Pressure Cooking and Pressure Frying

Pressure Cooking
Pressure cooking is a method of cooking in a closed vessel that does not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. The boiling point of water increases as the pressure increases. The high temperature makes the food cook faster and the cooking time can be reduced. Pressure cooking makes cooking inexpensive. This mode of cooking saves money by fast cooking and by saving fuel. It also saves nutrients of the food by cooking food air tightly.

A pressure cooker traps steam inside the vessel which builds pressure in the cooker. The steam produced by the high temperature cooks food quickly, evenly and deliciously. In this type of cooking a regulator releases steam when the pressure exceeds. There is a safety valve which functions which releases pressure if the primary mechanism fails.

There are certain advantages for pressure cooking:

(1)Faster cooking
(2)Due to shorter time of cooking, it uses less fuel.
(3) The food is cooked above the boiling point and it will kill germs.
(4)Easy to cook.
(5)Higher quality of cooking.
(6)Pressure pan can be used for cooking large quantities.
(7)Easy to clean.
(8)Different types of foods can be cooked at the same time by saving fuel.

Pressure Frying
Pressure frying is the deep frying of food under pressure. It speeds up the frying time and saves fuel. A pressure fryer is used for this purpose. Industrial kitchens use this method of frying.

Pressure frying is popular because it produces flavorful products with crispy exteriors and with juicy and moist interiors. Crispness is the major characteristics of fried food. It is difficult to maintain this crispness due to moisture movement from the center of the food to the crust and also from the surroundings; this can be avoid by pressure frying.

To fry food in the pressure fryer, first fill the fryer with adequate quantity of oil and add the food after the oil is hot. Keep the lid open, until the food is half done and then put the lid. Continue cooking till the food is fried. Then release the pressure using the pressure valve and then remove the lid. Take food and let the oil cool and then add next batch of food. These fryers are computer programmed and have an automatic pressure release and audible signal at the end of the cooking cycle to show the food is fried.

Pressure frying is a way of frying to produce better and healthier food. The food does not get dried out like other methods.