Dried beans, peas and lentils are generally categorised as pulses and legumes, all of which need to be cooked for a fairly long time – except when they are cooked in a pressure cooker. To tenderise and hydrate them the larger beans and peas need soaking ( see chart below), which also removes dirt and natural toxins. Always discard the soaking water, whichever way you choose to cook them.
Fast soaking methods include bringing the beans in water up to the boil and then discarding the liquid, or pouring boiling water over them and leaving to soak for 3–4 hours. My preferred method is to slowly soak them in cold water for 6–8 hours (or overnight) as this always results in a better texture and more even cooking.
Pulses and legumes double or triple in size after soaking and cooking so do make sure you’ve left enough space in the pressure cooker. Because the resulting volume isn’t exact soak a little extra and any excess can be frozen after cooking. These are useful to have on hand to add to soups and casseroles.
To every cup of soaked or unsoaked pulses or legumes add 3 cups of water for cooking. Adding 1 tablespoon of oil to the cooking water reduces the foaming, which can occasionally block the valves on some cookers.
Cook according to the times on the chart below and use the natural release method to help the beans keep their shape and reduce splitting.
A range of cooking times is given because cooking times vary due to freshness, size variation and soaking methods used. If you are unsure, cook for the lesser time and if not cooked enough finish cooking with the lid off, adding more water if required.
Cooking Times for Pulses and Legumes
|
Presoaking required |
Pressure setting |
Time |
|
|
Yellow or green split peas |
No |
High |
10–12 minutes |
|
Brown lentils |
No |
High |
12–15 minutes |
|
Green, puy, beluga or red lentils |
No |
High |
8–10 minutes |
|
Cannellini beans |
Yes |
High |
10–12 minutes |
|
Chick peas (garbanzo beans) |
Yes |
High |
10–12 minutes |
|
Pink beans |
Yes |
High |
10–12 minutes |
|
Soy beans |
Yes |
High |
15–20 minutes |
|
Haricot beans |
Yes |
High |
12–15 minutes |
|
Black-eyed peas |
Yes |
High |
10–12 minutes |
|
Red kidney beans, medium |
Yes |
High |
10–12 minutes |
|
Lima beans, large |
Yes |
High |
15–20minutes |
The pressure cooker makes delicious rice quick and easy. Just remember that rice grains double in size so don’t fill the pressure cooker more than half-full.
Add a generous pinch of salt to the cooking water if desired and consider adding extra flavour by using stock instead of water. Or add a sprinkle of herbs and/or spices, eg cumin seeds, tumeric, cardamom pods or a bay leaf.
Always use the natural release method to allow it to continue cooking and absorbing the liquid.
Use the cooking chart below as a guide for times and liquid measurements, but be aware that the freshness of the rice can alter cooking times. If the rice is not cooked enough, finish cooking with the lid off adding more water if required.
Rice Cooking Times
|
For 1 cup of rice |
Water quantity |
Pressure setting |
Cooking time |
|
Basmati, jasmine or white rice |
1 1/2 cups |
High |
5–7 minutes |
|
Brown rice |
1 1/2 cups |
High |
15–18 minutes |
|
Aborio or carnaroli Rice |
2 1/2–3 cups |
High |
5–7 minutes |
3.Meat & Poultry Cooking Times
Cooking meats especially cheaper cuts tend to dry out with other cooking methods or take a long time to cook. These meats are perfect for the pressure cooker.
Browning meat well gives a good flavour and the steam from water or stock keeps the meat moist.
Cook at high pressure and use the natural release method giving the meat time to rest.
To roast meat, any size piece of meat can be cooked in a pressure cooker as long as it fits easily inside the pressure cooker. Allow approximately 15 minutes per 500g of meat and about 2 cups liquid.
To be sure meat is cooked test before removing from pan. Use a meat thermometerand go by the temperature given or insert a small sharp knife into the thickest part of the meat and when removed if the juices run clear the roast is cooked.
