Innovation of pressure cooker changed the way of household cooking. It proved to be a miracle for a homemakeras cooking became less strenuous in terms of time. It has been a huge difference between an era of pre-pressure cooking and post-pressure cooking. Before usage of pressure cooker, preparation time for a meal was simply twice or more than it, whereas now it takes considerably less time for its preparation.
Wonders of a pressure cooker
Pressure cooker is an incredible time saver. One has to use a cooker to know and understand the joys of pressure-cooking. Some important factors of using a cooker are as follows-
- Less boiling and cooking in a pressure cooker means less loss of minerals and various vitamins of food items. Nutrients are now preserved and served, thus encouraging healthy eating
- Speed is one of the main advantages of using a pressure cooker
- Pressure-cooking is an economical way of cooking food items as it uses less cooking gas for preparation of food
How to use your pressure cooker
Second generation of pressure cookers are anytime better than first generation cookers as they have several built-in features relating to safe usage. This is one main reason why too much pressure does not accumulate any more inside a cooker, thus minimising previous risk of cover blowing off. It is important to pay attention to important details.
First step before using any sort of pressure cooker is to read its manual carefully and thoroughly- It is important to check whether the valve, outer rim of vessel and inner side of the lid rim are clean or not. It is also vital to make certain the flexibility of gasket, for instance if a gasket is dried out then it must be replaced before usage
- An important aspect before using a cooker is that one must be aware that a pressure cooker cannot be filled up to the top for any purpose. At the utmost, it can be two thirds full and in cases where froth may arise, like grains and beans, or only liquid item is to be cooked, it is better to be half full for safety measures
- As soon as a pressure cooker achieves high pressure,the whistle will start blowing and it is better to lower the heat immediately. It is so because cooking continuously under high pressure may result in overcooking and loss of vital nutrients in food. After first whistle blows of it is best to cook under medium or low heat to savor the taste of dish.
- After switching off the heat, let a pressure cooker have respite so that steam escapes naturally. This will help in better and proper preparation of dish. At the time of opening of pressure cooker, it is better to remove the lid by tilting it away from oneself so that escaping steam does not cause any harm and aftereffects.
How to release the pressure from a pressure cooker
Safety measures are precautionary and necessary; therefore, it is essential to know the proper way of releasing the pressure from a cooker before opening a lid. Actually, the most suitable method simply depends upon type of food that has been prepared inside a cooker. Three simple methods to do so after switching off the burner are as follows-
Natural method of releasing pressure– This method is best for food items like meat, liquid items like tomato soup and foodstuff that may sprout froth like grains. After an appropriate time it is better to remove pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure drop so that steam is released naturally. It takes minimum of five to maximum twenty minutes for complete process and at the end, one can open lid to take out the dish.
Cold-water method of releasing pressure– This method is useful for cooking of certain tender food items and vegetables like bottle gourd, when one has to stop cooking suddenly in order to prevent overcooking. It is a good option for releasing pressure quickly and at a faster pace. Under cold-water process, hold and place pressure cooker in a sink at an angle where it is possible to run cold water over it. It is important to make sure that water is running over lid’s outer edge so that water flows over the lid and down its sides. Releasing water directly on valve or vent may eventually damage a pressure cooker.
Quick method of releasing pressure – This method is paramount when one has to make certain additions at the end of cooking inside a cooker and one fine example of such is stew, where one has to add vegetables at the end. In some dishes, other ingredients like spices or a curry is added to make a dish better and tasty. In new and modern pressure cookers, there are special valves where it is possible to release pressure by simply pressing the valve; in other cookers, it is possible to lift the whistle with a spoon to release pressure. One must not apply this method while cooking liquids.