Ever since I started writing this express brunch series,I have been getting a handful of emails asking tips for quick Indian cooking.When I was first asked this question I promptly replied this way "please refer to my blog,most of the recipes are simple to make and there is also a special tag-quick fix.",and I forgot that email too.Then I again rcevied quite a few number of emails asking the same question and then I noticed most of them were from my non Indian readers. Then it flashed in my mind-Indian cuisine,as much as it famous for its nutrition and taste is also famous for complexity,think the number of spices that goes into a curry!.One common thing in those questions was-is it even possible to cook an Indian meal on a rushed weeknight?Why not,afterall we have been doing that one day after another right,Though I love to cook a variety of dishes and try out new things in kitchen I simply hate sweltering in front of stove on day to day basis,for me if I spend more than 30 minutes in kitchen then it has be a special meal,but of course this is not easy for someone who is not cooking Indian food on a daily basis. One more request was from few working moms on how to cook healthy and tasty meals faster,also with varieties So here I have put together few tips and tricks that I feel might be useful for anyone who is interested in Indian cuisine as well as for working women pressed for time
Befriend a pressure cooker:
Indian cuisine , by and large comprises dal and rice.So investing in one or two ( I have 3) pressure cooker makes complete sense. Pressure cooker is an absolute bliss for quick cooking. It not only reduces the cooking time,it also allows to cook multiple ingredients for multiple dishes at the same time. For instance if you are making a south Indian meal-rice,sambar and a vegetable fry,by using a pressure cooker you can get all these done in 20 minutes flat!
1.Keep rice at the bottom,dal over it and your vegetable over the dal.Pressure cook for upto 3-4 whistles (hardly 15 minutes) and most of your cooking is done,can it get any simpler?
Simplify the recipe:
I personally feel,Indian cuisine is very much adaptable,while it is cent percent true that a methodically followed recipe will yield a wonderful dish,it definitely not hurts to simplify any recipe in a smart manner.I often do this like grinding onions and tomatoes together even if the recipe calls for grinding separately,dry roasting all the spices together,of course you need to decide based on the recipe,but these shortcuts are definite time savors.
Keep basic ingredients handy:
There are few ingredients that typically make an Indian meal and are considered indispensable,ingredients like tamarind,ginger,curry leaves,etc are needed for day to day Indian meals and just by stocking these in a proper way you can avoid hassles and cook without stress
here are few ingredients I try to stock
- Tamarind pulp(I make about 1 cup and refrigerate)
- Curry leaves-Store in paper bag with stem
- Cilantro/coriander leaves-store in airtight box and refrigerate
- Mint leaves
- Ginger-I prefer to crush or scrape as and when needed,you can also store ginger paste
- Garlic-Store in the pantry in an open surface
Indian cooking uses lots of veggies and fresh herb,so it is essential to develop the skill of chopping.Invest in a couple of knives and board you are comfortable with,which also should be safe.If you can afford to invest in a food processor by all means you can do that,I personally don't have one
Plan and make ahead:
Planning your meal just before a day or at least few hours before will help in saving lots of time. I usually plan our lunch the day before and dinner during breakfast.One peek into the refrigerator and you can easily form a meal with whatever veggies you have in hand.This way you can also make a list of things you should purchase and stock them too.
Next step to planning is making ahead.This is something which has been discussed over and over,it is always great to chop veggies the day before,making chapathi dough etc.
Multi tasking
Being a smart worker rather than a hard worker will not only be appreciated in your office,it holds good in kitchen too,I would rather say home as a whole.While the pressure cooker is doing most of the cooking,you can chop the veggies,extract tamarind juice,do the dishes etc based on the need.
Idly batter-an ultimate savior
Prepare and store a batch of idly batter once/twice a week and you will never ever need to wonder what to cook.Not just idlys but there are many things you can from this batter.With all the above points discussed I would like to add two more on my personal front.1.Some recipes are meant to cooked with patience and they DO need your time.You cannot make an elaborate biriyani or a complete festive spread in 30 minutes.So save those special recipes for relaxed weekends or holidays.2.A clean organised kitchen is a place where great meals are born.I always like to keep my counter top,stove and sink clean and I do the dishes after every meal and I don't allow them to pile up.Of course I stay at home,but it hardly takes 10-15 minutes for me to do this,two times a day.
I hope the above mentioned points will prove useful to few of you,do write to me if you have any other queries,suggestions regarding this. Here is a list of few recipes,tips that help in quick cooking
Quick fix recipesPowder varieties for quick cooking
Thank you all for taking time and reading this lengthy post :)
