WHAT IS PRESSURE COOKING?

Ordinary cooking takes place at the boiling point of water, which is 100 C. The temperature at which water boils rises with an increase in pressure and this the principle utilized by the pressure cooker to cook food at 122 C (1.055 KG/ CM2). Since cooking is done at higher temperature it is done much faster. The higher temperature and faster cooking can be achieved by utilizing pressure has been known for centuries but it was known how to control the necessary pressure safely for domestic use. This was achieved with the invention of the pressure cooker and its introduction for general domestic use only a few years ago. Thus science and technology have given housewives a simple way of improving the quality of living, which has not been available to earlier generations.

KNOW YOUR PRESSURE COOKER

Shown below are the most important parts of VIRAT pressure cooker. Do get to know their names and positions. You will find this very helpful in following the instructions.

1. Weight Valve (Pressure Regulator) 2. Lid Handle Bar 3. Lid Handle 4. Locking Loop 5. Main Handle Bracket 6. Safety valve 7. Body 8. Lid 9. Auxiliary Handle 10.Gasket 11.Vent Tube

HOW TO FIT LID INTO COOKER BODY

If gasket is not properly fitted into the lid curl. Make sure it is properly fitted as shown in picture alongside.
Place lid on cooker body so lid handle and body handle are together. (Note: do not force lid into cooker body.)
Turn lid handle so it is at a right angle to body handle.
See that arrow on rim of cooker body matches arrow on lid s rim.
Slide the lid slightly away from the body handle and tilt that portion of the lid that has the arrow on it into the mouth of the pressure cooker.
Insert lid under rim of cooker body.
Place the lid handle bar on top of the bracket groove. Adjust lid handle bar on the bracket lever until the gasket on the lid rests comfortably in direct contact with the underneath of the rim of the body of the pressure cooker.
Gently squeeze lid and body handles together. And fasten locking loop to catch on end of the main handle bracket.
If necessary, to ensure lid is properly seated press lid and adjust

HOW TO REMOVE LID FROM COOKER BODY

Gently squeeze lid and body handles together.
Unfasten locking loop from end of main handle bracket.
Tilt the lid down slightly into the mouth of the cooker and move the lid handle bar toward the right hand side.
As the lid handle bar approaches right angle position, gently tilt up the position of the lid away from the body handle and remove the lid out of the mouth of the pressure cooker.

USE VIRAT PRESSURE COOKER FOR THE FIRST TIME

• Remove label.
• Pour one glass of water into cooker body. Add one-teaspoon fresh limejuice. The addition of lime juice will ensure that the inside of the cooker body remains clean.
• Fit lid into the cooker body.
• Lock the cooker making sure that the cooker is sealed properly.
• Place cooker on stove ensuring heat is at the maximum.
• See that air is expelled from inside the cooker and clear and continuous stream of steam comes out from the vent tube. Fit vent weight on vent tube immediately with the help of a piece of cloth or pair of tongs.
• In about 5 minutes you will hear a slight hissing sound and the vent weight will give a whistle. (Note: if there is no hissing sound after 5-7 minutes and steam is escaping around the rim, it means the lid has not been fitted properly. Do not touch lid at this stage or you will burn your fingers. Take cooker off stove and let it cool for sometime and refer to the problem-shooting chart).
• Soon after vent weight will lift and steam will be forced out with loud hissing sound from the vent tube. This means that your cooker has COME TO FULL COOKING PRESSURE.
• Immediately afterwards take cooker off the stove and allow to cool on its own fully, without removing lid or vent weight. For this first time only, let cooker remain sealed while cooling for about 3 hours

NOTE:

Varying degree of black staining is observed when water, especially alkaline water, is boiled in aluminium vessels. Even treated water, which may contain some regenerating salts, causes black staining. This staining is neither deleterious to food nor injurious to health, staining caused in your pressure cooker can be removed. It is advisable to boil 1 litre of water containing 2 teaspoons of limejuice, tartaric acid, citric acid or vinegar for 30 minutes. It is advisable to use the above method periodically to keep the inside of your cooker clean.

DO S AND DON'TS

Please read the following instructions very carefully to ensure that pressure cooker is always kept in good working condition.

DO S

• Always use your cooker with sufficient quantity of water. Pressure cooker is cooking with steam, so there must always be water in the cooker to produce steam.
• Always ensure that the vent tube is completely free of any blockage before closing the lid. Looking through the vent tube and ensuring that the light is visible can easily do this. Always keep the vent tube clean and fixed tight.

• The weight must always be placed on the cooker only when steam starts coming out steadily through the vent tube.

• Follow the proper cooking time.

• When cooking dal (in 3 ltr, 4 ltr. or 5 ltr pressure cooker) always add a spoonful of any cooking medium oil to the contents of the pressure cooker before commencement of the cooking. Allow a few minutes before closing the lid to avoid excess froth, when cooking liquid foods, add adequate quantity of water.

• In case weight valve falls off during pressure-cooking, please get the vent tube and weight valve checked at our authorized service center nearest to you.

