20
•
It is a safety requirement that deep-frying, involving more
than
1
/
2
cup oil or frying more than 20 minutes at a time,
is not done in the pressure cooker body.
•
Do not pressure-fry in the pressure cooker. This is also a
safety requirement.
Water
•
There must be enough water or
cooking liquid that contains water,
such as stock, juice, vinegar, beer
or wine, in the pressure cooker to
produce steam throughout the entire
pressure cooking time and to prevent
burning and to prevent the cooker
from boiling dry. Oils and fats do not
produce steam and should not be
counted as cooking liquid for steam.
•
The general recommendation when
not following a recipe, chart or
cooking your own proven recipe is,
1. for 1.5 to 3 litre cookers:
place a minimum of 1 cup/
240 ml water for the first 10 minutes of pressure cooking time plus
½ cup/120 ml for every subsequent 10 minutes or part thereof.
2. for 3.5 to 6 litre cookers:
place a minimum of 1½ cups/
360 ml water for the first 10 minutes of pressure cooking time plus
½ cup/120 ml for every subsequent 10 minutes or part thereof.
3. for 6.5 to 12 litre cookers:
place a minimum of 2 cups/
480 ml water for the first 10 minutes of pressure cooking time
plus ½ cup/120 ml for every subsequent 10 minutes or part
thereof. This quantity will prevent boiling dry provided you reduce
the heat when cooker has reached FOP (Full Operating Pressure).
•
Some of the recipes have less (or more) cooking liquid than the
amount prescribed in the preceding paragraph. This is because
foods such as meat, fish, poultry, tomatoes and other vegetables
give off juices during cooking (whereas
pulses or legumes and rice absorb
liquid). The recipes and charts reflect
this.
•
Do not cook with less cooking
liquid than stated in the recipe or
chart as you run the risk of either a
ruined recipe or having to replace a
safety valve – or both.
•
If you open the cooker and decide to
pressure cook longer, always check
that there is enough cooking liquid to
cook the additional time.
•
The Hawkins Pressure Cooker should never be used as
an oven for dry heating or baking as it may reduce the
strength of the metal.
Vent Weight
Allow steam to start issuing from the vent tube in a steady stream
before placing the vent weight (see
Trial Run
, page 16, point
4. Placing The Vent Weight
).
