Create / Troubleshooting everyday dishes / Why does food stick to the bottom of my pot or pressure cooker?
Why does food stick to the bottom of my pot or pressure cooker?
Use a suitable heavy-bottomed vessel for thick foods, moderate the heat once the mixture is hot, and stir where the food is likely to settle. Ensure enough liquid remains for the food and cooking method.
More that helps
If scorching has occurred, move the unburnt food to another vessel without scraping the burnt layer into it.
Why it happens
Food sticks when its surface dries, starches or proteins adhere to the hot metal, or solids settle where heat is strongest. Thick dal, rice, milk-based foods and concentrated sauces are especially prone. Too little liquid, high heat, a thin-bottomed pot or insufficient stirring during a vulnerable stage can contribute.
How it works
A heavy base spreads heat more evenly. Keeping enough moisture at the bottom reduces direct drying and local overheating. Scraping burnt solids into the rest of the dish spreads bitter compounds through the whole batch.
By the BhumiSutra kitchen team. Updated 25 October 2026. All products and figures on this prototype site are demonstration data.