The Indian Vegan Kitchen_ More Than 150 Quick and Healthy Homestyle Recipes - Madhu Gadia [6]
Steamer Rack: A flat steamer rack allows air/ steam to circulate and cooks food more evenly. A 6- to 8-inch round metal rack that is ½ to 1 inch high works best, as it fits most pans. If you own a pressure cooker, it likely came with a steamer rack. I use the pressure cooker steamer rack for all my steaming needs. You can also purchase a steamer rack at most kitchen gadget stores.
Other Equipment: The only other equipment that I find helpful is an idli maker. But if you don’t want to invest in another pan, and don’t care about the shape of the idli (page 85), you can make them in a cake pan.
USING THE PRESSURE COOKER SAFELY
A pressure cooker cooks food three to ten times faster than using a regular pan. My personal preference is a heavy aluminum or stainless steel 4-quart pressure cooker. Some basic rules for pressure-cooking:
1. Follow the safety rules in the instruction manual of your pressure cooker. A pressure cooker is safe when used properly, but it can be very dangerous if the safety rules are not followed.
2. Prepare foods according to the recipe. Be sure not to overfill the pressure cooker.
3. Seal and place the pressure regulator on the vent pipe, if necessary.
4. Heat on the medium to high setting until full pressure is developed. Each pressure cooker has its own distinctive noise when the pressure is fully developed. In some pressure cookers, the pressure regulator begins to rock, in some it whistles, and in others it just makes a certain noise. Once the pressure is fully developed, the cooking time begins. Lower the heat to maintain a slow, steady pressure and cook for the length of time indicated in the recipe. The time needed to cook the food to the desired consistency may vary based on the pressure cooker. Remember, food cooks much faster in a pressure cooker.
5. Remove the pressure cooker from the burner. If I have time, I let the pressure drop on its own by letting the pressure cooker cool at room temperature. This, of course, causes additional cooking and for some recipes that may be acceptable. If the instructions state to cool cooker at once, cool the cooker under cold running water.
6. After the pressure has dropped completely, open the lid carefully. Do not force the lid off.
7. Lift the cover carefully at arm’s length, because some steam will force out as you open the cooker.
8. Again, remember to follow all the safety rules and enjoy the time saving of a pressure cooker.
Small Electric Appliances
If you’re a gadget fan and love each gadget’s unique feature, by all means enjoy them. You might find the three small appliances listed below helpful in preparing the recipes in this book, of which a blender is the only essential appliance.
Blender: A good powerful blender helps grind all kinds of masala (spice blends), beans, and chutneys effortlessly. In earlier days, people used different types of stones (a similar concept to mortar and pestle) for grinding.
Food Processor: Although not essential, I find a food processor very convenient for grinding dals (beans), grating or chopping a large quantity of vegetables, and making dough for flatbreads.
Coffee Grinder: For coffee drinkers, please don’t grind spices in your coffee grinder unless you like spicy coffee! Buy a separate coffee grinder for spices, as it is the most-effective way of grinding whole spices. It grinds them finer than a blender, although a blender can be used followed by a sieve. Wipe the coffee grinder clean before storing.
Techniques
If you’re experienced in cooking Indian food, you can skip this section and go straight to the recipes. But for novice cooks, it will help you understand some basic methods of Indian cooking.