annieb123
Written on Jun 10, 2019
Instant Pot® Vegetarian Cookbook is a plant based cookbook and resource guide by Srividhya Gopalakrishnan. It's approved by the Instant Pot manufacturer. Due out 18th June from Rockridge Press, it's 148 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available now).
I purchased an instant pot late last year (the ultra 6qt), and it's become one of the most versatile and well used tools in my kitchen. My family is also currently trying to eat more plant based dishes, so this book came at a very opportune time. This cookbook is full of appealing and hearty well seasoned foods which aren't 'skimpy, wimpy, or limpy' as my kids are wont to say. The portions are reasonable and will feed hungry humans until they're full (also a stipulation in my family).
The introduction (17% of the page content) covers a brief introduction of how to use the instant pot, why to (or not to) prepare certain foods under pressure, tips and advice for ingredients, scaling recipes, cooking times, and more.
The recipes which are the bulk of the book are arranged sensibly and are listed in an easy to navigate table of contents. The chapters are: Vegetables and side dishes, Beans and Legumes, Soups and Stews, Rice and Pasta, Other Grains, and Dessert. The book also includes some useful conversion charts along with cooking tables for various food items.
All of the recipes include ingredients lists, preparation instructions, cooking instructions, and yields.
The ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
We tried vegetable biryani which was very flavorful and colorful. I was a little surprised that the actual recipe called for mixed pre-frozen vegetables, but honestly, it's a huge time saver and I loved the author's honesty - we ALL use convenience ingredients (at least I do).
We also enjoyed the cilantro and lime rice with some salmon (clearly not a vegetarian ingredient and off-recipe fiddling on my part). Not all of my family are crazy about cilantro (love/hate relationship), and this dish really does have both lime and cilantro as feature flavors, so for readers whose families dislike cilantro, go easy on it.
My only quibble with the book is that there are very few dishes pictured or serving suggestions. That detracted somewhat for me. The recipes are, however, well written, with clear and concise instructions and made with easily sourced ingredients. Some of the spices might have to be sourced from a larger Asian or international foods store (or online), but they're not so exotic as to be difficult.
Four stars, a worthwhile addition to the instant pot cooking library.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.