Hi Mamta,

First, let me congratulate you on a great site! I tend to shop for food rather impulsively - buy something because it looked good in the market with no clue as to how to cook it. But I usually find a suitable recipe on your site.

I was wondering, just how useful is a pressure cooker? My mum uses it twice a day in India to cook her rice and dal. But, I make rice in the microwave and buy pre-cooked dal. (I live in Spain, where Indian ingredients aren't so easily available, so I just buy one type of pre-cooked dal).

My mother is going to be visiting me soon, and I know she would be comfortable having a pressure cooker, so I thought I'd get one. But I am wondering whether its a good idea to spend the money (and the precious space) on a pressure cooker if I wouldn't use it much in future. So far I've only been cooking for two, so my microwave setup has been more than enough. But number three is on his way out in a couple of weeks, and perhaps would change things? Whats your advice?

And if you do think its a good idea, what would be the ideal size to cook for 4?

Thanks

Sangeetha

Hello Sangeeta, what a beautiful name!

First of all, let me congratulate you on the impending addition to your family. Hope everything goes well for you :-)!

I am glad that my site helps you out, that is what it there for!

Indians do use pressure cooker a lot and if your mum is coming from India, she can bring a nice one for you from there. She will know the right size for a family of 4. Just remember that it is better to have one which is a couple of sizes larger than you think you need.

They make some lovely ones in India, at less than half the cost than in Europe. I have 4, all from India. Your mum can also show you how to use them for dals, chickpeas, kidney beans, soups and a host of other things.

Tinned dals are not a patch on freshly cooked dals. You can order these things on the internet. We have an address for one such company on each of our recipes. You can try them out, provided postage is not too high. Send a mail and ask first. Various beans are eaten in Spain than can be cooked just like Rajma/kidney beans.

I am not a great fan of cooking in a microwave, though I do use it for heating food a lot and steaming vegetables. I find rice is never as soft as when cooked in a pan or pressure cooker.

Once you have it (pr. cooker), you will find that it saves you such a lot of time on so many things. Just ask your mum to show you how, you will be an expert in no time.

Good luck

Mamta

Hi

I second everything that Mamta has said..... I love my pressure cooker. The meals are quick, nutritious and you can save money by buying the cheaper cuts meat.

Pressure cookers rule:)

Regards

JL:)

Hi, I also live in Spain and one of the first things I bought when we moved out here is a pressure cooker. It's great for cooking dried pulses in next to no time. In England I used to buy tinned for use in curries, but the non salted ones, but over here all of the canned/jarred ones are very salty. I also use it to cook lamb and beef curries. I have found that sometimes with conventional cooking there can be a slight raw spice taste which I never get when using the pressure cooker. I bought mine from Carrefour for approx 40 euros, it is an "express" type, pulses and meat cooked in 10 to 15 mins (beef a little longer).

Thank you everyone for your replies! I think I will get a pressure cooker after all. I agree with ZoeinSpain - the raw spice smell doesn't go away easily unless you toil at the stove for a long time!

I was just on the phone with my mother, and I was describing how different the flour, rice, semolina etc. is from what she is used to and I think I've shocked her!!! :p I think I also need to make an excursion to the lone indian store in Madrid for some chapati flour at least, and other dals.

I'll keep you all posted!

Sangeetha

I would not be without my pressure cooker - I have had one or two over the years!!! In the last half hour or so I have cooked a large pan of dried peas which I will now freeze for other days (makes soups and as a veg) and also the filling for a spicy lentil pie. How people can cook lentils, chickpeas and beans etc. without one is beyond me.

The other thing I would not be without is a steamer - I cooked my potatoes for the pie in the bottom and the carrots and cauliflower in the next basket. So tea is cooked on two rings with lots to put in the freezer.

Not quite Indian meal today but I cook my curries and dhals in the pressure cooker along with cheaper cuts of meat which come out tasting like the best cuts.

I have 2 pressure cookers (used to have 3 as my Dad worked at Prestige and we were able to buy them cheap) However its been longer than I can remember since I used them to pressure cook. I use them for oven top cooking as they are very good pans. I'm a 'messer' so I can't work with a sealed until done pane anymore! I like to be able to constantly adjust and add to the things I'm cooking and these days tend to be very well organised so not rushing to get something done.

Maybe I will find a good recipe/method to use them as a pressure cooker again but not sure what route to go down with it?

Steve

Fiddler of the pans, LOL!

LOL yeah thats me!

Steve

We have British friends who visit us in the South of France each year: they travel with a pressure cooker in the car!

They really helped us out one summer with some dahl for an Indian dish that just REFUSED to cook. We stuck it in the pressure cooker, and it worked a treat.

So I should get my own!

Phil

Hello Phil

If you cook chickpeas, kidney beans, whole dals like Urad/Urid, beans etc. regularly, pressure cookers are worth their weight in gold, or whatever metal you buy;-)!

Stews/curries and cheaper meat joints, rice pudding etc. cook very fast too. Recipes are all in the book that comes with them. Christmas is coming, so you can out it on your wish list!

Mamta

I'm just picturing the steaming, white creamy geezer coming from the pan if I'd have done my rice pudding attempt with it as a pressure cooker ! lol

Steve

And I am seeing an old man in white beard wafting out of the pressure vent ;-)!

Mamta

Well, Father Christmas is coming early to my place this year. I went out to get my pressure cooker finally and much to my surprise, there was an offer at the mall! I am getting 2 for the price of one. A big 6.5lt cooker, and a smaller pressure pan, that share the same lid. They'd run out of stock, so I am eagerly waiting for a call asking me to come collect them.

I'm actually itching to make lamb biryani or something adventurous like that, but I suppose I should start small and go for some dal instead :=)

Sangeetha

sounds like a good deal !

Steve

Can't live without mine either - it's arguably my favourite kitchen gadget. When people see me cook with it they say "Oh.. you have a pressure cooker" like it's something oldfashioned and extinct