Ok, a daft question. In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
I'm a bit loath to put them in water directly in the pan in case they froth up and/or stick and burn on the base? Am I being a twit?
Tim C. <timchallen...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > Ok, a daft question. > In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I > put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other > veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
They'll be fine. My Indian flatmate in Philadelphia always used a pressure cooker for lentils, including toor dal (I think that's the same thing as toovar.) I can't remember the cooking times, but it wasn't much... I think he did a little bit by trial and error, and eventually got things right- you could probably look up more precise timings...
-- (*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about. Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins
On Wed, 21 May 2008 14:25:09 +0100, d4g...@yahoo.co.ukDavid Horne, _the_
chancellor wrote: > Tim C. <timchallen...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>> Ok, a daft question. >> In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I >> put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other >> veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
> They'll be fine. My Indian flatmate in Philadelphia always used a > pressure cooker for lentils, including toor dal (I think that's the same > thing as toovar.) I can't remember the cooking times, but it wasn't > much... I think he did a little bit by trial and error, and eventually > got things right- you could probably look up more precise timings...
Thanks David, I think toovar and toor are the same as well. Ok, armed with that I'll give it a try. I just didn't want the ceiling covered in sticky froth. :-( It's for the dal curry (with coconut milk) in Madhur jaffrey's book. The kids love it - but it takes too long to knock up in the evening cooked according to her recipe.
On May 21, 2:19 pm, "Tim C." <timchallen...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Ok, a daft question. > In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I > put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other > veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
However you cook them, make sure they're well and truly cooked before you eat them. I had IBS for a year after a lentil dish that contained lentils that weren't properly cooked.
>Ok, a daft question. >In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I >put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other >veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
>I'm a bit loath to put them in water directly in the pan in case they froth >up and/or stick and burn on the base? Am I being a twit?
My grandmother always cooked lentils in water directly in the pan of her Prestige pressure cooker. I have never tasted better lentil soup.
> >> Ok, a daft question. > >> In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I > >> put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other > >> veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
> > They'll be fine. My Indian flatmate in Philadelphia always used a > > pressure cooker for lentils, including toor dal (I think that's the same > > thing as toovar.) I can't remember the cooking times, but it wasn't > > much... I think he did a little bit by trial and error, and eventually > > got things right- you could probably look up more precise timings...
> Thanks David, I think toovar and toor are the same as well. > Ok, armed with that I'll give it a try. I just didn't want the ceiling > covered in sticky froth. :-(
I admit that's what's always worried me about using a pressure cooker (I've still never used them), but I don't remember any disasters- though at the beginning it was sometimes more liquid than he wanted it to be. I remember one of the first things he did in Philly was to go to an Indian shop where he bought the cooker. There were a lot there, and he explained that's the way his family (Punjabi) always cooked the lentils. They'd generally cook the sauce separately and mix everything together later.
-- (*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about. Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins
On Wed, 21 May 2008 15:49:26 +0100, Bruce wrote: > "Tim C." <timchallen...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>Ok, a daft question. >>In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I >>put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other >>veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
>>I'm a bit loath to put them in water directly in the pan in case they froth >>up and/or stick and burn on the base? Am I being a twit?
> My grandmother always cooked lentils in water directly in the pan of > her Prestige pressure cooker. I have never tasted better lentil soup.
Ok I'm calmer now. I'll try it over the weekend with a couple of tea-towels at the ready just in case :-)
Tim C. <timchallen...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > On Wed, 21 May 2008 15:56:04 +0100, d4g...@yahoo.co.ukDavid Horne, _the_ > chancellor wrote:
> > They'd generally cook the sauce separately and mix everything together > > later.
> Yes, cook the lentils and separately the spices/onions whatever then add > them together later. Very simple really, just takes time.
That's where the pressure cooker comes in. I seem to remember he could rustle up an excellent lentil curry in about 15 minutes, and only a small part of that was the lentil cooking time! :)
-- (*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about. Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins
>>> Ok, a daft question. >>> In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I >>> put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other >>> veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
>> They'll be fine. My Indian flatmate in Philadelphia always used a >> pressure cooker for lentils, including toor dal (I think that's the same >> thing as toovar.) I can't remember the cooking times, but it wasn't >> much... I think he did a little bit by trial and error, and eventually >> got things right- you could probably look up more precise timings...
>Thanks David, I think toovar and toor are the same as well. >Ok, armed with that I'll give it a try. I just didn't want the ceiling >covered in sticky froth. :-( >It's for the dal curry (with coconut milk) in Madhur jaffrey's book. The >kids love it - but it takes too long to knock up in the evening cooked >according to her recipe.
Her cooking method for lentils is excessively long-winded. Rinse the lentils if they are dusty, put into a saucepan with about the same volume of boiled water as lentils, bring back to the boil then simmer. Keep an eye on the pan and stir as the lentils will absorb pretty much all the liquid, and be done in about 15-20 minutes for red ones, 30 or so for green or brown. I wouldn't bother with a pressure cooker.
Steph Who cooks lentils regularly -- Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate. Steph Peters, Manchester, England email: delete invalid from e...@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid
Steph Peters <ufdfr...@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid> wrote: > "Tim C." <timchallen...@yahoo.co.uk> of Forte Inc. > http://www.forteinc.com/apn/ wrote:
> >>> Ok, a daft question. > >>> In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I > >>> put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other > >>> veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
> >> They'll be fine. My Indian flatmate in Philadelphia always used a > >> pressure cooker for lentils, including toor dal (I think that's the same > >> thing as toovar.) I can't remember the cooking times, but it wasn't > >> much... I think he did a little bit by trial and error, and eventually > >> got things right- you could probably look up more precise timings...
> >Thanks David, I think toovar and toor are the same as well. > >Ok, armed with that I'll give it a try. I just didn't want the ceiling > >covered in sticky froth. :-( > >It's for the dal curry (with coconut milk) in Madhur jaffrey's book. The > >kids love it - but it takes too long to knock up in the evening cooked > >according to her recipe.
> Her cooking method for lentils is excessively long-winded. Rinse the > lentils if they are dusty, put into a saucepan with about the same volume of > boiled water as lentils, bring back to the boil then simmer. Keep an eye on > the pan and stir as the lentils will absorb pretty much all the liquid, and > be done in about 15-20 minutes for red ones, 30 or so for green or brown. I > wouldn't bother with a pressure cooker.
> Steph > Who cooks lentils regularly
How often do you cook toor dal? I think there's a good reason the pressure cooker is favoured by many for it, though I've never got a pressure cooker myself. If I cooked lentils regularly, I'd probably get one.
-- (*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about. Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins
Tim C. wrote: > Ok, a daft question. > In particular toovar dal for an indian recipe, but also generally, can I > put them in a pressure cooker in the container on the trivet as for other > veggies? And will they cook? Or will they be a disaster?
> I'm a bit loath to put them in water directly in the pan in case they froth > up and/or stick and burn on the base? Am I being a twit?
In the instruction book in my pressure cooker, it says to make sure the pan is not more than a third full with lentils + water combined to avoid frothing up and blocking the safety valve. You don't need the trivet at all. Split lentils cook in well under ten minutes, whole ones about fifteen IIRC, but stop them earlier to check - it doesn't take long to get back up to pressure if they're undercooked. Remember that pulses absorb a lot of water, so make sure there's plenty in there to avoid st
