Tag: save time

Luscious Indian baby pumpkin-पश्छिम के बेसनी टिंडे

On By lavinamehraIn 10 minutes or more recipesLeave a comment


SERVES: 2-3

GLUTEN FREE, HIGH IN PROTEIN AND FIBRE

Why this recipe? How is it green? How am I contributing to making this earth green by following four steps or less recipes?

Using Pressure Cooker will take 8-10 minutes whereas it will take 20-25 minutes in a regular pan.

You save: 70% of fuel energy and 10 minutes of your precious time that is about 5 to 8% of the total time you spend in kitchen on an average (assuming you spend a total of 2-3 hours in a day in the kitchen)

This is a completely gluten free recipe that is a delicacy from Western India.

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons jeera (cumin)
1 pinch of hing (asafoetida powder)
1 big tomato chopped
1 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)
½ kilo tinda (baby pumpkin), each cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ tablespoon haldi (turmeric powder)
½ teaspoon garam masala (all spice)
1 square inch of frozen chopped green chilli
2 square inch of frozen grated ginger or 25 grams fresh ginger
100 ml or 1/2 glass of water
Dhania (coriander) leaves for garnish

STEP 1. Put asafoetida powder and cumin seeds in heated oil and let it brown.
STEP 2. Add chopped tomatoes and besan (chickpea flour), sauté it with tomatoes for 2-3 minutes for chickpea flour to roast. This will take 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3. Add all of the rest of ingredients and 1/2 glass of water before you close the pressure cooker/pan lid.
STEP 4. Let it whistle 1 time (4-5 minutes) and open the cooker after all steam is released (it might take 5-7 minutes). Add garam masala and coriander leaves as you serve.

HANDY TIPS:baby pumpkin

Asafoetida has a very unique flavour, the recipe will still come out fine, even if you decide not to use it.

Always wait for the steam in pressure cooker to release by itself. This is a safety precaution as well as retains all flavour of the food.

Replace Cream with Milk-हलकी फुल्की सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn TipsLeave a comment

Most exotic rich Indian recipes suggest using cream, butter and butter oil (ghee) but all of these can be replaced with more healthier and easily available alternatives. For example, in a conventional Butter Chicken or Daal Makhani recipe replace cream with milk to make the gravy creamy. For Daal replace water with milk and for Butter Chicken increase the amount of nuts (almonds or cashews whatever you are using).

Revive that creative side in you and try using coconut milk once in a while to give that distinctive flavour to a routine recipe.

Tender Tip-नरम सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn TipsLeave a comment

Tenderize meat (lamb, pork or beef) with lemon juice for half an hour before cooking, it will come out unbelievably soft and tender.

Frozen Advice-बर्फ़ीली सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn Tips15 Comments

In your daily cooking, consider replacing some fresh vegetables with frozen vegetables. Frozen veggies seal in more nutrition, colour and flavour as a result of quick freezing process (QFP) at the time of their packing when they are appropriately ripened and nutrition packed. Most fresh veggies are picked before they ripe, they may show signs of ripening by the time they reach the grocery shelf from the farm. They are however not as nutritious as they would have been if they were on the plant for longer.

Frozen veggies should be steamed or microwaved or pressure cooked to retain all nutrients. Never boiled or blanched.

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Value Your Time-एक सलाह चाहो तो ले लो

On By lavinamehraIn Tips2 Comments

Try using all the stove burners at the same time. Plan the use of burners in a way that the recipe taking the longest time is put on the burner first, and other recipes follow in descending order. This will result in all your cooking finishing at the same time and you can spend the saved precious time doing something else you love to do.

Green Tip-दमदार सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn Tips2 Comments

Save Earth- do your bit!

If you do not already have a regular heavy base pan and planning to buy one, consider buying a pressure cooker instead. All pressure cookers are usually made of heavy metal base as they work on a steam system. You can use the bottom part of the cooker as a pan without the cover when you are not pressure cooking. Pressure cooker of the right shape and size can serve both purposes, pan and as well a pressure cooker. Do your bit to save this planet. You save 70% fuel energy and your time and energy by using a pressure cooker.

