Pressure cooker recipes to save time & fuel

Pressure cooker recipes are usually less time consuming compared to stove top preparations.

An Indian kitchen may have more than one pressure cooker, a smaller ones for everyday use and a bigger one for cooking for bigger groups, parties etc.

Pressure cooker separators cook multiple dishes at the same time

Separators are used in pressure cooker to cook 2 or 3 items together, such as rice, lentil/dal and vegetables.

The size of separators depends on the size of pressure cooker. Separators are available in the sizes you want.

The numbers in a set also may differ according to your cooker size in liters, height and width of your cooker and also your requirements.

It is also possible to use the already available vessels as separator.

Basic cooking happens in the pressure cooker

cooking dal and rice in pressure cooker

The basic cooking happens in the pressure cooker. And then the spices, pastes etc. are added to the dals and vegetables. These are cooked further on the stove top to add the finishing touches such as seasoning and tempering and served along with rice or breads.

Ridgegourd curry in pressurecooker

This way of cooking reduces the time needed for cooking each dish separately. The time consuming cooking of rice, dals/lentils is done in the pressure cooker at the same time.

lauki chana dal subji in cooker - 333x250

bottle gourd dal/curry in pressure cooker

Most Indian housewives use stove top Pressure cookers to do their everyday cooking. Gas stoves are commonly used in India.

Pressure cookers are made of aluminum or stainless steel are available in the market. The sizes also are available from 2 litres to 12 litres.

Tall cookers as well as flat ones, that are known as pressure pans are available. Choose ones that you find useful.

Now a days, pressure cookers are available in different attractive colors too.

Pressure cooker may have a flat lid or a hi dome lid. Handle are usually plastic so they do not get heated much.

Pressure cookers in my kitchen

I have two pressure pans - 3 litre and 5 litre size in stainless steel, sandwich bottom for gas stove as well as induction stove compatible. These can be used on gas stove as well as on induction stove as they have induction base. I use these for everyday cooking.

I also have one 5.5 litres tall stainless steel pressure cooker with sandwich bottom which can also be used on induction stove.

My 7.5 liters aluminum cooker which can be used only on gas, is used always with separators. I do not cook any food directly in this aluminum pressure cooker to cook

Pressure cookers for induction stove tops

Now a days, Induction stove tops are also getting popular. Pressure cookers are available that can be used on both, gas and induction stove tops.

These pressure cookers have a sandwich bottom, with an iron plate inside, which make them to use on induction stove as well as gas.

In addition to these, electric pressure cookers, programmable pressure cookers are also available in the market now.

Pressure cooker recipes to save time and fuel

Pressure cooker rice recipes

Cooking basmati rice in pressure cooker

How to cook plain basmati rice in pressure cooker or electric cooker

Moong dal khichadi - mung bean and rice recipe

Moong dal khichadi - mung beans and rice

How to make Moong dal and rice khichadi - Huggi

Easy to digest rice and mung bean lentil recipe. One Dish Meal.

Cook in pressure cooker or on the stove top.

Sweet pongal

Ready Sweet pongal

Sweet pongal is a Makar sankranti / pongal festival recipe.

It is a sweet rice made with moong dal and rice. Cook in pressure cooker or on the stove top.

Plain white rice - cooked

Cook plain rice on the stove top or in pressure cooker to save time.

Plain rice is used to make curd rice, tamarind rice, tava pulao, lemon rice, fried rice etc. Or have it with sambar, rasam, spinach dal etc.

Cooking Lentils - pulses - dals in pressure cooker

cooked toor - arahar dal - split pigeon peas

Cooked toor - tuvar - arhar dal - split pigeon peas

Cooked tuvar dal is used in making south Indian sambar, rasam, tadka dal etc. It is quicker and easier to cook it in the pressure cooker than on the stove top.

Ready Sambar

Sambar - Vegetable and lentil dish - with Onion and tomatoes.

Serve with Idli, Plain Steamed Rice and Dosa

Plain rasam

South Indian thin lentil soup. Served as appetizer, soup, and also with Plain Steamed Rice.

Doodhi - bottle gourd chana dal subji

Bottle gourd, known as laucki, opo squash, ghiya with chana dal

Mumbai tawa pulao - tava pulao

Mumbai's popular street food

Aluminium vs stainless steel pressure cooker

Earlier only aluminum pressure cookers were available. Cooking in aluminum vessels is not considered healthy. So people are replacing aluminium pressure cookers with stainless steel pressure cookers which have thick bottoms and can also be used on induction stoves.

Using pressure cooker for steaming

Pressure cooker can be used for steaming foods.

We can steam vegetables as well as Idli, dhokla, momos etc. dishes in pressure cooker. The weight is not used while steaming foods. Do remember to add enough water at the bottom of the pressure cooker before steaming anything.

Using pressure cooker for baking

A pressure cooker may also be used to bake as it has a thick bottom. No weight, gasket and water is used when you are using pressure cooker for baking.

Sand or salt is spread at the bottom and the pressure cooker is preheated before baking cake or bread etc.

It is better to use separate cookers for baking and other cooking.

Question - How safe is regular use of a pressure cooker?

Answer - Pressure cooker is quite safe when you use it regularly as long as you follow the cleaning routine. I use pressure cooker almost everyday in my cooking. Make sure the gasket(the rubber ring) is clean every time you use pressure cooker.

Question

Answer