Orange Cinnamon Rolls

I wanted to find a recipe that was as good or better than the Pillsbury orange rolls we make on Christmas morning every year. This recipe from Averie Cooks is scrumptious!  The original recipe can be found here, Best Orange Glazed Sweet Rolls. I made a few adaptations to the recipe, and I will definitely be making them again. Yum!

The first time I made the dough, it took a long time for the dough to rise (4 hours). I ended up tossing the dough when I realized that this dough contains raw egg. Yes, baking it probably would have killed all the bacteria, but since I was feeding it to my kids, I played it safe by tossing out the dough and starting fresh.  A few tips: don't leave dough to rise for more than 2 hours.  Make sure the rolls are fully baked, too (turning golden on top).

I microwaved 1 stick of butter for 1 min, then added the buttermilk and microwaved another 50 seconds, which was just right.

I also set the oven temp to 400 and left it on for 2-3 mins until the oven felt nice and warm, almost hot. The second batch of dough rose nicely in less than 2 hours, so these warmer temps were key!

Lastly, I ended up using cinnamon and sugar for the filling since I didn't have marmalade on hand. 1/3c. packed brown sugar, 1/3c. white sugar, and 1 Tbsp cinnamon.

These rolls tasted better than any homemade cinnamon roll I've ever had!  I think the buttermilk in the dough made them very tender and deeelish!

The orange glaze frosting was fine, but we still prefer the Pillsbury orange roll frosting which tastes a bit richer.  Next time I might experiment with a cream cheese based orange frosting.

Rachel's Rajma

2c. dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tb. minced ginger
1 Tb. minced garlic
2 tomatoes, quartered
6 c. water
1-2 serrano chilies, chopped
1 Tb. coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
chopped cilantro for garnish

Blend onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes in food processor.  Add water, chilies, spices and salt to slow cooker.  Add kidney beans and cook on low for 8 hours.

Sambar- Restaurant style with Grand Snacks sambar powder

This recipe has 3 parts (dal, sambar and tempering) and is the closest we've come to imitating the best restaurant style sambar we've eaten.  This sambar is thick and perfectly spicy (medium).

1 c. toor dal
2 and 1/2 c. water
pinch salt

Dal: Cook dal in the instant pot for 8 mins.

1 Tb. sesame or other oil
pinch of mustard seeds
pinch of fenugreek seeds
2 Tb. sambar powder (Grand Snack and Sweets brand)
1 and 1/2  tsp turmeric
2c. raw or frozen veggies (I used pearl onions and drumstick)
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp salt (add more if needed)

Sambar: Heat oil in a saucepan. Add mustard seeds.  When they splutter, add fenugreek seeds, sambar powder and turmeric.  Allow it to fry for a few seconds, then add the veggies, tomato, tamarind paste and 1.5c water. Boil for about 10 mins, long enough to cook the veggies. Make sure the dal is well mashed, and add it in to the sambar.  Bring it to a boil, add salt, and simmer for another 5-10 mins.

Tempering: In a separate small frying pan, heat oil.  Add 1 red chili, a pinch of mustard seeds, and a sprig of curry leaves.  Turn heat off immediately.

Instant Pot Chana Dal

Yummy chana dal made in the instant pot.  My whole family loves this recipe from Piping Pot Curry.

https://pipingpotcurry.com/instant-pot-chana-dal/

I omitted the chili powder and did not soak ahead chana dal ahead of time.  I increased the water to 2.5 cups and the cooking time requires 25 mins on high pressure.

Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice

1 head of broccoli, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 c. basmati rice
1-2c. shredded cheese (I used colby)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. butter
approx 1/2 tsp salt

In a few Tb. olive oil, saute onion until soft.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.  Add in rice and correct amount of water (basmati rice is 1.5 c water), broccoli and salt.  Cook in instant pot on "manual" mode for 8 mins.  Allow to sit for 10 mins and then QR.

Open the pot and stir in butter and cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serves 4-6 (side dish).

Instant Pot Peas Pulao

1.5 c. rice, rinsed and drained
2 c. frozen peas
1/2 onion, diced
1 and 1/2 onions, sliced thinly
oil

Heat 3-4 Tb. oil in IP.  Add bay leaf, a cinnamon stick, and a pinch of the following spices: cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom.  Sautee 1/2 diced onion until translucent.  Add 1Tb. ginger garlic paste (or 1.5 tsp each ginger and garlic) and sautee until fragrant.  Add in rice and sauté for a few mins, stirring frequently.  Add in peas and correct amount of water for the rice. (I used 1.5c sona masoori rice and scant 3 cups water), add salt (1/2-1 tsp).

Set IP on manual mode for 6 mins.

Caramelize sliced onions on stovetop.  Sautee cashews in oil separately.

Garnish the peas pulao with carmelized onions and cashews.

Both kids LOVED this dish, especially the caramelized onions, and asked "Can you make this every day?!"

Instant Pot Chai

Makes chai for 2

3/4c. water
3/4c. whole milk
fresh ginger- few small slices
cardamom pods- few cracked open
1 Tb. black tea powder (I use Taj Mahal brand)

I cooked this pot-in-pot using a stainless steel bowl on the trivet, with about a cup of water in the main pot.  Manual- high pressure for 4 mins.  Wait 5 mins to quick release after it's done.  Strain and add sugar to taste.

Ethiopian Collard Greens

I tried this recipe from African Bites and my family loved it!  I used 1 bunch of kale and 1 bunch of collard greens, and I omitted the cayenne/chili powder.

Ethiopian Collard Greens

Ethiopian Green Beans and Carrots (Fasolia)

1 onion, sliced
1-2 c. sliced carrots
1-2 c. green beans
*Use roughly equal portions of onions, carrots, green beans.

Olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced.
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt

Cook the onions over med-high heat, covered, for a few mins.  Add oil and cook until onions are nearly translucent.  Add carrots, garlic and turmeric and cook (covered) 4-5 mins more. Add green beans and salt.  Stir well, cover and cook another 4-5 mins until all veggies are tender.

Divya's Sakkura Pongal

1 c. sona masonry rice
1/4 c. moong dal
4.5 c. water

Cook in instant pot for 12 mins manual pressure.  QR after 10 mins, or NPR if you have time.

Combine jaggery powder and water in a pot.  Cook over med-low flame until fully dissolved and hot. There will still be some solids, so strain the jaggery syrup using a tea strainer. Discard the solids.

In a small skillet, melt 3-4 Tb. ghee, then add a handful of cashews.  Stir until the cashews occasionally until they start to turn color.  Add a handful of raisins and turn the flame off.

Once the instant pot has been opened, stir and mash the rice with a spoon/spatula.  Mix the jaggery syrup in, and add a dash of salt.  Stir in the ghee cashew mixture and a sprinkle of cardamom powder.

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Stew

2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 small onion
2 Tsp minced garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
greens- cilantro or spinach
lemon juice

Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they smell fragrant, add onion and saute until translucent.  Add garlic and fry for a minute.  Add tomatoes.  Once tomatoes start to break down, add spices and saute until raw smell disappears.  Add 3c. water and set IP to manual 5 mins.  Once cooked, stir in lemon juice and greens (cilantro or spinach)

I served it as a stew over quinoa, and it got a thumbs up from the fam.