Presents that are fun and surprising and show us that the giver gets us- that’s what everybody wants, right? No matter who is on your list, we should give a gift that will make them smile.

Since the holiday season is in the air, we are always looking for some wonderful ideas to gift our loved ones. Don’t we? Well frankly we are always looking for ideas to gift whether it is during festive season or not. There are birthdays and anniversaries and housewarmings, a new neighbor that moved in or if we are just going to visit someone’s place, we are always buying something to gift. I thought what better than giving them something that is hand crafted and homemade. With the whole world buying from the stores, you can add this special warmth to the gift that takes very little effort and time but will give them a delicious family meal that will fill their hearts and give them a reason to remember you for a long time. I am going to show you something really interesting that will become a “Present Perfect” for all Instant Pot lovers.

I have spotted these two variations of this classic idea, and it couldn’t be simpler. Friends who love their Instant Pot will love the gift of FOOD-IN-A-JAR for an easy weeknight dinner. I will show you two very simple FOOD-IN-A-JAR combinations that are totally no brainers, just put them in the Instant Pot and enjoy the meal. You can add a few fresh things if you like as per the suggestions or just skip them altogether.

My first, FOOD-IN-A-JAR recipe is an Ayurvedic Khichadi, an Indian dish. Khichadi is basic to the Ayurvedic way of life. This dish has references dating back thousands of years. Ayurvedic experts consider Khichadi to be a vital food for restoring balance to the body and mind. It is used in body cleansing therapy because of its ease of digestion and assimilation.

In Khichadi, Basmati rice and Split mung beans together with homemade ghee create a balanced food that is known to be a comforting cure-all for all those feeling under the weather. This complete food is easy to digest and gives strength and vitality. It nourishes all the tissues of the body. Khichadi is also excellent for detoxification and de-aging of the cells. In India due to its easy digestible quality, it is a common choice for babies as well.

Be sure to add enough water as the rice absorbs it quickly, and khichadi is typically thin and runny. It should have a porridge like consistency. Typical accompaniments to Khichadi are yogurt, spicy Indian pickle and papad (A wafer thin crispy Indian flat bread that is typically roasted on open flame).

Split mung beans (or dhal) and Basmati rice can be found at most health food stores.

To prepare the complete “FODD -IN-A-JAR” khichadi gift, here is a picture of all you will need.

Here are the ingredients you will need to put in the jar.
Ingredients
• ½ tablespoon mustard seeds
• ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
• ½ tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon dry curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups skinned and split mung beans (dhuli mung daal)

In making Khichadi the Rice to Split mung beans (mung daal) ratio should always be 1:2.
1 cup rice: 2 cups split mung beans (mung daal)

Now lets start layering the jar:

Step1: Stick Label- First print instructions for how too cook Khichadi in the jar, on a label and stick it on the jar

Step2: Make a pouch- Take a small pouch and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds in it. Keep it aside.

Step3: Mix other seasoning- In a small bowl stir together asafetida, turmeric powder, dry curry leaves and salt.

Step 4: Layer the Beans and seasoning mix- Now in a 2-pint (32oz. 946ml) glass jar layer, first skinned and split mung beans (dhuli mung daal. For the second layer put Basmati rice. Now add the seasoning mix from the bowl.

Step 5: Put the pouch- At the end on top put mustard and cumin pouch.

Step 6: Seal and date the Jar- Put the lid on the jar to seal it. Also put a date on the bottle so people you gift this know when it was bottled.

Step 7: Decorate- Decorate the bottle with colored holiday paper on top of the lid and tie a pretty ribbon.

Step 8: Store or gift- Store in a cool and dry place up to 6 months. Gift these during the holiday season to the Instant pot lovers to see some happy smiles.

Now lets see how to prepare Ayurvedic Khichadi from the jar. Here is a picture of the ingredients that you will need while cooking Ayurvedic Khichadi(Do not add these to the bottled jar). From these ingredients, ghee and water are essential and all other ingredients are optional and you may skip them if you don’t have on hand, although I would suggest not to skip ginger.

