a chef figurine

Having an instant pot in the kitchen means that you can cook various dishes in one appliance. But most of the time, people use this awesome tech only to cook rice or steam some boring veggies. 

In today’s article, you’ll learn how to prepare four restaurant-grade menus with your instant pot!

Sushi Rice

Sushi is no longer an exotic food these days as you may find sushi restaurants almost everywhere. Sushi has become more of a fast-food from the East than a traditional Japanese dish. And it doesn’t have to be served with raw fish if that is your issue. 

As equally important as the protein in a sushi dish is the rice. But it is often difficult to reach that stickiness if you only steam the rice or cook it with a regular rice cooker. With your instant pot, it will be a fool-proof process. You can click here for more info. And here’s the instruction:

  • Rince a cup of short-grain rice with cold water.
  • Pour 1 1/2 cup water together with the rice into your instant pot. 
  • Cook at low pressure for 8 to 10 minutes. 
  • Don’t forget to let the steam out before you open the pot. 
  • Let it cool. 
  • Meanwhile, get 1/4 cup of white vinegar, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and a pinch of salt. And mix them. This is the sauce for the rice later when you make it into rolls. 
  • After the rice is lukewarm, put it in a bowl and pour the sauce as you stir the rice slowly. Don’t destroy the grains in this process.
  • After the rice is completely cool, you are ready for your rolls!

Lasagna

If you can make lasagna by yourself, you can save a lot of money. It’s a mouthwatering dish that can feed multiple people at once. Thus, it will be a perfect menu if you have a gathering at home. And here is how you can serve this dish with your instant pot:

Create Ricotta Cheese Mixture: In a mixing bowl, beat one large egg, then add in ¾ cup (200g) Ricotta cheese. Season with 1 tsp (1g) Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, and ⅓ tsp kosher salt.

Assemble Instant Pot Lasagna: Line a 7-inch springform pan with cut-out parchment paper (optional). Break the uncooked oven-ready lasagna noodles into smaller pieces, then layer them at bottom of the pan in a single layer. Layer ⅓ portion of the meat sauce on the lasagna noodles. Layer Ricotta cheese mixture on the meat sauce, then add shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat this layering cycle twice. Add ¼ cup (30g – 40g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the very top. Then, wrap the springform pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Pressure Cook Lasagna: Pour 1 cup (250ml) cold water, then place a trivet in Instant Pot. Create a sling foil, then place springform pan in Instant Pot. Close lid, then pressure cook at High Pressure for 24 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release.

Serving: For an easier release, use a paring knife to gently release the Lasagna from the springform pan. Slice the glorious lasagna and serve immediately.