To adapt your own recipes to pressure cooking, follow the general
directions for your recipe and reduce the cooking time two-thirds,
since pressure cooking requires only one-third as much time as
ordinary methods of cooking. Always add water or some other liquid
to the bottom of the pressure cooker. This is necessary to produce
the steam necessary for pressure cooking.
Additional information from "Cooking Under Pressure":
For dishes requiring very little liquid:
Place ingredients in a souffle dish or suitable heatproof
alternative. (For example, use aluminum foil to line the steaming
basket that comes with your cooker.) Eliminate liquid ingredient if
it is water, or reduce to 1/4 cup if it is wine, broth, or juice.
Put the minimum quantity of water required by the manufacturer into
cooker. If you don't know the minimum ... 1 to 2 cups would be safe
to try, depending on the size of your cooker. Set a trivet or rack
over the water. Place dish on trivet. Lock the lid in place. Adapt
the cooking time by reducing in by 2/3's. You may find that a few
more minutes under high pressure will be required to compensate for
the addition of a cooking dish.