To make Khichadi, here are the ingredients that you will need, other than the bottled ingredients.

•2 tablespoons ghee(mandatory)
•1-inch fresh ginger julienned
•¼ cup diced carrots(optional)
•¼ cup green beans finely chopped(optional)
•¼ cup green peas(optional)
•6 cups of water(mandatory)
•1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped for garnishing (optional)

To make Ayurvedic khichadi:

Step1. Prep the Instant pot to Make khichadi: Plug in the Instant Pot and remove the lid. Press “Saute” function and wait till it says “Hot” on the screen. Add ghee to it and immediately add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Use a glass lid as the mustard seeds may pop up. Roasting of these two in ghee are crucial to this dish and hence were added in a separate pouch. Add julienned ginger and sauté (although ginger is optional, I would suggest not to skip it as it adds a lot of flavor to khichadi). Now put all the bottled ingredients in the steel pot, add 6 cups of water and combine.

Step2. Pressure cook: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock lid on pot, switch the “Pressure Release Valve” to close/sealing. Now press “Manual” button and adjust the time to 20 minutes or just press the “Rice” button that defaults 12 minutes. You can use the “+/-” key to adjust the time. In a few seconds it will say “ON” on the screen. After ten seconds the pot will begin to heat and build pressure. Once it reaches the required temperature and pressure, the display will begin to count down. The timer will start counting down till the timer reaches 0. Once it reaches 0, the Instant Pot will automatically switch to “Keep Warm” mode and then begin to drop in pressure. Do “Natural Pressure Release” (NPR), which means the pressure will release naturally. It should take about 20 minutes. When metal pin drops carefully remove lid.

Step3. Serve: Once you open the lid, combine everything well. Press the cancel button on the Instant pot and unplug it. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top it with fresh cilantro and serve hot. Enjoy with yogurt, spicy Indian pickle and papad!

My second FOOD-IN-A-JAR recipe is an Italian wild rice, farro, Great Northern beans soup mixed with Shitake mushrooms.

This fantastic soup in the jar cooked in the Instant Pot is super-fast and with no hands-on attention required. You can just dump the jar in the pot garnish it with fresh parsley and it will taste like you have been toiling on it all day.

This soup may look simple but has a delicious nutty texture with many different flavors that will open up your taste buds. Accompany it with a crusty Italian baguette bread and you are all set.
Wild rice, farro, Great Northern beans and Shitake mushrooms are easy to find ingredients in most grocery stores.

To prepare the Italian soup gift bottle, here are the ingredients you will need.
Ingredients
• • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried chives
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried granulated garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder (vegetarians can use vegetable bouillon powder)
• 2 tablespoons cup dried minced onion
• ½ cup great northern beans
• ½ cup uncooked wild rice
• ½ cup farro
• ½ cup chopped dried shitake mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

Now lets start layering the bottle.

Step1: Stick Labels: First print instructions for how too cook Khichadi in the jar, on a label and stick it on the jar

Step2: Mix the seasoning: In a small bowl stir together first eight ingredients (through dried minced onion).

Step3: Layer the Beans and seasoning mix: Now in a 2-pint (32oz. 946ml) glass jar layer, first great northern beans. For the second layer put wild rice, third layer with Farro, fourth layer with shitake mushrooms, fifth with dried tomatoes.Now top it with the seasoning mix.

Step4: Seal the Jar and Date it: Put the lid on the jar to seal it. Also put a date on the bottle so people you gift this know when it was bottled.

Step5: Decorate the Jar: Now decorate the jar with colored holiday paper on the lid and tie a pretty ribbon.

Step6: Store; Store in a cool and dry place up to 6 months. Gift these during the holiday season to the Instant pot lovers to see some happy smiles.