Eileen,


First of all, there are many types of pressure cookers and they start at about 30 dollars new. But these suggestions are for any pressure cooker since we aren't being precise here; the goal is to liquify. Always leave the pressure cooker at least 30%-40% empty in order for food to expand and prevent leaks.

Starting with your food, water, and usually some salt, you toss it all into the pressure cooker and use a medium to low heat.

The amount of water to add should be at least double in volume to whatever is being cooked if it's in a dry state. In addition, plenty of salt (but not too much to over-season) should be added either during soaking or before sealing the pressure cooker. This will help to speed up the softening process.

It is ideal to soak foods with a lot of fiber such as beans at least overnight, but it's not required.

I will list some dry foods and their MINIMUM time to cook in order to be liquified if they haven't been soaked yet at all.

I'm going to list some common types of dal, whcih is the Indian word for LENTIL, which are usually found in Indian stores and are often in large grocery stores also.

Masoor dal, moong dal, and split peas are soft within 30 minutes. These aforementioned dals have a fragrance that some might take getting used to for some; in this case additional suggestions are made below.

Chana dal and whole urad dal: 2 hours.

White rice and quinoa: 45 minutes (longer for brown).

Most kinds of beans, including kidney beans and garbonzo beans will be softened in 2-2.5 hours.

You can combine any of the above to create your own flavors and recipes.

Nutritionally, QUinoa and chana dal pack the most punch per swallow.

I do highly recommend you wash these foods off before soaking or cooking them in a water and baking soda mix and rinsing thoroughly.


Here are some things below for flavoring for an eater who is sensitive to acidity. These are just my suggestions based on experience and should be used in moderation and experimented with carefully at first. I could be slightly wrong, so do use your own caution.


Coriander powder
onion
Turmeric
Cumin
Paprika
Nutmeg
Garlic
Ginger
Finely ground nuts like cashews and peanuts and almonds
Coconut Milk (don't overcook)

I usually add some or all of the above in plenty of oil and cook until medium brown, then add it to the cooked food before serving and mix it in well. However, each browns at a different rate, so I listed the above items in order of how quickly they cook, from slowest to fastest

A meal prepared from above should usually have enough oil so that it's at least 30% fat, or even much more, unless the person eating is fairly overweight. If the meal's too thick, add more oil or water, but keeping the oil content high is the best way to make sure it delivers enough calories.

If anyone is interested in me translating these into the more authentic Indian or other ethnic dishes they usually start out as, I'll be happy to type of a more specific recipe.

But I think that's enough for one post!

Marma