Putting my pressure cookers away

[patty]

Pressure cookers are a sham.

As the OP points out there are benefits of cooking on the stove:)

Aloha, patty

[frozenveg]

I've owned 2 pressure cookers in my life. The first was good, back when I was cooking cheap meat! , but I used it about twice a year. The second I bought after becoming a McDougaller, with the hopes that I could cook beans and grains in a shorter period of time. But it was too much work, waiting for it to come to pressure and then carefully letting it go down again; and everything I made with onions in it came out tasting "tinny," a problem we have also has with slow cookers. So I gave mine away. I also don't have a rice cooker--I would rather just use pots. So much easier.

[roundcoconut]

frozenveg, someone's gotta get you an electric pressure cooker. My goodness, they are a joy!

Can you imagine having fork-tender beets whenever you want? Good heavens. It is like dining in the cafeteria of the gods!

Also, it is like having magic lamp, that you rub, it gives you soup. You give the genie your ingredients, press a button, and 25 minutes later -- SOUP!

Beans and grains are child's play in an electric pressure cooker. Have you considered asking Santa for one???

[frozenveg]

frozenveg, someone's gotta get you an electric pressure cooker. My goodness, they are a joy!

Can you imagine having fork-tender beets whenever you want? Good heavens. It is like dining in the cafeteria of the gods!

Also, it is like having magic lamp, that you rub, it gives you soup. You give the genie your ingredients, press a button, and 25 minutes later -- SOUP!

Beans and grains are child's play in an electric pressure cooker. Have you considered asking Santa for one???

Hm, an electric one! That's a thought. Still trying to settle into my new space, so I'd have to figure out where to keep it!

[bunsofaluminum]

I have always been semi afraid of pressure cookers, ever since exploding yams on my mom's kitchen ceiling from her pressure cooker....and I have been cooking my own beans for many years, the long slow way. But BOY was it ever cool to come up with tender, fully cooked garbanzo beans in about one hour total, in the pressure cooker. In fact, I'm pressure cooking garbanzo's today, so I can make a quick batch of hummus for a stew recipe.

but yes, cooking things slow does add something.

[Sagefemme]

One of the Indian dishes I like to cook uses whole, unhulled Urad dal. This takes hours to cook on the stove; the Instant Pot makes pretty quick work of it. I probably wouldn't make it without a pressure cooker. Many of the most authentic looking dal recipes I see online refer to how many "whistles" of your pressure cooker until the pulses are done. I'm pretty sure pressure cookers and Indian food go together.

[StarchHEFP]

I have always been semi afraid of pressure cookers, ever since exploding yams on my mom's kitchen ceiling from her pressure cooker....and I have been cooking my own beans for many years, the long slow way. But BOY was it ever cool to come up with tender, fully cooked garbanzo beans in about one hour total, in the pressure cooker. In fact, I'm pressure cooking garbanzo's today, so I can make a quick batch of hummus for a stew recipe.

but yes, cooking things slow does add something.

Pressure cookers have come a long way since your mom's day! The mechanism is much safer now, and the gaskets are usually silicone instead of natural rubber. The problem is that natural rubber disintegrates and degenerates and when there isn't that proper seal, that's why they explode.

Proper cleaning and maintenance of the mechanism is important. Older cookers used to come loose, and the rubber gaskets used to age. The instructions are more important to follow.

However, I'm with you, and I've set my pressure cookers aside in favor of slower cooking things. I might invest in an induction plate to make things more automated. I even found one that goes down to 100 degrees that could be used to incubate plant-based yogurts.

Isn't it funny that plant-based people still find things to argue over like Instant pots and stuff?

[Willijan]

I've let 1 pot cook dry while on the stove.
Not going to be a 2nd time.


I got a solution just for the above situation! I wish I had one of these:

http://www.costco.com/.product.100319914.html

Induction burner shuts off on a timer. You just have to have a cooking pot that's magnetic.

I'm sure the Instant Pot has some non-pressure modes too probably if needed.

Has any one actually tried the Costco product linked above? I just looked at it online and I am very excited about it. However, the reason I want it is to avoid sticking, and some of the Costco reviews mentioned sticking. Does this product do better than an electric stove with not sticking?

Are there similar products that anyone knows about?

Thanks!

