by When it comes to cooking food, a lot of us resort to quick and easy measures. In today’s fast-paced world when most of us have tight working schedules, it is difficult to take out a large chunk of time just for cooking. To make our daily cooking task easier, the invention of the pressure cooker has come of great help. A pressure cooker helps in cooking food quickly and also helps in retaining various vitamins and minerals. These kitchen appliances have been of great use to people in the kitchen, as they free the users from the worries of looking into the container every five minutes to check on the dish.
They can even sound an alarm when it is time to take off the lid. All you are required to do is to present it to your friends and family. Cooking in pressure cookers helps save fuel. This cookware can be an amazing timesaver and can cook meals in minutes. However, if not cleaned or maintained properly, the pressure cooker could be the most dangerous object. The vessel, washer and whistle must be cleaned well after each use. Follow these tips to use the pressure cooker safely …. *Add enough water while cooking pulses and lentil. * Don’t overfill the pressure cooker. Careful measuring is a must.
Some foods, such as beans, expand when they cook, and you need to allow room for this. *Except lentils, Bengal gram, pulses and chicken, all other food items that are difficult to cook should be pressure cooked. *Sprinkle some oil while cooking pulses. Soaking the lentils or pulses overnight would help it cook very easily. *Chicken cooked in a pressure cooker may break apart easily. *The gasket should be removed after cooking. Keeping the rubber gasket in the fridge will make it durable. *Measure liquids precisely. This is critical to increasing the cooker’s pressure. Follow a recipe to make sure the amount of liquid is correct.
*Be careful with frothy foods. Frothy foods can block the steam valves and the pressure-release vents on your pressure cooker. Foods that froth includes pasta, rhubarb, split peas, oatmeal, applesauce and cranberries. When cooking these foods, follow a trusted recipe and make sure the quantity in the pot is well below the recommended maximum-fill line. *Release the pressure safely. Typically, pressure is released by removing the pressure cooker from the stove and letting it cool until the pressure drops to the safe range. The cold water release is another way to release pressure by running cold water over the lid of the cooker.
Each pressure cooker operates differently, so consult your instruction manual. *Watch out for steam. When you open the pressure cooker, plenty of steam will escape. Have dry potholders on hand—if the holder is wet, you may burn your hand. Open the pan with the lid facing away from you. Don’t let condensation drip on you. *Always inspect your pressure cooker before using it. Check the lid for cracks, and make sure the vent is open and clean. Check the handles: A loose handle screw could spell disaster when moving a hot pressure cooker.
Even new pressure cookers can have problems, so don’t make assumptions based on its age. *Properly clean your pressure cooker after each use. Remove the gasket and wash it , the pot and the lid. Don’t store the cooker with the lid locked in place. Simply place the lid upside-down on the pot. *To clean denser stains, add some baking soda or baking powder along with vinegar. Clean using steel scrubber.
