, rich butter chicken with less effort—perfect with naan, roti, or rice. The mint pulao goes perfectly fine with this and it is an easy recipe too.

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Kantari Fish Fillet in Coconut Milk

Finally, I got to recreate this fish recipe that we had as a starter from a popular Indian restaurant here in Kuwait. Of course, I had to scrounge around the net to find something similar. Since they used frozen fish fillets and it still tasted fine, I used the same too. I am sure fresh fish like king fish will taste even better. Ideally it should be kanthari chilly or bird's eye chilly, but I had only normal green Indian chillies. 

Internet says the following: Delivering an upper mid-level heat, Kanthari Chilli brings a balanced spiciness to dishes without overwhelming the palate. It offers a satisfying kick that enhances the overall flavour without overshadowing other ingredients. It ranges around 100,000 to 225,000 SHU on the Scoville scale. 

 Kantari Fish Fillet in Coconut Milk 

🧄 Ingredients:

• 500g fish fillets (any firm white fish)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 sprig curry leaves or coriander leaves

• 4 small onion(pearl onions), chopped fine

• 1-inch ginger, chopped fine

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine

• 3 Kanthari chillies chopped fine - I used 2 green chillies (adjust to taste)

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)

• Salt to taste

• 1½ cups thick coconut milk (2 or more Tbsp. coconut powder for 1 cup milk)

• Few more fresh curry leaves for garnish

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👨‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Prep the Fish:

   • Rinse the fish fillets, pat dry, and set aside. No marination needed.

2. Cook the Base:

   • Heat coconut oil in a clay pot or pan.

   • First sauté the garlic for a few seconds and then the onion, ginger and green chili.

   • Sauté on medium heat until onions turn soft and translucent.

3. Add Spices:

   • Sprinkle in turmeric and chili flakes.

   • Stir gently for 30 seconds, allowing spices to bloom.

4. Add Coconut Milk:

   • Pour in the coconut milk.

   • Add salt.

   • Bring it to a gentle simmer.

   • Add the fish fillets carefully.

   • Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, until the fish is fully cooked and flaky.

   • Check salt.

5. Finish the Curry:

   • Remove the fish fillets and let the sauce thicken. Add the curry leaves or coriander leaves towards the end.

   • Pour the sauce over the fish fillets 

   • Optional: squeeze in lime juice for a fresh tang.

6. Garnish and Serve:

   • Drizzle with a little extra coconut oil and fresh curry leaves.

   • Let sit 5 minutes before serving to deepen flavor.

Peri-Peri Chicken Rice

 One more rice recipe that is mildly spicy, easy to make and tasty too.

🌶️ PERI PERI CHICKEN RICE RECIPE

🍗 Ingredients

For the Peri Peri Chicken Marinade:

• 1 Kg chicken thighs / breasts (or both, boneless or bone-in)

• 2 tbsp olive oil or any other oil of choice

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 bulb of garlic peeled

• 2 red bell pepper (cubed)

• 2 + 1 Onion chopped

• 1 chicken cube

• 1–2 red Kashmiri chilies(soaked in hot water) - (or 1 tsp chili flakes) – adjust to taste

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for extra heat)

• 2 tsp dried thyme leaves

• Salt to taste

For the Rice:

• 2 cup basmati or long grain rice

• 4 cups chicken stock (or water)

• Salt to taste

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🔪 Instructions

1. Marinate the Chicken:

• Roast the 2 onions along with the cubed bell pepper and garlic in a pan or grill.

• Once cooled, grind the above with the rest of the ingredients in a blender.

• Coat chicken with 4 tbsp of the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (ideally 2–4 hours).

2. Cook the Chicken:

• Saute one onion until browned and add the tomato paste. Add the chicken and grill or pan-sear the chicken over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and charred slightly.

• Remove and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing (if using whole breasts or thighs).

3. Cook the Rice:

• In the same pan, heat oil or butter if needed (I did not).

• Add the remaining marinade and let it cook until dry and slightly browned.

