saks
August 9, 2011, 4:50pm
49
Re: Learning to cook with Daffy Duck
Ok Daffy , I am here now … so here is the answer to both your queries :
**1- How to use a Pressure Cooker
Put the meat in the pressure cooker, then put enough water in so that it covers the meat about more then 4 inches … If there isnt enough water , then it becomes dangerous .. but dont put too much water either … and the first time you use the PC ( short for pressure cooker ) observe how much water it dried out … it will give you an idea and you an add water accordingly next time …
Make sure the rubber in the PC’s lid is dry … sometimes we wash it and put it back in the lid without drying it .. so make sure you dry it and then carefully put it back in the lid so that all sides are nicely settled and not coming off the lid .
Now as you know there is a lock in the PC .. you will need to practice this lock … ask your mom to show you … you have to make sure that the top handle and the bottom handle both rotate and come on top of each other sharp … if they dont come on top of each other it means the PC hasnt closed evenly …
then put the PC on the stove and light the fire … medium flame … and immediately put the little weight on top. There is no technicality there … you just put the weight on carefully, press it a little so it sits in place … it will make noise later on , but dont get scared …
Start timing the PC .. normally it should take about 10-15 minutes for it to start whistling.. when it starts singing , move away from the area and just let it be on its own for another 20-30 minutes … Meat usually takes 30 minutes in my cooker , this is after the singing starts … lentils like lobia and beans or channay takes about 20 minutes after the singing starts … I advise you to notice how much time your cooker takes and write it so you dont forget it every time.
Once the singing has been going on for 30 minutes .. turn of the flame and dont touch the cooker just let it sit .. dont take off the weight either .. just let it sit so the steam will slowly settle down .. if you try to open it , it will hurt you coz the steam can come into your face … you have to let it sit for atleast 20 minutes .. then first take the weight off .. if its quiet and no sound comes , it means its safe to open the PC … make sure you slowly unlock the PC and pull the lid off from the opposite direction so the steam gets out away from your face and hands … Most PC’s are secure because they dont open easily if they still have dangerous steam in them .. so if yours isnt opening up easily then dont force , let it sit for a futher 10 minutes .. and then open it ..
Caution : never try to close the PC lid while its on the flame already cooking … the food inside must be warm or luke warm before you put it on pressure …
Caution 2: easy way to open up the lid earlier without having to wait for long to let the steam settle : as soon as you close the flame , let it sit for five minutes and then fill up the sink with really cold water ( just enough to cover half of the PC base … and let the PC sit in it for 5-10 minutes … Keep in mind that you havnt opend the PC at all ,just letting it sit in the cold water .. the steam will settle within minutes and then you can open the PC carefully.
**Caution 3: **To remove the fear factor , I will tell you when things go wrong: either when you dont have enough water in the PC , that can burn the food and cause the PC to explode … Or when you have PC on very high flame for longer then an hour, that can cause it to explode as well … or when you try to open the Lid without waiting for the steam to settle , that can hurt you with excessive heat coming into into your face and burning it .
**Tip : **When I started using the PC, I noticed that it would take 15 minues to start singing.. and then additional 30 minutes for the meat to get done. I would then turn the flame off and wait 20 minutes before I opened the lid .. and if the meat or food was still not done, I would put the lid back on and the weight on and pop it back on the flame and give it another 15 minutes till it started singing and additional 15 minutes for the singing bit …
Also never add dhaniya or green chillies or seeds like corriander into the pressure cooker .. you should add them after you have done the PC … because sometimes these things can get stuck in the weight ultimately the steam gets blocked in the PC and this can cause it to burst.
But keep these tips in mind and inshallah you willbe safe …
CB, you’re my hero! You just explain everything so well. I am terrified of using a PC, even my mom never uses one, she burned the kitchen down once when she was newly married lol and ever since shes too scared.
But what is the purpose of using PC? I know it can cook meat faster, but is there anything else? I personally dont mind cooking meat without a PC.