[Willijan]

Today I prepared yellow Daal the slow way

Thanks! Wash and rinse the "Toor daal" or pigeon peas, about 1-2 cups, 2-3 times. Look out for small stones that sometimes make their way. In a pot, dry roast cumin until it has a nice aroma and browned, then dry roast turmeric, paprika, coriander powder (don't really measure but about 1/2 or 1/4 tsp each is OK). Then add the rinsed daal, and add to that about 3 times the amount of water. Bring to a boil covered and when lid starts bubbling, reduce heat to simmer for about 1 hour or 1-1/2 depending how pulverized you like it. Add fresh and chopped spinach (about 2-3 cups) for the last about 15 minutes of cooking. Garnish with lemon juice, cilantro sprigs, shredded ginger (if desired). Enjoy with brown rice.

Are yellow split peas the same thing as "Toor daal?" I ask, because I may need to order some online (unavailable where I live), I'll have to order a lot to get free shipping, and I am having trouble finding a reliable answer to this question online.

I want to try your recipe. It sounds interesting.

Thanks!

[VeggieSue]

Are yellow split peas the same thing as "Toor daal?"

According to Wikipedia:

Split peas are an agricultural or culinary preparation consisting of the dried, peeled and split seeds of Pisum sativum, the pea.
The Indian toor dal (split pigeon peas) and chana dal (split yellow gram, desi chickpeas) are commonly also referred to as peas, although from other legume species than Pisum sativum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_pea


IDK where you live, but when I need yellow split peas, every grocery store has the Goya brand in 1 pound bags.

[AlwaysAgnes]

Are yellow split peas the same thing as "Toor daal?" I ask, because I may need to order some online (unavailable where I live), I'll have to order a lot to get free shipping, and I am having trouble finding a reliable answer to this question online.

I want to try your recipe. It sounds interesting.

Thanks!

Split pigeon peas (toor dal), yellow split peas, and chana dal (split chickpea/garbanzo/gram) all appear similar, but they're a bit different in flavor and texture and cooking time. Chana dal holds its shape more than split pigeon pea, and pigeon pea more than yellow split pea. Yellow split pea is like green split pea. Think pea soup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_pea

Here's a guide: http://indiaphile.info/guide-indian-lentils/
Here's another: http://www.veganricha.com/indian-dals-names

In International stores, I'm not sure I've ever seen yellow split peas in the Indian section, but I've seen them in the Mexican/Latino section. I think you can buy them all through Amazon.

[Plumerias]

For ordering Indian groceries online, and/or for looking for a store near you:

http://www.patelbros.com/

The dried pulses pages:

http://store.patelbros.com/lentils-beans/

[StarchHEFP]

Are yellow split peas the same thing as "Toor daal?" I ask, because I may need to order some online (unavailable where I live), I'll have to order a lot to get free shipping, and I am having trouble finding a reliable answer to this question online.

I want to try your recipe. It sounds interesting.

Thanks!

Split pigeon peas (toor dal), yellow split peas, and chana dal (split chickpea/garbanzo/gram) all appear similar, but they're a bit different in flavor and texture and cooking time. Chana dal holds its shape more than split pigeon pea, and pigeon pea more than yellow split pea. Yellow split pea is like green split pea. Think pea soup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_pea

Here's a guide: http://indiaphile.info/guide-indian-lentils/
Here's another: http://www.veganricha.com/indian-dals-names

In International stores, I'm not sure I've ever seen yellow split peas in the Indian section, but I've seen them in the Mexican/Latino section. I think you can buy them all through Amazon.

I would modify the above to say they Toor daal is a very different flavor! Thank you for the guidelines. Yellow split peas are different and chana daal technically is split CHICKpeas. red lentils also have a different flavor and texture to add to confusion.

[Plumerias]

frozenveg, someone's gotta get you an electric pressure cooker. My goodness, they are a joy!

Can you imagine having fork-tender beets whenever you want? Good heavens. It is like dining in the cafeteria of the gods!

Also, it is like having magic lamp, that you rub, it gives you soup. You give the genie your ingredients, press a button, and 25 minutes later -- SOUP!

Beans and grains are child's play in an electric pressure cooker. Have you considered asking Santa for one???

Oh, are you cooking these beets in an Instant Pot? I hadn't thought of that, although as we do potatoes in ours, I don't know why. Details please?

[VeggieSue]

Oh, are you cooking these beets in an Instant Pot?

15-20 minutes once it hits pressure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihbWQb4JMLw

(Ignore the rest of the video after the beets are cooked)