To make a gravy from the juices, remove meat from pan and cover with foil and leave to rest while making the gravy. Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make a paste. Heat the cooking liquid over a medium heat and add cornflour paste while stirring to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 -3 minutes.
|
Meat |
Brown |
Liquid |
Cooking Time |
|
Beef Corned 1 - 1.5 kg |
NO |
Cover with liquid |
30-45 minutes |
|
Beef stew or casserole, cubed |
YES |
500ml |
30-35 minutes |
|
Beef mince |
YES |
125ml |
6 minutes |
|
Beef roast, rolled |
YES |
500ml |
10 -15 minutes per 500g |
|
Chicken boneless, cut into strips or cubed |
YES |
125ml |
3-4 minutes |
|
Chicken breast with bone |
YES |
125ml |
10 minutes |
|
Chicken breast, whole boneless |
YES |
125ml |
8 minutes |
|
Chicken whole |
YES |
250ml |
7-10 minutes per 500g |
|
Chicken mince |
YES |
125ml |
4 minutes |
|
Chicken drumsticks or thighs with bone |
YES |
125ml |
7-10 minutes |
|
Chicken drumsticks or thighs, boneless |
YES |
125ml |
6-8 minutes |
|
Lamb chops, less than 2.5cm thick |
YES |
125ml |
5 minutes |
|
Lamb chops, more then 2.5cm thick |
YES |
125ml |
10 minutes |
|
Lamb roast |
YES |
500ml |
20 minutes |
|
Lamb shanks |
YES |
250ml |
10-15 minutes per 500g |
|
Lamb stew or casserole, diced |
YES |
500ml |
30-35 minutes |
|
Lamb mince |
YES |
125ml |
5 minutes |
|
Pickled Pork 1- 1.5kg |
NO |
Cover with water |
30-45 minutes |
|
Pork chops or steak, 2.5cm thick |
YES |
125ml |
10 minutes |
|
Pork chops or steak, less then 2.5cm thick |
YES |
125ml |
5 minutes |
|
Pork Roast |
YES |
500ml |
10-15 minutes per 500g |
|
Pork stew or casserole, cubed |
YES |
500ml |
30-35 minutes |
|
Venison steaks or chops, more than 2.5cm thick |
YES |
125ml |
10-15 minutes |
|
Venison steaks or chops less than 2.5cm thick |
YES |
125ml |
5-7 minutes |
|
Venison mince |
YES |
125ml |
10 minutes |
Cooking seafood in a pressure cooker gently steams the seafood, keeping it healthy and moist. It also reduces the cooking odour in the house, just remember to use the quick release method under a range hood so all the fishy smells go straight outside.
Seafood is delicate so always cook on Low pressure. Grease with vegetable oil or line a steamer basket with baking paper and sit fish fillets on this.
Mussels can be placed directly in a ½ cup of water or white wine.