• Add rice and stir for 1 minute to toast lightly.

• Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed).

• Fluff with a fork.

4. Assemble:

• Serve the grilled peri peri chicken on a bed of rice.

• Garnish with lemon wedges, fresh parsley, or peri peri sauce on the side if desired or even onion raita..

Kuwaitee Lamb Machboos

After having lived here for so long, it is a shame that it took me so long to cook this at home (I must be the only person too?). 

It is easier than biryani, I felt. Am not sure if this is an authentic recipe but then if you search the net there are so many variations of every recipe. But it was as tasty as the one that son and his friend cooked over a weekend. Children are the first one to try new tastes and if you can join them, you can discover food that you may not taste otherwise.

Kuwaiti Machboos Laham (Spiced Lamb and Rice)

A rich, aromatic rice dish with double-fried lamb and dried raisins for a perfect balance of flavor and texture.

Ingredients (Serves 4-5)

For the Lamb:

• 1 kg lamb (bone-in, cut into chunks)
• 3 tablespoons ghee or oil (divided)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 dried limes (loomi), pierced or 2 tspn of black lemon powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups water (or as needed)

For the Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 3 cups lamb broth (from cooking the lamb)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon saffron (soaked in ¼ cup warm water)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Additional Ingredients:

• ½ cup dried raisins (golden or black)
• ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup fried onions (optional, for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil (for frying cooked lamb)

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Instructions:

Step 1: First Frying of the Lamb (Before Cooking)

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons ghee or oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the lamb chunks and sear them until browned on all sides (about 5-7 minutes). Remove and set aside.

Step 2: Cook the Lamb

1. In the same pot, add 1 more tablespoon of ghee and sauté the chopped onions until golden brown.
2. Add the garlic and ginger, sauté for a minute, then add all the ground spices (turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and cardamom powder). Stir well.
3. Return the fried lamb to the pot and mix well with the spices.
4. Add the dried limes, bay leaves, whole spices (cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick), and salt.
5. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer for 1.5 hours, or until the lamb is tender. (I used my instapot and cooked on high pressure for 35 minutes) 
6. Once cooked, remove the lamb from the broth and reserve the broth for the rice.

Step 3: Second Frying of the Lamb (After Cooking - Optional for Crispy Texture)

1. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee or oil over medium-high heat.
2. Fry the cooked lamb pieces until golden and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside.

Step 4: Cook the Rice

1. In the same pot, strain the lamb broth and measure 3 cups of it.
2. Add the drained rice to the pot with the broth, salt, and saffron water. Stir gently.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy.
4. Once done, sprinkle ground cinnamon and fluff the rice with a fork.

    Note: If Insta pot, the amount of water is same. Close and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes and let it sit for another 10 minutes. 

Step 5: Prepare the Garnishes (Hashew toppings) 

• In a small pan, sauté the raisins in a little ghee until plump. Mix it with the following. 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black lemon powder
• Toast the slivered almonds until golden.
• Fry one sliced onion until golden brown

 Check this out for authentic Hashew topping - Facebook

Step 6: Assemble and Serve

1. Spread the rice on a large serving platter.
2. Arrange the double-fried lamb on top.
3. Garnish with fried raisins, toasted almonds, and fried onions.
4. Serve with daqoos (Kuwaiti tomato sauce) and yogurt on the side.

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Enjoy your perfectly spiced, crispy, and flavorful Kuwaiti Machboos Laham! 🍛✨

Methi Chicken Curry (Methi Murgh) Recipe

 

Methi Chicken Curry (Methi Murgh) Recipe

This delicious Methi Chicken Curry is made with fenugreek leaves (methi), giving it a rich, slightly bitter yet aromatic flavor. It's perfect with naan/chappathi/porotta or rice.

