Mar 06, 2004 11:26 AM
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(Updated Mar 06, 2004 11:26 AM)
More unsolicited advice from my keyboard, this time on cooking. I can hear my husband go “What! You! Tips on cooking?”
These days it’s kind of fashionable for women to claim they can’t cook. But the fact of the matter is, one way or the other, you will have to spend a certain percentage of your time in the kitchen and you might as well do it well.
Having graduated from an absolute disaster magnet to someone who can whip up decent fare on rare occasions, I now hold myself amply qualified to talk on the subject. At least these days my time in kitchen is not immediately associated with crashing pots and pans, strange burning smells and unidentifiable(and perhaps unedible) objects.
Seriously, it was not that bad, cause I had a mother in-law to show me the ropes and she did, down to instructing me as to which spoon to use for stirring what.
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Watch cookery programmes
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Not just to learn the recipes, which I seldom remember anyway, but to see masters at their craft. Check out their tools. How they sprinkle salt and other spices. See how long they stir. What the consistency of something should be. You also see more of techniques you may only have seen on menus – stir fry etc.
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Stop watching and take the plunge
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Have you been a bystander in the kitchen watching your mom, stir, sauté, grind with consummate ease? But do you chicken out(bad pun!) when it comes to doing it yourself? That won’t get you anywhere. Steel yourself for the brickbats, get out there, do it yourself, and maybe you might get a few bouquets. Even if it isn’t quite a culinary work of art, you’ll know what to adjust the next time around.
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Low flame, better results
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Once you have heated the oil or brought the curry to a boil, keep the flame low for subsequent cooking. Most things cook more evenly if the flame is low. This is especially true when you are frying and want an even finish. But this is not to say that the temperature should be low. You can trap the heat by covering the lid and letting the food cook in its own steam. Ladies’ finger and brinjal however tend to wilt if cooked this way, so keep the pan open and stir frequently.
I must remember to follow this bit of advice myself. Being the impatient sort, I tend to turn up the flame to try and cook things faster.
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Don’t over flavour
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Sure, your kitchen is stocked with masala powders, but don’t toss everything in. Let one or two flavours predominate. Go easy on the salt. Keep garam masala, pav bhaji masala, tandoori masala and add a little of one or the other. I am not too fond of the mustard seed tadka, so I try to put in fewer mustard seeds.
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Keep herbs handy
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It takes just a minute, but a sprinkling of coriander or mint leaves can transform your cooking.
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Have a few signature dishes
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Make sure that you learn a few recipes that you and only you in your family cooks best. These should be over and above your daily stuff, which at our place is typical south Indian stuff – sambar, beans etc. Try and learn a couple of recipes in different cuisines. Never mind if it is a 100% authentic, as long as it tastes good! Be open to different flavours. Some North Indians I have noticed are a little disparaging of southie fare – I love my roti and paneer but a hot masala dosa is great too.(We have a legendary wayside place here in Cochin, which serves 45 different kinds!)
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Read recipes 4 - 5 times
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If you plan to try something new, read the recipe a few times over a couple of days before you start cooking. Then try cooking without referring. This will help you remember it better the next time around.
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Substitute!
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Don’t hesitate to substitute ingredients. Not main seasonings obviously. But potatoes or paneer for meat or mushrooms, etc.
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Re-invent
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Learn to convert left-overs into new dishes. Yesterday’s noodles could be today’s noodle soup. Just add a little tomato puree, butter; salt and finish off with the noodles(washed preferably) and a little cornflower paste. Toast left over from the morning can turn into bread upma. Sauté onions, chillies, garlic and tomato, add shredded bread pieces, salt and turmeric. Stir. Just make sure that your left overs are not from last year and are in some recognizable form!
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Love what you do
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If you enjoy cooking something, chances are it will come out well too. If you love eating something, you are sure to cook it well. Approach cooking in a typical Hindu way – don’t worry about the results, do your duty. If I obsess about getting something right, it often doesn’t turn out well. But if I enjoy the process in itself, then things are much better. Don’t pressurize yourself to be a good cook. I accept that my upma will be lousy and that my curds will never set well.
Those who are born cooks of course don’t need these tips. For the rest of you, hope this has been of some use.
Bon appetit!