• Avoid damage to the sealing rim of the lid and the body while cleaning of washing the cooker.

• Always store the cooker with its lid open to prevent mustiness.

• Handle the weight valve carefully. Keep it clean.

• Always keep the handles fully tightened.

• Always buy genuine spare parts at our authorized service center nearest to you. Insist on a cash memo when buying genuine spare parts.

• Take your cooker for checking once a year so as to ensure that your cooker is always in good working condition

DON'TS

• Never place a dry or empty pressure cooker on the heat source. If you ever use your cooker without any water it will get over heated and gasket may burn. The cooker may also be damaged.

• Your cooker should not be filled with more than 2/3 of its capacity for solids or its capacity for liquids. Never overloaded it any way.

• Never use the plate to cover the top separator while pressure-cooking as it may block the vent tube and the safety valve and prevent their proper functioning.

• Never attempt to force open the lid of the cooker if there is pressure inside. To check whether there is pressure inside, slightly lift the weight valve and if steam comes out, allow the cooker to cool for some more time. Always remove the weight valve first and then open the cooker.

• Never tap the rim of the cooker body with serving spoons, forks etc., as this may nick the sealing surface and allow steam to escape.

• Never leave the cooker standing in water, as the shine will dull.

• Never use soda ash, mud or hard abrasive to wash your cooker.

• Never try to repair the metallic safety valve and do not substitute the metallic safety valve with spurious plugs, screw the washers, always use genuine safety valve.

SAFETY FEATURES

• The weight valve

• The metallic safety valve

• The interlock system

1) The weight valve:

As soon as the pressure inside the cooker reaches the normal cooking pressure the weight valve releases steam with a loud and clear whistle. For the normal cooking of food, three or four whistles are adequate to complete the cooking. The weight valve is both a control and pressure device maintaining correct pressure at all times.

2) The metallic safety valve:

If for any reason the weight valve fails to function, the metallic safety valve contains the special fusible alloy pellet that melts to let out steam. This could only happen when the temperature / pressure rises beyond a safe level due to the cooker having insufficient water or food particles blocking/clogging the vent tube.

3) The interlock system:

The lid cannot even be forced open until the pressure inside falls to perfectly safe level. This is because the lid is designed to close from under the rim of the cooker body the steam pressure keeps the lid firmly locked.

CARE AND CLEANING FOR VIRAT PRESSURE COOKER

Yours this pressure cooker is far more than an ordinary kitchen utensil. If is scientifically designed and carefully engineered to give you many special advantages and serve you for a very long time. Give it in the proper care and regular attention it deserves, and you will ensure that it gives you trouble free service for many years.

Here are complete instructions on how to clean and care for VIRAT pressure cooker. Read and follow them carefully to keep your cooker working at its maximum efficiency always.

At the end of this section, you will find instructions on how to remedy some common problems that may arise through minor causes. If the problem arises because of denting or other damage, do not try to repair your pressure cooker at home but take it to an authorized service center.

GENERAL TIPS

• Wash and clean your cooker regularly.

• Immediately after cooking, always wash and clean the cooker body and lid assembly thoroughly, using warm soapy water (never use ash or any abrasives), and dry thoroughly at once. Apart from the cooker body and lid, especially clean these parts; vent tube, safety valve, and when necessary, the gasket. Avoid shifting the position of the gasket unnecessarily, as it gives the longest service if it is left undisturbed. It may be cleaned gently from the top with a wet cloth, without taking it out of the lid curl (the groove in which the gasket rests). Occasionally it may be taken out for a thorough cleaning of the lid curl. The gasket should never be removed for cleaning when the lid is hot, because it may stretch and then the cooker will not seal properly.

• AVOID ROUGH HANDLING OF YOUR COOKER.

• Be very careful not to dent the rim of the cooker body or the lid, otherwise steam will leak and the cooker will not work efficiently. Do not tap the rim of the cooker body with a spoon, for instance. Never drop the cooker body or the lid, and never let them knock against furniture or any object.

STORAGE OF COOKER.

To avoid food smells, the cooker body and the lid should always be stored separately. Place the cooker body (right side up) in a safe place, on an open shelf or on a table. Hang the lid from its loop against the wall, after first removing the vent weight.

LID ASSEMBLY

The lid assembly is a most important part of your pressure cooker. The lid is specially designed to fit the rim of the cooker body, so that during cooking the steam pressure holds the lid tightly against the rim of the cooker body. The various fixed and detachable parts on the lid are each designed for a special purpose. The entire assembly needs regular care and attention to ensure the maximum efficiency of your cooker.

NEVER LET THE LID DENTED.

TO ENSURE THIS:

• Do not tap the lid s rim with a spoon or any other cooking implement.

• Do not knock the lid against any object.

• Do not drop the lid.

• Remember, if the lid s rim gets dented, steam may leak and then the cooker will not work with maximum pressure and efficiency.

• Shown below are the various parts of the lid assembly. Complete instructions are given for the care, cleaning and storing of the parts that need separate attention.

