Pressure Cooking

So another purchase from India my Mum made, was buying me a pressure cooker. I protested for years that I didn't want one, and eventually I gave in. I have no idea why I protested so much, because now that I have one, I recommend anyone who eats a lot of lentils and pulses to buy one. It reduces the cooking time for lentils and pulses by more than half! Plus you don't have to soak the pulses overnight. Result!




Lentils and pulses are really good for you and very versatile, so if you want to add more lentils and pulses to your diet, getting a pressure cooker might just be worthwhile.

Now there are a few dishes that I cook, where I do use a pressure cooker. However you don't need a pressure cooker for these dishes, you can cook the pulse/lentil according to the packet instructions. But I swear by my pressure cooker, it really allows making lentils and pulses very easy and most importantly quick.

So here are my general rules for using a pressure cooker.

1. Put desired lentil/pulse in the cooker and fill with water so its about 1 inch above the lentil/pulse


2. Add 1 tsp of oil. Once you put the cooker on, and the pressure has been reached, the steam will need to be released and it will do so by the whistle on the top. All the oil does is prevent the water from coming out the top as well. If there is too much water in the cooker some water will escape from the top. This is slightly inevitable, but once you get the hang of your cooker, you'll understand how much water you can put in.


3. I cook by the number of whistles. A whistle is when the pressure has been reached and steam comes out the top. So here is a guideline of the lentils I regularly cook with, and their timings.
   
   

Black Eyed Beans: 200 grams; 6-8 whistles (approx 20 mins)

Mung Beans: 200 grams; 5 whistles

Green lentils: 200 grams; 4-5 whistles

Red lentils: 200 grams; 3 whistles

Toor dhal/yellow split peas: 100 grams; 4 whistles

Toor dhal (oily)/yellow split peas: 100 grams; 4 whistles. Now this is the only lentil you don't have to add oil too as the lentil is already oily.

Now, once you've cooked the lentil/pulse you need to take the cooker off the heat and allow it to cool down before you can open it. The pressure from the steam inside needs to reduce in order for the lid to come off. If you want to see if the lentils are done straight away then you can place the cooker underneath the cold tap and cool it down that way. But do not take the lid off without the cooker cooling down first. If they are still a bit hard then just put it back on the heat for another whistle or two.

Happy pressure cooking!