24 Of The Best Instant Pot Recipes For Vegetarians (2024)

FAQs

Is Instant Pot useful for vegetarians? ›

The Instant Pot's main claim to fame is its magical meat-cooking prowess, churning out tender proteins in little time. But there are tons of delicious vegetarian Instant Pot recipes out there that prove the kitchen wizard is awesome for serving up tasty and totally meatless comfort food too.

The Instant Pot Duo is a fantastic choice that's packed with every conceivable feature. Go with a the three quart unit if you're just cooking for one or two people. If you have a larger family, buy either the six or eight quart model.

“Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says. The shorter cooking time may also result in the greater preservation of vitamins and minerals when compared to other longer types of cooking.

Not good for cooking everything: Just like no one method is great for cooking everything, the Instant Pot isn't build to do it all. If you are not a fan of like stews and saucy things then pressure cooking might not be for you.

Greger of NutritionFacts notes, “Without presoaking, it takes 45 minutes in a pressure cooker to get rid of all lectins, but an hour to make kidney beans edible. So basically… cooking beans to the point where they are considered edible is more than sufficient to destroy virtually all lectin activity.”

The average lifespan of an Instant Pot ranges from 2-5 years, but it can last longer depending on how often it's used and how well-maintained it is. So it's safe to say Instant Pots aren't commonly being replaced, and may even be a one-time purchase.

With vegetables and fruits, the heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., vitamin C, folate and bioactive phytonutrients) are generally most susceptible to degradation during pressure cooking. Consuming the cooking water can help restore some of these losses.

Advantages of pressure cooking include reduced cooking times and retention of nutrients, plus it's a great way to make energy-efficient, one-pot meals. The downsides include problems with foods that have different cook times and not being able to check the progress of the food cooking.

What's healthier Instant Pot or air fryer? ›

The difference between the Instant Pot and air fryer is the way they cook. Instant Pot uses pressure cooking method to make food faster and easier, while air fryer uses hot air method to make oil-free and healthier food.

Unlike nonstick cooking surfaces, the stainless steel pot presents no threat of harmful chemicals. Instant Pot also switches to a “warm” setting when it's done cooking, keeping food at a safe temperature for up to 10 hours.

In general, the Instant Pot Duo seems to be the most popular, because it offers excellent value — it's the most affordable model but still cooks seven ways and has basic, intuitive controls. The Duo also offers the Duo Crisp model that can also air fry.

The 6-quart Instant Pot (in any series) is the most popular size by far, and it's the one we recommend for most folks. It offers plenty of capacity for weeknight dinners, soups and stews, a pot of beans, or even a whole chicken, yet it doesn't take up a crazy amount of counter or shelf space.

The original instant pot and many other varieties of multi-pot are available in India on Amazon. Is instant pot good for Indian cooking? Yes. The taste and texture of the Indian dishes turn out much better in the instant pot than in the stovetop pressure cooker, especially dals, curries, rice, and meat dishes.

1. The Instant Pot doesn't cook things as quickly as it seems. While you can supposedly cook recipes such as potatoes, soup, stews, rice, and more in a shorter amount of time, there's a major catch: For most recipes, you have to wait for the machine to properly release the pressure slowly.

You can use an Instant Pot to make rice, cook hard-boiled eggs, and more. Plus, they're great for large families or anyone who meal preps. I'm not even a good cook, but I love making a huge batch of rice in it, then using the same pot to sauté veggies and simmer with my favorite tikka masala sauce.