Pinto Beans in a Pressure Cooker
A simple method for cooking dried pinto beans from scratch in a pressure cooker. Cook a generous batch and keep it in the fridge — ready to use in all sorts of dishes over the next few days.
Ingredients
- 200 g pinto beans dried
- 700 ml water for pressure cooking
- water for soaking: enough to cover the beans by twice their height
Instructions
- Rinse the beans: Rinse the dried pinto beans and remove any debris.
- Soak: Place in a bowl and cover with water to about twice the height of the beans. Soak until the skins are smooth and the beans are fully plumped — 8 to 24 hours.
- Add to the pressure cooker: Drain the soaked beans in a colander. Add the beans and 700ml (about 3 cups) of water to the pressure cooker and close the lid.
- Pressure cook: Bring to high pressure over high heat, then reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Check: Once the pressure has released, open the lid and check if the beans are cooked through. If still firm, return to the heat. If they feel slightly underdone, leave the lid on and let the residual heat finish the job.
- Store: Once cooled, transfer to a storage container along with the cooking liquid and refrigerate.
Shorter in summer, longer in winter. In warm weather, soak in the fridge to keep the water fresh.
Beans firm up as they cool, so err on the side of slightly soft when checking doneness.
Notes
- The soaking time and pressure cooking time in this recipe are based on Ambika Shop pinto beans (approx. 15×8mm). Times will vary depending on the size and freshness of your beans.
- Best used within a few days.
- To freeze: drain the beans and freeze in portions. The cooking liquid can be frozen separately — it makes a light, flavorful broth. Frozen beans keep for about 2–3 weeks.