Eating at home is both healthy and economical. Everybody would love to eat at home regularly however there is a tiny catch- Don’t we need to cook if we are to eat?
Well though cooking in itself is not very labour heavy in today’s world, the time it takes can actually create a huge dent in our already busy life. So here are a few tips to cook faster which might actually encourage you to cook at home!
1. Plan in advance and take stock of your pantry.
Plan at least a day before the next day. You can begin by taking stock of already existing stuff in your pantry. This will help in reducing the number of trips to the grocery and in aligning other chores around cooking.
Involving families in this will not only be a fun experience but also distribute the burden of cooking among all the family members. Coining names for days in a week like – “Fried Rice Fridays”, “Leftover Sundays” etc will bring the family closer. Also, everyone can utilize their free time to prepare some basics preparing ginger-garlic paste, cutting vegetables, frying onions, etc.
Do the prelims before actual cooking like pre-heating oven or boiling water, pulling out the leftovers from the fridge etc.
2. Make the extra batter
Preparing batter is one of the most time-consuming jobs. Adding a few extra portions, however, does not enhance the preparation time by much. So it is better to prepare extra batter be it idlis -dosa batter or puri- chapati batter in advance and store it in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast or evening snack.
3. Add Instant food like noodles and bread to the Pantry
Keeping a tab on the pantry helps you to save trips exclusively to the grocery stores. Instant food like bread and eggs always help in easy meal fixes. Traditional food like sevai, poha and ready-made marinades which are available aplenty help in adding variety to the food.
4. Stock up on fruits, dried fruits and nuts
Snacking on Fruits is one of the healthiest habits that one can develop as a family. Children can be taught to make a healthy smoothie. Add a few peeled bananas and berries in the blender along with some milk and yoghurt, and serve a perfectly delicious, healthy and filling smoothie. Top the smoothie with a handful of chopped almonds, cashews or walnuts to add to the nutritive value of the drink. Also, the habit of munching on dried nuts instead of chips will prove very healthy in long run.
5. Equip the kitchen with a few electronics.
Induction Gas is a lot easier to use than a gas stove, firstly because you don’t have to bother with cumbersome gas cylinders and secondly because they’re much easier to cook with and clean than the stove. Or use more than one gas- it saves a lot of time.
Instead of using a knife to chop your vegetables, use a chopper, grater or slicer to chop vegetables like onions and tomatoes. Blenders with different sized jars is a must.
6. Grind masalas and pastes like ginger garlic, in advance
Since a lot of Indian curries and preparations require a basic tomato paste for cooking, preparing it to last at least a week and refrigerating it for future use is a great time-saving hack. The same goes for ginger-garlic paste, which is also used in a lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries.
7. Add quick-cooking proteins and veggies
Cut veggies and meat into bite-sized cubes. It is easier and faster to cook diced ingredients. Opt for thinly sliced portions while choosing marinades. Also, pick smaller utensils for smaller portions and cut veggies or meat into smaller pieces.
8. Repurpose left-overs
A bit of this and a bit of that along with a quick whip up of a staple can make a wholesome meal. So make it a rule to look into the fridge and pull out the leftovers and repurpose them. You will be surprised at the time it saves and spreads that come out of it.