LID

To keep it sparkling clean, wash immediately after use, with warm soapy water. Don t use ash, mud, or other abrasives. Wipe dry thoroughly. Never leave wet, as metal can get pitted.

If necessary, polish occasionally with any silver, chromium or non-abrasive polishes.

GASKET AND LID CURL

Don t remove gasket for cleaning every time the cooker is used. For daily cleaning, wash and dry the gasket on lid itself, without disturbing the seating of the gasket on the lid curl. In case food particles or grease are stuck inside the lid curl the gasket may be removed only if the lid is cold. If you remove the gasket from the hot lid, you may stretch it out of shape. The gasket may be removed from the lid curl only about once a week for thorough cleaning, as daily removal of the gasket may disturb its setting in the lid curl. Whether the gasket is removed from the lid curl or not, wash with warm soapy water, rinse with clean water and gently wipe dry.

SAFETY VALVE

Clean the safety valve thoroughly from inside the lid. Never allow a firm of grease food particles to remain on the safety valve, as this can affect the valve s functioning.

VENT TUBE

The entire tube (both inside and outside the lid) should always be kept clean. Clean out the food particles by passing a needle through the vent tube. After each time that you have cooked in your cooker, check if the vent tube is clean by holding lid unto light and making sure there is no particles of food inside the vent tube. If there are food particles, clean at once.

COOKER BODY

The cooker body of this pressure cooker is sturdily built of special metal and processed for EXTRA STRENGTH. A product for skillful designing and fine workmanship, it is far more than an ordinary utensil and deserves special care. Complete instructions are given for the care and storing of the cooker body and for cleaning both the outshine surface and the inside.

NEVER LET THE COOKER BODY GET DENTED

To ensure this:

• Don t tap rim of cooker body with a spoon or any other cooking implement.

• Don t knock cooker body against any object.

• Don t drop the cooker body.

• Remember, if the rim of the cooker body gets dented, steam may leak and then the cooker will not work with maximum pressure and efficiency.

  
  

OUTSIDE SURFACE OF COOKER BODY

To keep it clean, wash immediately after use, with warm soapy water, do not use ash, mud or other abrasives. Wipe dry thoroughly. Never leave wet, as metal can get pitted.

If necessary, polish occasionally with any silver, chromium or non- abrasive polishes.

INSIDE OF COOKER BODY.

Clean with warm soapy water and wipe dry occasionally polish with fine steel wool and cleaning powder, taking care not to rub too hard. After using your cooker for sometime, the inside of the cooker body may lose its shine and become darker. Varying degree of black staining is observed when water, especially alkaline water, is boiled an aluminium vessels. Even treated water that may contain some regenerating salts causes black staining. This staining is neither deleterious to food nor injurious to health. Staining caused in this pressure cooker can be removed. It is advisable to boil 1 litre of water containing 2 teaspoons of tartaric acid, fresh lemon juice, citric acid or vinegar for 30 minutes.

It is advisable to use the above method periodically to keep the inside of your cooker clean.

When not in use, leave cooker body open (right side up) on table or shelf. This will prevent food odors from clinging to it

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

• When using pressure cookers, basic safety precautions should always be followed:

• Read all instructions.

• Before sealing the cooker it should be ensured that the steam starts coming out of the vent tube of the cooker freely.

• The aluminum pressure cooker body shouldn t be used for deep-frying.

• Do not touch surfaces. Use handles.

• Close supervision is necessary when the pressure cooker is used near children.

• Do not place the pressure cooker in the heated oven.

• Do not use the pressure cooker for other than the intended use.

• Extreme caution must be used when moving a pressure cooker containing hot liquids.

• This appliance cooks under pressure. Improper use may result in scalding injury. Make certain unit is properly closed before operating. See operating instructions.

• Do not fill the unit over 2/3 full. When cooking foods that expand during cooking such as rise or dried vegetables, do not fill the unit over half full. See food preparation instructions.

• Food items, which tend to foam, froth, sputter are likely to block the pressure release device. Therefore, while cooking such items, cooking instructions should be strictly followed.

• Always check the pressure release devices for clogging before use.

• Do not open the pressure cooker until the unit has cooled and internal pressure has been reduced. See operating instructions.

• Do not use the pressure cooker for pressure frying with oil.

COOKING TIME TABLE

The above cooking time commences only after the requisite pressure is reached. This time should be taken as a guide. The cooking time varies, depending upon the heat source it is being cooked on, and the quality and the quantity of the food being cooked. Please ensure that sufficient quantity of water is in the pressure cooker. Water should be hot before putting in the food items to be pressure-cooked.

Please note that the equivalent of 1 cup of water is 200 ml.

Please follow the instructions as given in this manual and this pressure cooker will serve you for years to come.

PROBLEM SHOOTING CHART

In case you have done something you shouldn t and your cooker does not work satisfactorily don t worry. You can remedy some minor complaints yourself at home or you can contact your nearest service center or dealer.

But Remember:

Never attempt major repairs at home- it s a sure way to cause further damage to your cooker.

Download

Instructions manual (Inner Lid Model)
Instructions manual (Outer Lid Model)