Instant Pot Asian Pressure Cooker Meals: Fast, Fresh & Affordable

by Pat Tanumihardja

Instant Pot Asian Pressure Cooker Meals shows you how to cook all your favorite Asian dishes at home using healthy, inexpensive ingredients and your Instant Pot!

In this cookbook, Asian-American food expert Pat Tanumihardja shows you how to buy fresh ingredients, condiments and spices from your local supermarket, farmers market or health food store on a budget, then how to use them to prepare delicious and flavorful Asian dishes using an Instant Pot.

The author takes you through all the basics--including making rice and soup stocks--then shows you how to prepare all the popular dishes you love, including:
Sweet and Sour Pork (Chinese)
Lemon Teriyaki Chicken (Japanese)
Kalbijjim Braised Beef Short Ribs (Korean)
Chicken Adobo (Filipino)
Pho Chicken Noodle Soup (Vietnamese)
Pad Thai Rice Noodles (Thai)
Red Lentil Dal with Dates and Caramelized Onions (Indian)

To round off the menu, Tanumihardja even presents a handful of popular Asian desserts and snacks. Sticky rice with mango or Filipino caramel flan? As the author reveals, everything is possible in your Instant Pot, and this cookbook shows you how to do it!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Asian Literature

128 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Patricia Tanumihardja writes about food, travel, and lifestyle through a multicultural lens and has been published in numerous national and regional publications. She has lived on three continents, speaks four languages and her myriad travels and cultural experiences inform her writing every step of the way. Pat especially enjoys covering topics that converge on food, history and culture, and as a former farmers’ market manager, she has a soft spot for small-scale family farmers and the sustainable produce they grow. Her stories are wide-ranging—from the story behind Grandma Pearlie’s sweet and sour pork to a kabocha how-to. Pat has been published in edibleSeattle, Monterey County Weekly, Sunset, Saveur, and Seattle Metropolitan, among other publications. Pat is also the creator of the “Asian Ingredients 101” app, a glossary on-the-go that’s the perfect companion on a trip to the Asian market. Pat has 2 cookbooks, "The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook—Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens (Sasquatch Books, 2009, 2012) and "Farm to Table Asian Secrets--Vegan and Vegetarian Full-Flavored Recipes for Every Season" (Tuttle Publishing) launching March 28, 2017.

Reviews

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I am rating this highly because it is authentic Asian food, has many photographs, is laid out nicely and the recipes do work. But keep in mind that the recipes can be daunting: 25+ ingredients and 15-30 bulky steps are the norm (I can't really say any of the recipes are fast since it takes 20 minutes just trying to gather the mass of ingredients, many of which are specialty items not found in a normal pantry). But they do taste fresh and the ingredients, though many, are rarely very expensive (even the specialty items like Sambal or rice wine vinegar are cheap). Each recipe section has about 7 recipes and the book is fully photographed, which is a much needed relief for many of these items.

The book breaks down as follows: The Basics (cooking rice, asian style stock, Japanese dashi fish stock); soups/starters/sides, Vegetables/Meatless Mains; One-Dish Meals for a Crowd; Pork Dishes; Noddles/Rice; Beef Dishes; Chicken Dishes; Seafood Dishes; Desserts; Index. Recipes include hot and sour salmon soup, Thai basil chicken rice, Filipino style spaghetti, chicken adobo, Korean glass noodles, pickled Chinese mustard cabbage, curried lentils, kimchi tofu stew, Vietnamese meatballs with rice noodles. As can be seen, this crosses many Asian cultures with their authentic flavors.

Each recipe is nicely presented and includes a photograph or two. There is a large orange font title. The recipe's original name is paired with it's native name (if different - e.g., Japanese-Style Soy Sauce Eggs is ajitsuke tamago). A brief paragraph with a description with some tips in it comes next. Then prep and total time. Ingredients (separated by type e.g., meat, marinade and stock are listed separately) in orange italics font. Special equipment needed is listed below the ingredients. Then the steps are blocky and chunky numbered paragraphs (and because there are usually a lot of them, they are squished together without breathing room). Then finally notes and tips in a call-out box.

I picked a recipe at random to give you an idea of what to expect: Vietnamese Meatballs With Rice Noodles. There are 23 ingredients spread across three sections of the meatballs, the sauce, and accompaniments. Less common ingredients include lemongrass stalks, sambal oelek, dried rice vermicelli noodles, and crushed roasted peanuts. Special equipment needed are parchment paper and large rimmed baking tray. There are 7 chunky directions. There are five small images that show how to make the meatballs. And then one large picture of the finished dish.

In all, those who like authentic meals with great taste and don't mind spending a bit of time and ingredient hunting will greatly appreciate this book. I definitely think it is for those who enjoy cooking and don't have time or patience constraints to do it well and right. The sheer amount of photographs throughout are well done and prepare the reader to do the recipe correctly and with less confusion. And it is a great introduction to dishes from around the Asian-Pacific region. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[MAYA QUARTZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic introduction to Asian cooking with an Instant Pot. I love how accessible the recipes are, even for someone who’s newer to this style of cooking. The book covers a wide range of dishes from various Asian cuisines, and my husband and I had fun flipping through together and selecting a few we were interested in.

The recipes are laid out clearly with beautiful photographs that make you want to dive right in. I was a bit intimidated at first by the number of ingredients and steps in some recipes, but the author does a great job of breaking everything down. Plus, many of the ingredients are surprisingly affordable and easy to find.The basics section is super helpful, especially for learning how to make essential stocks and rice. Overall, this cookbook is a solid resource.

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes are explained in easy detail with substitutions when available. A variety of recipes are included-Korean, Indian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai come to mind. Typically the dishes are well-known and/or most popular, ie Bulgogi, Pad Thai, and Chicken Adobo. The Japanese dish Nikujaga-stewed beef and potatoes- turned out pretty good.

[Twinkletoes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice recipes. I only got to try a few. I wish the nutrition information was included. I'll check this out again from the library.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a quick look for a certain recipe. Returned to the library, but will likely take it out again to try some recipes.

[JC Cornell · Rating 1 out of 5]

While an interesting read, there was only one recipe I really wanted to try. Recipes are quite approachable, though, and would be easy to follow.

[Isabelle✨]

I don't have an instant pot at school but maybe some of these can be adapted to rice cooker... anyways this is what I do when I'm bored

[Cozy Book Spot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great asian cookbook! The recipes look so delicious and the photos are mouthwatering! Every recipe has a photo! The recipes are easy to read and to follow and I can't wait to try them at home! I received a free digital copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

[BethFishReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for new IP users and those wanting to get to know their appliance better. The recipes are easy to make and tasty; great tips and tricks. Vegetarians & vegans should look before you buy. Thanks to the publisher for the copy; full review on my blog.

[Anna Bichta Peebler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cookbook with very detailed general information abt basics of cooking veggies, meat, and various rice varieties in an Instant Pot.