Hello and apologies if this has been addressed in previous posts (I couldn't find a way of searching to make sure). I'm planning to buy a pressure cooker without weights but find that many Indian recipes call for cooking for a certain number of whistles. How do I translate that for use in a weight/whistle-less cooker please?!

I'm not sure to be honest, all the pressure cookers I've seen/used have weights and when they build up enough pressure they blow out and 'whistle'.

Steve

Hmm, thanks Steve. I should investigate further - I'm pretty sure my friend's cooker hasn't got a weight (although her old one used to and would scare the daylights out of her toddler when the whistle went off!). There must be some other mechanism to replace the weight/whistle method...

Probably is something, the weight was to set the pressure level, you could put take some of the weights apart so they would release with less pressure build up. Never actually saw anyone ever do it though... :-)

Steve

Many Indians, including myself, use old fashioned pressure cookers still. I have 5 in different sizes and they all have the following system:

They have a weight to place on the top vent through which steam escapes. Each time some steams escapes with a big hiss, the cooker goes quite. Then it builds up pressure again and you hear another hiss. Most of us count them as 'pressures' and often say cook for 2 pressures or 4 pressures and so on. I usually say cook for so many minutes under pressure.

You should follow the instructions for your pressure cooker. Most have recipe books that give you time for cooking different ingredients.

Hope this helps?