I have always collected useful gadgets for the kitchen, from different kinds of knives, to pressure cookers. Now you get ones that are compatible with the induction stove. I bought the Insta pot as soon as it came into the market, as it has an arrangement for sautéing, pressure cooking and slow cooking as in soups.
In the early years of my marriage I had an oven, part of a full cooking range and a Kenwood chef to make those chores of mixing easier. The microwave oven despite the myths surrounding it has been an invaluable gadget. I love the way the vegetables retain their colour when they are microwaved. Most of us use the microwave only for heating these days, but today with the gas shortage it is useful for cooking.
Assuming you are a reasonably good cook you can have lots of fun planning meals without using gas.
With the variety of vegetables available in the market, all you need to do for soups is to saute them with a little oil on an induction stove, then cook them in an instant pot and liquidise. An OTG or a bigger oven is invaluable for cooking. Apart from baked dishes, even stews can be made in a closed casserole dish which makes it very tasty as it takes longer to cook.
The sandwich toaster is a handy gadget for having a snack meal with bread.
I have a rice cooker to make my dum biriyani, and an air fryer to fry brinjal slices or raw plantain besides others using minimum of oil. I have also a slow cooker again for making soups or stock. I have even tried a chicken curry in it. You switch it on in the morning before you leave for work and come back to find it ready and piping hot. The possibilities are endless!
Here are the recipes which require minimum of cooking:
Sprouts Salad (no cooking)
Ingredients:
Mixed sprouts (available in stores) 1 cup
Carrot one large, grated
Cucumber, chopped into small cubes, 3/4 cup
Celery 1 big stalk minced
Tomato, 1 medium sice, chopped into tiny cubes
Lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Pepper powder 1/2 teaspoons
Sprout Salad
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Preparation
• Lightly steam the sprouts for 2 minutes in a steel steamer using the induction stove. You can use a steel sieve over a steel vessel of water
. • Prepare the vegetables as indicated above
• Prepare the dressing by mixing the lime juice salt and pepper.
• Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl using a wooden ladle.
• Pour the dressing over and lightly mix
Dalia KIchadi (one pot meal using rice cooker or Insta pot)
Ingredients:
Dalia (broken wheat granules) 1/3 cup
Moong Dal 1/3 cup
Water 1 and 1/2 cups
Salt to take
Mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, potatos, cauliflower) 200 grams
Tomato 2 medium size
Pepper corns 4 nos
Green chilli slit 1
Chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Ginger, grated, 1 teaspoon
For Tempering:
Ghee 1 tablespoon
Oil 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, 1 inch peice
Cloves 3 nos
Onion, medium size finely chopped, 1
Preparation
• Wash the dalia and the dal and soak for 45 minutes
• In a multi pot or rice cooker, pour the water, the dalia and dal, add salt.
• Chop the vegetables into small pieces.Add to the pot.
• Chop tomatoes and add to the other, also adding pepper corns, green chilli, chilii powder and ginger.
• Adjust the timer for 5 minutes.
• In a small pan, on low heat, add the ghee and oil and temper with cumin seeds, cinnamon and cloves.
• When it splutters add onion and fry till translucent.
• Add to the khichidi and stir and allow to simmer on the sim mode for a few minutes. If the khichidi is too dry add hot water and simmer for a minute or two. A meal in one it can be served with raita.
Grilled Vegetables (using the oven)
Ingredients
Vegetables (coloured capsicum, zuccini, onion, tomatoes) 250 grams
Egg plant 1 large
Coating:
Chilli flakes, 1/2 teaspoonPepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon
salt to taste
Apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon
Olive oil 2 table spoon
Mixed dry herbs like basil and tarragon
Grilled vegetables in the oven
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Preparation
• Sice the aubergine into 1/4” thick roundels, apply little and set aside
• Prepare the vegetables. Deseed the capsicums and cut into lengthwise
strips. Slice the zucchini into thin strips
• Slice onions thin, and tomato into quarters
• Apply all the mixed seasonings on to the vegetables and reserved some
for the sliced egg plant and apply
• Preheat the grill to 180 degrees, and place the aubergines on a baking tray
turning them over when done. (3-5 mins)
• Remove and set aside
• Apply the rest of the coating paste over the vegetables and place in the
baking tray. Stir and turn over in 5 minutes. Check for softness and remove
and plate,first lining the plate with the egg plant roundels and arrange the
grilled vegetables on top. Decorate with halved olives
SANDWICHES (No cooking, use the sandwich toaster)
Ingredients
Sandwich bread 1/2 loaf
Boiled eggs 1
Butter as required
Grated cheese 3 tablespoon
PRepared mustard 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Pepper 1/2 teaspoon
Egg sandwich
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Preparation
• Mash the egg with a fork, and transfer to a bowl. Mix in butter, grated cheese, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Slice the bread and remove crust if you wish
• Spread the egg paste liberally on 4-5 slices
• Lightly apply butter to 4-5 slices and cover the bread slices with egg
• Press down and cut into triangles.
• Cover with a cloth wrung out in water and keep in a closed box.
• Have these delicious sandwiches with soup and one meal is over!
(You can use different fillings according to your whim. If you butter the slices and add raw veggies iike capsicum roundels, sliced tomatoes etc, top it with a slice of cheese and cook in a greased sandwich toaster, this will also be very filling)
Grilled Mushroom and garlic
Ingredients
Button mushroom 200 grams
Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 head
Oilive oil 1 tablespoon
Pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli flakes 1 teaspoon
Vinegar or wine vinegar 1 Table spoon
Coriander, minced, 1 cup.
Preparation
• Clean mushrooms thoroughly to remove all the dirt. I usually peel them and wash before chopping them.
• Heat the oven to 160 degrees, and place a baking tray and add the olive oil.
• Add the mushrooms and stir now and then till they let off moisture.
• Add garlic and stir along with the mushrooms till they become brown and soft.
• Add pepper, salt, chilli flakes and vinegar and stir for a couple of minutes.
• Remove tray from oven and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and blend it in.
• Place on a flat serving dish or a shallow bowl
(General tips: Rice can be cooked in a rice cooker or instapot. Dal can be cooked in an instapot or in an open steel vessel on an induction stove with sufficient water. And seasoned as you like.)
Sabita Radhakrishna has authored 10 books 6 of which are cookbooks some of them bagging prestigious awards. A textile expert she writes extensively on food, textiles and craft. Sabita is Chairperson Founder of UDHAVI a voluntary organisation which focuses on elder care.
