The thought of entering the kitchen and slogging it out for 2 hours just for a 15 minute meal seems outrageous especially after a long day at work and an even hectic traffic jam. Peeling, chopping, mixing, blending, stirring, frying - so many processes especially for a lone ranger. Some pile up the chores over the weekends to lighten the weekday load. But for some lesser mortals, weekends include only Sundays, which means a day of rest.
Here are some aspects you can keep in mind to help you save time for everything else but kitchen chores.
Plan your menu wisely
1) Divide your meals into courses. First and last course should always include soups, salads and fruit salads.
2) Mashed potatoes, boiled eggs, boiled sausages, pasta, boiled chicken (with black pepper red chilly and salt) can be done while you are in the shower.
3) Learn meals which can be cooked in a microwave oven. Simply pour olive oil, some herbs, seasoning on veggies like brinjal or mushrooms or tendli and bake till crispy. This works well for steamed fish as well.
Quick breakfast ideas
Come up with your own favourite quick breakfast idea. That will set your mood for the entire day.
1) Poha, upma, sheera, sabudana last long and take less time to prepare.
2) Breads with leftover curries, cereals/museli with cold milk and fruits
3) Try cheese slices with garlic bread seasoning in toast, salami with cheese, humus with chapatis.
Smart purchases
1) Although many disagree, I find cut vegetable packets, a God sent. They are great for soups, one pot meals, or simple salads.
2) Maggie cubes, pickled veggies, canned food like tuna, baked beans.
3) Buy fruits which are simple and doesn’t require time to peel.
4) When you buy for the entire week, some veggies go bad midweek itself. So always buy a mix of perishable and non-perishables like lentils.
Invest in the right gadgets like slicer dicer, pressure cookers, grill cum toaster, microwave cum oven, mini hand blenders and steamers.
Stock up
Essential items like salt, peppers, spices, grains, oils, veggies and meats among others make up your core kitchen ingredients. Thanks to the new age technology, and especially a smart basket feature, you can re-order the usual staples. Better yet, I find the local khirana wala on speed dial a better option – guaranteed delivery on time. Also ensure you have a good range of storage boxes of all sizes preferably with numbered/color-coded lids.
Condiments and accompaniments
1) Chutneys, mayo, cream cheese, dips, ready to cook gravies are a current fad in the market. However, try these out once and when fully satisfied go for stacking some.
2) Italian dressing, Thousand Island, guacamole dressing are great to make those HEALTHY salads more appetizing.
3) Sauces add little zing to your foods like salsa, arabitta sauce, soya sauce, hot & sweet chilly sauce, barbeque sauce, mustard. Always try out innovative combinations like sweet passion fruit sauce, jalapeno mint. Experiment with of brands like Thasia, Mama Africa’s, or Real Thai.
4) Dried herbs like oregano, parsley, dill, thyme, all purpose seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, Mediterranean seasoning, garlic bread seasoning are also worth exploring.
5) Yogurt, milkmaid, custard powder, jelly for fruits salads, chocolate syrups are great mood lifters for a boring fruit salad.
Paste it
1) Make homemade pastes of tamarind, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and pack separately.
2) Find interesting combinations of dips like humus with mint and have it with sliced raw carrots/cucumbers for a quick snack.
Freeze it
Get hold of a cold storage in your vicinity and ensure your freezer is loaded. At all times.
1) Grated coconut or sprouted beans in airtight container last for upto a week.
2) Frozen peas and corn, sausages/frankfurters, paneer add great variety and volume to any dish.
3) Heat and serve parathas are life savers and last long.
4) Kheemas and fish de-frost as well as cook very fast. Buy in bulk and pack in smaller portions for faster de-frosting.
One pot meals
Pressure cook all ingredients together but ensure there is a variety in terms of colors, textures, veggies and meats. Boil items like corn separately to garnish when done.
Lastly, always make extra food - if you're going through all the effort, you should have plenty left over for another meal. And ensure others do the dishes and tame the tornado aftermath ;)