30-60 min6 minutescanola oil

Everyday Masala Paste

By Rinku Bhattacharya

6 minutes

30-60 min

Easy

Recipe Details

Course: Side Dish

Difficulty: Easy

Total Time: 30-60 min

Cooking Technique: Pressure Cook, Sauté

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Yield: 6 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup canola oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 cups chopped red onions
2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced green chilies
4 lb tomatoes
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt

Several Indian recipes start with this everyday curry paste (see index under “Everyday Masala Paste”). At its heart is a well-browned base of onion, ginger, and garlic. This process takes a good 10 minutes making it a little time consuming on a busy day. Making it in large quantities when time permits is like a gift to yourself for those busy days.

INSTRUCTIONS

Set the Instant Pot® on Sauté mode and pour in the oil. After about 3 minutes add the cumin seeds and cook until the seeds begin to sizzle.
Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to wilt and soften. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the chilies, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
Press Cancel to turn off the Sauté mode, close the lid, and put on Manual Low Pressure setting for 4 minutes. When cooking time is complete, allow for Natural Pressure Release. This takes about 15 minutes.
Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and mix well to form an even base. Put the Instant Pot® on Sauté setting again and let the mixture thicken for about 5 minutes.
Cool and store in jars in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze in 1/2 cup portions for longer storage (silicone egg molds work well for this).

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About the chef

Rinku Bhattacharya

Rinku Bhattacharya is a busy working mother and a passionate home cook. Her recipes are inspired by a deep love for fresh ingredients and Indian flavors, along with the practical daily needs of feeding a family. Bhattacharya’s cooking is fresh, simple, accessible and most importantly, full of flavor. She brings a diversity of global flavors to her Indian-American table, and her recipes often feature the electric pressure cooker and the air fryer. As someone who actually lives the daily struggle of getting dinner on the table, Bhattacharya has created recipes--in her three cookbooks and on her blog--that fit into a busy lifestyle and guarantee diverse options for your dinner rotation. Her culinary blog, Spice Chronicles (www.spicechronicles.com) details her cooking and family adventures and offers readers globally-inspired, wholesome, delicious, and dependable recipes in each post

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