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Ingredients:

For the Curry:

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) chicken, cut into pieces
• 3 tbsp oil or ghee
• 2 onions, finely sliced or chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp dried kasuri methi/ fenugreek leaves (roasted and crushed) + 1/2 tspn 
• whole spices (3 cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1/2 tsp cumin, a small piece of Cinnamon)
• ½ cup yogurt, whisked
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 tsp red chili powder (Kashmiri) 
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1-2 cups hot water (as needed)
• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped (for garnish)
• Ginger slices (for garnish)

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Instructions:

1. Heat Oil: In a large pot, heat oil or ghee over medium heat. Add the whole spices and fry until aromatic.
2. Add Ginger & Garlic: Stir in ginger and garlic paste, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add Chicken: Add the chicken pieces and fry until the color changes.
4. Add Onions & Green Chilies: Add the sliced onions along with salt and green chilies and cook until soft.
5. Add Tomatoes: Place the chopped tomatoes over the chicken and cover & cook until soft, then mash them with a spoon.
6. Methi, Yogurt & Spice powders: Whisk the yoghurt along with methi and the powders (chilly, turmeric, cumin, garam masala). Add to the chicken and mix well.
7. Simmer: Add hot water as needed for a gravy-like consistency. Cover and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
8. Fresh Cream : Add fresh cream and mix.
9. Garnish: Add chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle methi leaves. 

Enjoy!

Note: You can substitute dried fenugreek/methi leaves with 1 cup of fresh leaves

Pressure Cooked Chicken Roast

This is a recipe that my daughter found, followed and which turned out pretty good. I think if I had not written out here, would have forgotten it altogether. It is very easy to forget recipes and settle for the ones that come to your mind quickly. Even though this recipe has been repeated in my house,  no idea why it has been forgotten.

Pressure Cooked Chicken Roast

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 1 Kg (If whole, pat dry and make cuts on the chicken)

2.  Ginger and Garlic paste or crushed- 2 1/2 tbspn

3. Garam Masala - 1/2 Tspn

4. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspn

5. Chilly pdr - 2 Tbspn

6. Pepper powder - 1 Tbspn

7. Lemon Juice - 1 Tbspn

8. Salt - To taste

9. Curd - 2 Tbspns

Method

Mix the above ingredients and rub it on the chicken. Leave the chicken for at least an hour more in the fridge.

Take a pressure cooker and pour 2 tablespoon of oil and place the whole chicken or cut pieces. Put it on high flame for 2 minutes and later close the cooker and let it sit on low flame for around 20 minutes.

Take a pan and pour 2 tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken on high flame until it is brown on all sides.

Chicken Masala

Cut 2 onions and fry it in the same oil along with a little oil until transparent. Add sliced ginger and capsicum. Saute for a while. Add 2 tablespoon of Tomato Sauce and 1 tablespoon of Soya Sauce. Now add the chicken, Add curry leaves and coriander leaves if needed.

Enjoy! 

Potato Curry

 I have already posted an easy potato curry but this is one is even more easier and tastes different.

Potato Curry

Ingredients

1. Potatoes cut into bug cubes - 2 medium

2. Green chilly sliced - 2 number

3. Ginger sliced - a small piece(Optional)

4. Garlic chopped - a tspn (Optional)

5. Onion sliced - 2 small ones 

6. Mustard, dried chilly, curry leaves - as required

7. Coconut powder - 2 tablespoon dissolved in warm water

8. Pepper powder - 1 tspn

8. Garam masala - 1 tspn (Optional)

Method

Place the potatoes, green chilies, half of the sliced onion and ginger in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water. Adjust the cooking time as per the pressure cooker. (Instapot - 10 minutes). Meanwhile, splutter the mustard seeds along with the red chilly and curry leaves.. Sauté the remaining onions along with the garlic and then add the pepper powder. Once the potato is done, smash it up a little leaving a few cubes intact and add the coconut milk. Mix this with the sautéed ingredients and finally add the garam masala. The original recipe did not have the ingredients marked optional. So you can try both ways. I prefer this one.

 Enjoy!