|
Seafood |
Liquid |
Time on Low Pressure |
|
Salmon fillets or steaks, thick |
250ml |
8-10 minutes |
|
White fish fillets |
125ml |
2-3 minutes |
|
Mussels |
125 ml |
2-3 minutes |
|
Fish, whole, gutted |
250ml |
5-6 minutes |
|
Vegetable |
Liquid |
Pressure Setting |
Cooking Time |
Release Method |
|
Artichokes,trimmed |
125ml |
High |
4 to 12 minutes, depending on size |
Quick Release |
|
Artichokes, hearts |
125ml |
Low |
3-4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Asparagus, whole |
125ml |
Low |
1 to 2 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Beans, green, fresh |
125ml |
Low |
3 to 4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Beetroot/ Red beet, whole |
250ml |
High |
12-20 minutes depending on size |
Natural Release |
|
Broccoli, florets |
125ml |
Low |
3 to 4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Brussel Sprouts |
125ml |
Low |
3-5 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Cabbage, shredded |
125ml |
Low |
3 to 4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Cabbage, quartered |
125ml |
Low |
4 to 6 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Carrots, whole |
125ml |
High |
3 to 5 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Carrots, sliced or cubed |
125ml |
High |
2-4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Cauliflower, florets |
125ml |
Low |
3 to 4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Celery, sliced |
125ml |
Low |
4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Corn, kernels |
125ml |
Low |
1 minute |
Quick Release |
|
Corn on the cob |
125ml |
High |
4-6 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Eggplant / Aubergine, sliced or cubed |
125ml |
Low |
3 to 5 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Frozen vegetables, small diced |
125ml |
Low |
2-3 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Kumara/ Sweet potato, 5cm cubes |
125ml |
High |
4 to 5 minutes |
Natural Release |
|
Kale & Endive, thickly cut |
125ml |
Low |
5-6 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Leeks, sliced or whole |
125ml |
High |
2 to 4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Onions, whole |
125ml |
High |
7 to 9 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Parsnips, sliced or cubed |
125ml |
High |
2-5 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Peas, shelled |
125ml |
Low |
1 minute |
Quick Release |
|
Peppers/ Capsicums and mild chillies |
125ml |
Low |
3-5 minutes depending on size |
Quick Release |
|
Potatoes, new , less than 5cm diameter |
125ml |
High |
8-10 minutes |
Natural Release |
|
Potatoes, small dice |
125ml |
High |
4-6 minutes |
Natural Release |
|
Potatoes, quartered |
125ml |
High |
8-10 minutes |
Natural Release |
|
Potatoes, large, whole |
250ml |
High |
20-25 minutes |
Natural Release |
|
Pumpkin, small dice |
125ml |
High |
3- 4 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Pumpkin, large chunks |
250ml |
High |
8-10 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Silverbeet / Swiss Chard, roughly chopped |
125ml |
Low |
2-3 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Spinach, roughly chopped or whole leaves |
125ml |
Low |
1 minute |
Quick Release |
|
Tomatoes, medium whole |
125ml |
High |
2-3 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Turnips or swede, cubed |
125ml |
High |
5-8 minutes |
Natural Release |
|
Yams New Zealand /Oca, red waxy |
125ml |
High |
5-10 minutes depending on size |
Natural Release |
|
Zucchini, Courgette, Summer Squash, sliced |
125ml |
Low |
3-4 minutes |
Quick Release |
Fresh and dried fruit are easily cooked in the pressure cooker.
For fresh fruit. Wash, peel and core fruit. Slice to the desired size.
Fruit can be cooked in the steamer basket sitting on a trivet if wished. Add a minimum of ½ cup water or fruit juice for sliced fruit and 1 cup of liquid for whole fruit.
Sugar and any flavourings, eg spices such as cinnamon, vanilla beans can be added either before or after cooking.
To keep fruit whole use the quick release method if you are intending to pulp of puree the fruit use the natural release method.
Cooking times will vary according to size and ripeness of fruit.
To cook dried fruit use 1 cup of water or fruit juice to every cup of dried fruit. Use either release method when time is up. If fruit is still hard simmer with the lid off for a further few minutes adding more water if required.
|
Fruit |
Pressure Setting |
Cooking Time |
Release Method |
|
Apples, slices and quartered |
Low |
2-5 minutes depending on size |
See notes above |
|
Apricots, halved |
Low |
4-5 minutes |
Quick Release |
|
Berries |
Low |
3-5 minutes |
Quick release |
|
Dried Fruit |
High |
4-6 minutes |
Either method |
|
Feijoas |
Low |
3-5 minutes |
Quick release |
|
Figs, quartered |
Low |
3-5 minutes |
Quick release |
|
Nashi, sliced |
Low |
3-5 minutes |
Quick release |
|
Peaches, sliced |
Low |
3-5 minutes |
Quick release |
|
Pears , medium whole |
Low |
10-15 minutes |
Quick release |
|
Pears, slices or quartered |
Low |
2-5 minutes depending on size |
Quick release |