Tip: How to Pressure Cook Grains

Pressure-cook grains to prepare them in less than half the standard cooking time. Keep three important rules in mind:

• Use 4 cups water for every cup of dry grain.
• Add 1 Tbs. oil per cup of dry grain (2 Tbs. when cooking barley and oats). Oil subdues the foam that might otherwise rise and clog the vent.
• Do not fill the pressure cooker more than halfway. You can cook a maximum of 1 1/2 cups dry grains in a 4-quart pressure cooker and 3 cups of dry grain in a 6-quart pressure cooker.

Place grains and water in pressure cooker. Add oil and salt, if using. Lock pressure cooker lid, turn heat to high, and bring pressure cooker up to high pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure at high, and cook 15 minutes for brown rice, 18 minutes for barley, 25 minutes for wild rice or rye berries, and 35 minutes for kamut, triticale, oats or wheat berries.

Vegetarian Times