Editors of Adams Media - The 50 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes. Tasty, Fresh, and Easy to Make!

The 50 Best
Pressure Cooker Recipes

Tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

Avon, Massachusetts

Contents

Introduction

Sometimes a little pressure can be a good thing! The pressure cooker makes it possible for you to prepare great-tasting food in ways that save you time and effort.

Pressure cookers arent a new phenomena. In fact, pressure cookers were especially popular in the 1950s. Back in those days, the typical pressure cooker had a noisy rocking pressure valve on the lid. But because a pressure cooker didnt have an emergency mechanism in place to prevent the cooker from building up too much pressure, it had the tendency to have accidents. Todays new generation of pressure cookers are much safer and easier to use.

While every effort was made to create foolproof recipes, its impossible to anticipate every factor that can affect cooking times. For example, a pressure cooker filled with cold, dense food is going to take longer to come to pressure than one that has room temperature or warm food. Regardless of the cooking method, ingredients at room temperature will cook faster than those just out of the refrigerator, and even faster than those fresh from the freezer. So, while each recipe will explain how long the food should remain at pressure, it wont state how long it will take that food to come to pressure, because its impossible to predict.

Pressure cookers are perfect for those occasions when you need to do other chores around or away from the house, and the stovetop certainly isnt practical even for the most organized master at multitasking. At these times, an electric programmable countertop pressure cooker is the more practical solution. Different methods will suit your needs at different times even when it comes to pressure cooker practicality.

Just like when you fix something using any other cooking method, adapting a recipe for the pressure cooker doesnt mean that there is only one correct way to fix each dish. For that reason, feel free to alter, experiment, and play with the fifty recipes presented here. No pressure, though!

Tomato Chutney

You can have this chutney on its own, but it is also delicious spread on pita bread and topped with goat cheese. Its also a great base for bruschetta!

Yields 2 pints

Ingredients

4 pounds ripe tomatoes

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root

3 cloves garlic

1 cups white sugar

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 onions, diced

cup golden raisins

teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon ground coriander

teaspoon ground cloves

teaspoon ground nutmeg

teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 pinch paprika

1 tablespoon curry paste

1. Puree the peeled tomatoes and fresh ginger in a blender or food processor.

2. Pour the pureed tomato mixture into the pressure cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix, lock the lid into place, and cook at low pressure for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to release naturally. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Vine with Me: Peeling Fresh Tomatoes

Add enough water to a saucepan to cover the tomatoes; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a slotted spoon to submerge the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute, or until their skins begin to crack and peel. Use the slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the water and plunge them into ice water. The peelings will slip right off.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Once you have this delicious recipe, youll never buy strawberry jam in a jar again!

Yields 4 cups

Ingredients

4 cups strawberries

3 cups granulated cane sugar

cup fresh lemon juice

1. Rinse and hull the strawberries, then quarter or halve them. Add to the pressure cooker. Stir in the sugar. Set aside for 1 hour or until the strawberries are juicy.

2. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit and mix in the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice.

3. Lock the lid in place. Bring the cooker to full pressure and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow pressure to release naturally.

4. Remove the lid. Return to heat and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 3 minutes or until jam reaches the desired gel state.

5. Skim off and discard any foam. Ladle into hot, sterilized glass containers or jars, leaving inch of headspace. Seal the containers or jars. Cool and refrigerate for a week or freeze. (If you prefer, you can follow the instructions that came with your canning jars and process the preserves for shelf storage.)

Traditional Hummus

Serve this delicious dip with pita chips, or create your own by slicing fresh pita bread and toasting it in the toaster oven.

Yields 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 cups water

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons tahini

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

cup extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil

Optional: 6 tablespoons water or cooking liquid

1. Add the chickpeas, vegetable oil, and 4 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Lock the lid into place; bring to high pressure and maintain for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and check that the beans are soft and cooked through. Drain the beans if theyre cooked through; if not, lock the lid back into place and cook the beans on high pressure for another 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the drained, cooked beans, parsley, garlic, tahini, salt, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine. Remove the lid and scrape down the sides of the food processor or blender bowl.

3. Reattach the lid to the food processor or blender, and add the olive oil with the machine running. Process until smooth, adding water or reserved cooking liquid a tablespoon at a time if necessary.

What is Tahini?

Tahini, sometimes also referred to as tahini paste, is sesame seed butter. Its available in toasted or untoasted varieties. It is a very common ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes, including hummus. You can substitute creamy peanut butter for the tahini if desired; like peanut butter, tahini contains very little saturated fat.

Fresh Dhal Dip

This versatile dip is perfect for pita chips or fresh veggies at a party.

Yields 2 cups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

teaspoon garam masala

teaspoon ground turmeric

teaspoon dry mustard

1 cup dried yellow split peas

2 cups water

cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

1. Add the oil and butter to the pressure cooker and bring to temperature over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and chili; saut for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, garam masala, turmeric, and dry mustard; saut for an additional minute. Stir in the split peas. Pour in the water.