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Quick home made cottage cheese (Paneer)-घर का पनीर

On By lavinamehraIn Less than 10 minutes Quicker Recipes1 Comment

GLUTEN FREE- LOADED WITH CALCIUM -QUICK TO MAKE

COOKING TIME: 6-8 MINUTES

How am I contributing to making this earth green by following four steps or less recipe?

Save fuel energy by covering the pan all the time while milk is reaching the boiling point. This will quicken the process and save energy.

Consider using the residue water after cheese is made, you can use it in some other recipe or make dough for cookies, bread or muffins. 

You save: 10-40% of fuel energy by covering the pan and 2-3 minutes of your time

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre full cream milk
1/2 tablespoon of lemon/lime juice or vinegar

STEP 1: Pour milk into pan and bring it close to boiling point. Continue stirring the milk so that it does not stick to the bottom.

STEP 2: Add 10-12 drops of lemon juice. Milk will start to curdle as lemon juice is put in, keep the heat on until milk curdles completely and becomes watery and transparent.

STEP 3: Pour this into a muslin cloth over a sieve and either hang the cheese or press it with heavy weight for an hour for it to form shape.

HANDY TIPS:

For the cheese to get solid  you can chose to hang it for the water to drain out. This is good if you want to grate or crumble the cheese when it is ready. However if you want it in a block to cut it into square or any other shaped pieces you can put it on a cutting board pressed by another heavy flat object or a heavy cutting board.

You can add any herb or spices of your choice like dill, rosemary, cilantro, red chilli flakes, garlic or black pepper to make flavoured cheese. Be as creative as you want to be.

Save Time for the Next Time-एक सलाह वक़्त बचाने वाली

On By lavinamehraIn Tips3 Comments


Here is a tip to get the quick cooking going and to save time on the days you are really pressed for it and yet want to make something nice and elaborate. Most sumptuous indian curries and dishes require sautéed onion and this is what takes time. So, be smart and keep some chopped sautéed onions in your refrigerator. The day you are making a recipe with onions, plan on peeling and chopping some extra onions to save them for the next time. You can also do this on a weekend or at a time when you are anyway in the kitchen cooking something else and have your hands free in between to peel the onions and drop them in a chopper. Sauté all onions together for your current recipe as well as for the next one. Save sautéed onion in small freezer bags/containers for the next time for quick use. This has been a trick that has saved me time on many occasions. For some my upcoming recipes I will be using ready sautéed onions from my fridge. It’s all about saving time, the most precious thing..efficient use of time in the kitchen this time around will save some time for the next time you are in the kitchen.

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SPICY SWEET SQUASH/PUMPKIN-खट्टा मीठा सीताफ़ल

On By lavinamehraIn 10 minutes or more recipesLeave a comment


SERVES: 3-4

GLUTEN FREE- LOADED WITH VITAMIN A,C and FIBRE -QUICK TO MAKE

COOKING TIME: 8-10 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon oil
1 small squash/pumpkin (about 500 grams) cut into 2 inch pieces with skin
1 pinch hing (Asafoetida powder)
2 teaspoons jeera (Cumin)
2 teaspoons methi seeds (Fenugreek)
1 teaspoon crushed saunf (Fennel seeds)
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala

 

STEP 1.  Put hing (Asafoetida powder), methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds) and jeera (Cumin seeds) into heated oil, sauté for 20-30 seconds.

STEP 2.  Throw in the cut pieces of squash/pumpkin, sugar, salt, red chilli powder and ¾ cup of water.

STEP 3. Cover the pan and let everything cook until squash turns soft and turns a little dark in colour.

STEP 4.  Add garam masala and serve with coriander leaves garnish

HANDY TIP:thumb_IMG_0138_1024

Asafoetida has a very unique flavour, the recipe will still come out fine, even if you decide not to use it.

You do not have to take the skin off for most sitaphal/petha (in India)(squash/pumpkin in North America) for this recipe, however if you have already used a particular kind of pumpkin that is known for coarse skin, you may remove the skin.

 

Save some bucks-एक सलाह पैसे बचाने वाली

On By lavinamehraIn TipsLeave a comment


The attractive and exotic looking olive oil bottles with flavoured dressing and cooking oils that we are ready to pay big bucks can be prepared at home. When you fill up your olive oil bottle simply add some dry whole spices like a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, whole red chilli, or fresh herbs like rosemary or dill. The oil starts to pick up the flavour of the spices in 3 to 4 days.

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