Lifting the pressure off cooking

Whatrsquos the most unique dish yoursquove made in a pressure cooker we asked our readersPopcornCommonMaggiWell you were lazy to wash the vessels in the sink rightCakeItrsquos the most common Indian jugaadldquoI throw a can of condensed milk in a cooker for a quick and easy Dulce de leche You get the perfect caramelised milk in less than a third of the time that it would take to make it in an open saucepan Besides you donrsquot need to keep monitoring the cooking either Itrsquos a hack most chefs worldwide know and followrdquo says chef and restaurateur Yajush Malik GallopsCulinary consultant Rakhee Vaswani uses the cooker often at her Khar studio ldquoWhen I was 10 the women in the building including my mom would make nankhatai and take it to the neighbourhood bakery to have them baked Then came the first round of electric ovens that looked like an instant pot or cooker without the whistle We all stood over it like a bakers community watching as they got baked Later I learnt that baking is a science but once yoursquove mastered the basics heat ingredients etc the cooking medium doesnrsquot matter Cooking and baking are therapeutic for me and while I have the best equipment now I always find ways to make things in the kitchen You can easily grill or bake or steam in a cooker you just need to find the right wayrdquo she saysHere chefs and food consultants share recipes and tips to help you make unusual dishes in the pressure cookerApple and Berry CobblerRakhee VaswanildquoItrsquos my favourite recipe from my training days at Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Surrey but I ended up making my version of it when challenged to make it in a pressure cookerrdquo says Vaswani She prefers using an aluminum cooker which she preheats like an oven for five minutes on medium heat ldquoThe dry heat cooking method is used here to ensure even cooking or baking Air is not a requirement as the cooker is not a large chamberrdquo she addsIngredients400gm Apples peeled and chopped150gm Mixed berries frozen35gm Caster sugar1 12 tbsp Flour1 Star aniseA few cubes of bread to soak the fruit juices For the Cobbler60gm Butter cut in pieces150 gm Flour25 gm Oats30 gm Caster sugar 20 gm Brown sugar95 ml Sour cream2tbsp MilkA few chopped WalnutsMethod1 Preheat the pressure cooker for five minutes on medium heat Pile the fruit in a bowl mix in the sugar and flour and toss with the fruit Add the star anise tucking it into the centre2 To make the cobbler roughly rub the butter into the flour It should look coarse stir in both the sugars Make a well in the centre and add the soured cream and 112 tbsp milk Gently bring the mixture together using a palette knife Add the remaining milk if necessary to get very soft dough Place a small spoonful of the mixture on top of the fruit to give a cobbled effect leaving little gaps for the fruit to show through Sprinkle brown sugar3 Cook in the cooker for 3040 mins check after 20 minutes and further bake until the top is golden brown crispy and cooked through The fruit should be tender and the top should be risen and golden Serve hot with a dollop of vanilla ice creamPro tip Instead of water use salt with a stand the way we use for dhokla so the bottom wonrsquot get burnt Place the baking pan or mould over the stand Use the lid of the pressure cooker without the rubber gasket so that steam is not created and donrsquot use a whistle Adjust bake time according to the size of your cake or streuselSteam Chicken RoastBy Varun InamdarThis one is a pure kitchen accident that turned into a masterpiece after a few calibrated trials ldquoIt is important to understand the workings of a pressure cooker for this Once that is clear there is no end to an experiment of any kind The dish comes out perfectly roasted on the outside just like a tandoori chicken or an ovenroasted chickenmdashsucculent and juicy as if it is braised Quite a trick but if you follow it to the tee you will never get it wrongrdquo says InamdarIngredientsFor the brine1 litre Water2 tbsp Salt2 tbsp Vinegar1 tbsp Grain sugar1 whole Chicken not more than 1 kgFor the marinade2 inch Ginger14 cup Garlic cloves peeled45 nos Green chillies2 tbsp Curd1 tsp Garam masala1 tsp Cumin powder 12 tsp Chaat masala 1 tsp Coriander seeds 1 tsp Red chilli powder 12 tsp Turmeric powder1 12 tbsp Salt2 tbsp OilJuice of 1 lemonCoriander leaves fistfulVarun InamdarMethod1 For the brine heat water salt sugar and vinegar until it begins to simmer Stir in all the ingredients till they dissolve Place the chicken in this water and keep covered for an hour Remove the brined chicken pat it dry and keep aside2 Mix all ingredients of the marinade and run into a smooth paste Rub into the chicken Take a pressure cooker place an elevated stand inside it and pour water till it reaches the height of the stand3 Place the chicken in a cooker vessel and put it on top of this stand Lock in the lid Do not place the whistle Allow the chicken to steam for 40 minutes on medium flame By then the water would have evaporated and the chicken would have charred beautifully on the outside yet retained the juices within Lift the vessel carefully and transfer the steam roast chicken onto the serving boardPro tip Marinating it well will create a taste balance and tenderise the meat further The water level in the pressure cooker must be just rightmdashtoo much will produce excess steam and under roast the chicken vice versa and the chicken will be too dry Hence it has to be at the level of the standmdashno more than 220 ml per kg of chickenLaccha ParathaChef Kunal KapoorldquoMy family especially the men loves to cook I have seen them make rotis inside a kadhai and calling it tandoori roti without the tandoor So for me making a spiced paratha in a pressure cooker was effortless The thick wall of the pressure cooker radiates heat slowly cooking the parathas leisurely This process gives the parathas a texture similar to that from a tandoor It cannot replace a tandoori paratha but itrsquos the next best thingrdquo says KapoorIngredientsFor the dough1 cup Whole wheat flour1 cup Maida34 tsp Salt34 tsp Ajwain1 tsp Kasoori methiWater as requiredMasala filling14 cup Urad dal skinless1 tbsp Fennel seeds34 tsp Asafoetida34 tsp Turmeric2 tsp Chilli powder1 tsp Black salt12 tsp Salt1 tbsp Coriander powder12 tsp Garam masala112 tbsp Dry mango powderA few Green chilli chopped6 tbsp ButterKunal KapoorMethod1 Mix atta maida salt ajwain and kasoori methi with just enough water to knead it into a hard dough Let it rest under a wet cloth for 10 mins Knead again and divide into four equal dough balls cover with a damp cloth and rest for five mins2 Dry roast the urad dal grind along with fennel seeds asafoetida into a fine powder Empty onto a plate and add turmeric chilli powder black salt coriander powder garam masala and dry mango powder Mix well3 Sprinkle some dry flour on the work top and roll out one of the dough balls flat and thin Pour 112 tbsp of melted butter and sprinkle the masala on top Spread Add chopped green chillies sprinkle dry flour and fold it like a fan Press them together and start pleating the dough from one end like a pagdi overlapping the layers Tuck it in the end Once all the parathas are rolled cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 1015mins in the fridge for the butter to solidify which will give us our perfect lacchas Dust the counter with some dry flour and roll out the dough balls into thin parathas4 Heat a pressure cooker on high flame without the lid till it is too hot to touch Wet the back of a paratha with damp hands and carefully stick it to the inside of the cooker wall Stick as many parathas as you can at a time Cook over medium flame for a few minutes and then carefully turn the cooker upside down and increase the flame to high again and hover over the flame till slightly charredFlip the cooker again Cook over medium heat till the parathas are well done Take them off one at a time and serve hotPro tip Make sure there is no oil or fat at the bottom of the paratha or inside the cooker Apply little water under the paratha before sticking it on the pressure cooker wall and make sure to use tongs to remove the paratha never use your hands or you may end up burning yourself