How long to cook in Pressure cookers? Cooking times

Pressure cookers are efficiently used in Indian Cooking to reduce over all cooking time with no loss of texture over tradition stove top pot cooking. Three assumptions are made about timings:

1. The time starts when the pressure has built up to 15 psi.

2. After the cooking time has elapsed, the heat at the pressure cooker is shut off, and the pressure is allowed to drop naturally. The exception is vegetables.

3. The pressure cooker is not filled more than 2/3 rd its capacity.

Whole beans

1. Wash and rinse. Presoak beans in plain water for 4 to 12 hours before cooking.

2. Add water to cover the beans and then about 2" more on top of the beans. You will need about 2¾ cups of water per cup of dried beans.

3. Don't add salt. Salt will toughen up beans and slow down hydration.

4. Don't add any acids such as lime, tomatoes. The proteins in the beans get harder by the acids over 212º F.

5. The older the beans, longer it will take to cook.

Cooking times

Whole Black Matpe (Urad): Pre-soak 4 hours, 10 to 12 minutes

Whole Mung beans (Moong): Pre soak 4 hours, 9 to 12 minutes at 8 psi

Garbanzo Beans (Cholay): pre-soak 8 hours, 10 to 13 minutes

Red Kidney beans (Rajma): Pre-soak 4 hours, 10 to 12 minutes

Soy beans: Presoak 8 hours, 35 minutes

Dal (Split Pulses or lentils)

1. Wash and rinse at least with three changes of water. Do not presoak.

2. Smear 3 Tablespoon of oil on one cup of the split beans before adding water. This will reduce the froth formation causing boil over. Boil over can clog the steam vent.

3. You will need about 2¾ cups of water per cup of dried beans.

4. Don't add salt. Salt will toughen up beans and slow down hydration

Cooking time: 7 minutes.

Rice

1. Wash and rinse in lukewarm water.

2. Do not pre soak rice.

3. Always add salt to enhance flavor.

4. Use water as specified per cup of un cooked rice.

Cooking time

White Basmati Rice, 1½ cups of water, 4 minutes

Brown Basmati Rice, 2 cups of water, 15 to 17 minutes

White short grain rice, 1½ cups of water, 4 minutes

White medium grain Rice, 1½ cups of water, 5 to 7 minutes

Meats and Poultry

1. Meats and chicken should be cut up and browned before cooking.

2. You should introduce flavoring agents and not just plain water. Curry sauces serve this purpose well.

3. Meats should not be cooked without liquids in a pressure cooker. When making curries, make sure there is enough liquid to cover the meats and then about ¼" on top of the meat.

4. If the meats are thicker than 1½" always use meat thermometer to ensure they are done.

Cooking time

Lamb or Baby Goat 1" stew meat cubes: 12 to 15 minutes

Mutton or Mature Goat 1" stew meat cubes: 18 minutes

Pork 1½" stew meat cubes 35 to 40 minutes

Beef 1½" cubes 15 minutes

Chicken breast with bones: 10 to 12 minutes

Chicken legs or thighs: 5 to 7 minutes

Vegetables

1. Vegetables need very little time. Over cooking can make them mushy. After the time has expired, carefully remove the pressure cooker from the heat and put it under cold tap water in the sink to quickly drop the pressure.

2. Add 1 to 2 minutes additional time, if the vegetables are frozen.

Cooking Times

Broccoli flowerets: 2 minutes

Carrots 1" pieces: 4 minutes

Carrots ¼" slices: 1 minute

Cauliflower flowerets: 2 to 3 minutes

Potatoes 1½" Cubes: 6 minutes

Butternut squash (Indian Pumpkin) 1" cubes: 4 minutes

Turnips (Shalgam) 1½" Cubes: 3 minutes

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