My mother got her pressure cooker in the year 1962.Almost till recently it was in use in her house. Adapting to the pressure cooking was not easy for my mother. But gradually using trial and error method she learnt using it.In the beginning she cooked dal and rice. But cooking mutton in shorter time was her priority.Gradually she mastered this.
Around that time whistling pressure cookers in the morning became very common in our neighbourhood.Though pressure cooker was invented in the 17th century, it is very common in India. Our 75% population owns and uses pressure cooker. Saving on fuel and saving on time has attracted us to the pressure cooker.(Then also there are some pressure cooker haters who do not like food cooked in pressure cooker).
In the beginning very small size pressure cookers were not available. Gradually we started getting baby cookers and 2 liters cookers. These small cookers became handy to cook single dishes. I was cooking single dishes in my small cooker my way. Then I came across a movement called OPOS.This helped me develop my way of cooking further.
The pressure cookers I have I put to use besides pressure cooking for braising, boiling, steaming, sometimes frying and slow cooking. Some home chefs in North India use cooker for setting curds and fermenting idli batter. Our cookers are actually multi cookers.
But now the world entered the era of multi-use, smart, electric pressure cooker. It braises, bakes, boils, slow cooks, pressure cooks and now air fries too.It appears to be a god sent gadget for homechefs. Right now I am happy with my pressure cookers. Only time will tell when I will get a smart pressure cooker.