Bitter gourd curry / Pavakka curry

Discovered another very tasty way to eat this vegetable which many hate. Have already posted another recipe that was my mother's favorite and mine too. But this one is going to be a regular since the bitterness is minimal or even absent.

This is my lunchbox today.. 

Bitter gourd curry / Pavakka Curry

Ingredients

1. Bitter gourd sliced lengthwise - 1 cup (1 medium bitter gourd)

2- Onion sliced - 1 medium

3. Green Chilly sliced - 2

4. Ginger sliced - 1 inch

4. Coriander powder - 1 or more tspn

6. Chilly powder - 2 tspn

7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

8. Curry leaves - a bunch

9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn

10. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspn

11. Tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup of water 

Method

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil and add the mustard and fenugreek seeds. After it splutters, add the onion, ginger and chilly and sauté until soft. Now add the powders and sauté for a few seconds before adding the sliced bitter gourd. Fry for a while and then add a cup of water. Let it cook until done. Now add the tamarind water and let the curry boil for some more time. You can adjust the water if you need more. Finally add the curry leaves and enjoy with rice.

Nutricook Airfryer Oven

Realized that it is almost a year since this post has been in my draft. The Airfryer is still doing a good job so  thought I shall post it finally.

My husband is happier when he gifts me household appliances than anything else. Like most men, he loves to acquire the latest gadgets and that extends to my kitchen too. Each time I say no when he tries to convince me and then finally relents. His purchases never fail to impress me once I try them :)

The latest being the Nutricook Air Fryer Oven. Our old basket Phillips Air Fryer was getting old and it was rarely being used too so I did not fancy another one. But this one does have a few more tricks and sure is impressing me.

The first item to try was an Arabic styled Shish Tawouk.  Along with roast potatoes. Also tried roasting a whole chicken. It works fine.

Since there are more trays one can fry more items by rotating the trays The below one has French fries, sausages, burger and also bacon.

So far I have tried Chicken Tikka, and the usual French fries etc.

Spanish Garlic Soup

Have to give away this treasure too. I know the only thing I did was watch you tube videos but had to try it out too right? And that too when so many food videos are out there. So thank me at least for that.

If you are averse to bread then please skip this post but if you are on the search for a quick but very tasty recipe continue reading. Shall give the link of the original recipe at the end.

Spanish Garlic Soup

Ingredients

• 1- Cubed French bread - 6 cups
• 2- 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 3- Thinly sliced Garlic - 6 cloves
• 4- Cubed Sausage or ham - 1 cup
• 5- Kashmiri chilly powder or paprika - 2 tspns 
• 6- Chicken broth - 6 cups
• 7- Black pepper powder - 1/2 tspn
• 8 - Eggs - 4 nos
• For the instructions you may go to the following link.. Chef John's Spanish Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo) | Allrecipes 
• Enjoy!

Instapot cooking / OPOS cooking / Nutricook

 Think most of us with a pressure cooker have tried OPOS cooking is some way or the other. I did not go for an Instapot  earlier, thinking it is just another glorified pressure cooker but my opinion has changed. It lets me do so much more and without much worries. Recently have been watching many OPOS videos and thought I shall try the same in my Instapot. Since I do not have separators and since pot-in-pot(POP) cooking did not work well I tried another way. When I tried POP to cook rice and dal, realized that the heat was not uniform. Today I made three dishes in my Instapot. Mine is actually the Nutricook 6 quarts cooker.

I made an avial, potatoes for mezhukkuparatty and brinjal. I placed the vegetables for the avial inside the inner pot and the ground paste on top of it then put the inner stand on which I placed a slotted scrapper that I seldom use. In this I placed the cut brinjal. On top of this I placed my steamer filled with potato mixed with chilly and turmeric powder. I used 1/2 a cup of water for the aviyal.

The pressure is set to 3 minutes but if you want the vegetables crispier 2 minutes will do. The pressure was released manually.

Will be trying more dishes this way. Was thinking of buying a separator but it is not available here. For the time being this will suffice.