BACHELOR COOKING - EASY AND QUICK INDIAN RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS




This post is specially meant for all those people who are planning to shift to a new city or country with little or no experience in the kitchen.To ease out this problem, I am sharing a collection of easy to cook, basic recipes that will help in cooking a basic meal. These recipes are easy to cook and are meant for everyday use. Once your confidence is boosted you can shift to other recipes in this blog and enthrall your friends and relatives with your cooking skills.

Before beginning to cook, it’s important to learn how to operate appliances like the gas stove, induction stove, mixer grinder, pressure cooker, rice cooker, microwave oven and any other kitchen appliance that is quintessential for cooking. Different pans have to be assigned for cooking different dishes. For example, the pan used for boiling milk and making tea should not be used for cooking or heating curries and gravies. Basic cutting and slicing of vegetables and fruits, is also necessary. These basic skills have to be learnt from someone firsthand before you begin cooking alone.

Basic recipes

Some of the basic recipes that you can try for breakfast, lunch and dinner are mentioned here. All these recipes are meant for 2 people. You can increase or decrease the proportion of ingredients depending on the number of people.
  •  Scrambled eggs
    2 eggs
    2 tsp oil
    ¼ tsp salt sprinkled on top
    ½ tsp pepper powder sprinkled on top (optional)

    Heat oil in a tava or frying pan, and crack open the egg shell with a spoon and directly add the eggs to the pan. (If you are not very confident, then crack open the eggs in a bowl and then add to the tava.) Sprinkle salt and pepper and using a spoon gently mix to scramble the eggs. Turn over the eggs a few times and once the eggs are cooked, transfer to a plate. Serve hot.

    • Boiled eggs


    Take eggs in a pan, add enough water to cover the eggs and bring the water to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Allow the water to cool and pour away the water. Using a spoon, crack the egg shells and and remove the shell. If you want hard boiled eggs, then boil for about 15 minutes.

    • Bread omelette 
     

    4 slices bread
    2 tbsp butter

    For the omelette



    2 tbsp oil
    2 eggs
    1 large onion thinly sliced
    1 tsp red chilli powder
    1 tsp salt

    Toast the bread slices on both sides in a tava till golden spots are seen. Spread ½ tbsp butter on each slice and keep ready.

    Take an egg in a bowl and beat well with a spoon or fork till the whites and yolks are well mixed. Add ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp salt and mix well. Add half the sliced onions and mix. Heat a tava, add a tbsp oil in the centre. Pour the egg mix over the tava and reduce the gas heat to medium flame. Cook for a couple of minutes. When you see the omelette slightly firming up, carefully turn it over to the other side using a ladle or flat spoon. Gently press and cook on the other side as well. Transfer to a plate. In the same way, prepare the other omelette. (Make sure that the pan does not get too hot as your omelette will get burnt. Always cook the omelette in medium or low flame.)

    Serve the omelette with bread and enjoy.
    • Cheese sandwich 



      4 slices of bread
      2 cheese slices
      Pepper powder
      1 onion chopped (optional)
      Butter

      Heat a tava, add a tsp of butter and place a slice of bread. Place a cheese slice and sprinkle pepper powder and chopped onions on top. Place another bread slice on top and gently press. Carefully turn to the other side and cook for a couple of minutes. The cheese would have melted by now. Transfer the sandwich to a plate, and in the same way prepare another sandwich. Serve hot.

      • Oats milk porridge

         

      1 cup oats
      1½ cups milk
      1½ cups water
      3 tsp sugar
      chopped cherries and nuts for extra taste

      Take a pan, add oats, milk, water and sugar and place it on the stove. Switch On the gas and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes while stirring continuously till the oats are soft. Switch off the gas and transfer to two bowls. Garnish with chopped cherries and nuts and serve hot.

      • Masala oats


      1 cup masala oats
      2 cups water

      Take a pan, add oats and water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes till the oats turn soft and starts thickening. Transfer to two bowls and serve hot.

      • Noodles

      2 packet noodles
      2 sachet taste mix
      4 cups water

      Take two noodles cakes and cut each into 4 or 5 pieces and keep ready. Boil 4 cups of water in a pan, cut open two sachets of taste mix and add the taste mix to the pan. Mix well such that there are no lumps. Now reduce heat and add the noodle cakes and mix well. Increase the flame to medium or high and cook for 3 to 4 minutes till the noodles are soft. Switch off the gas and serve hot with boiled or scrambled eggs.

      • Cooking Rice

      In a pressure cooker, take 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and ¾ tsp salt. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 

      In case, you are using a pan, then take 1 cup rice, 3 cups water and ¾ tsp salt and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, close a lid and cook for about 10 minutes till all the water has evaporated.

      • Curd Rice
       
         

        1/2 cup thick curd
        1 large onion chopped
        A handful of curry leaves
        2 tbsp oil
        1/2 tsp mustard seeds
        Pinch of asafoetida powder
        2 dry red chillies deseeded


        Take cooked rice in a large bowl and keep ready. To make curd rice, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add onions, red chillies and curry leaves and saute till the onions turn golden. Next add asafoetida, salt and curd and mix well. Bring to a boil and add the cooked rice. Mix well and serve hot.


        • Tomato Upma 

        1 cup sooji (semolina)
        2 tbsp oil
        ½ tsp mustard seeds
        ¼ tsp asafoetida
        2 dry red chillies
        1 onion chopped
        10 cashews
        1 tomato deseeded and chopped
        6 to7 curry leaves
        3/4 tsp salt
        2 ½ cups water

        Dry roast the sooji for about 5 minutes in a thick bottomed pan and keep ready. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow the seeds to sputter. Add onions, curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida and saute for a few minutes. Add cashews and saute till golden. Next add the tomatoes and cook till they turn soft. Add salt, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the sooji slowly, while stirring continuously. Make sure that there are no lumps. Switch off the gas and close a lid. Serve hot.

        •  Chapathi/ Roti

        2 cups wheat flour
        ½ tsp salt
        Water for kneading

        First begin by kneading the dough for the chapathi or roti. For this take flour, salt in a bowl, add water little by little and knead to form a soft and smooth dough. It should neither be too firm nor too loose. Cover with a lid and set aside for about half an hour.  

        To make chapathis, take the dough and divide it into 8 equal balls. Take 1 ball, dust the surface with flour and roll the dough ball to form a circle. Transfer this to a hot tava and cook on both sides for a few seconds. Apply 1/2 tsp oil on both sides and cook till brown patches are seen. Transfer to a hot box and in the same way prepare all the remaining chapathis. 

         

        To make rotis, take the dough and divide it into 6 equal balls. Roll the dough ball to form a circle, add 1 tsp of oil at the centre, spread it evenly and cut with the spoon as shown below. Roll along the radius to form a cone, place it upright and press. Dust it with flour and roll again to form a circle of uniform thickness. Carefully transfer this to a hot pan or tava.

         

        Cook on one side, then turn and cook on the other side. Apply oil on both sides and cook till brown patches are visible on both sides. In this method, make all the rotis. Transfer to a hot box and serve hot.




          • Boiling milk




          Take a pan and keep ready. Cut a small opening on top corner of the milk packet and gently pour the milk into the pan. Switch on the gas and boil the milk till it approaches the rim, now reduce heat and allow the milk to come back to the original position and boil again. When it approaches the rim, switch off the gas and close a lid. Milk is now ready to be consumed. You can pour the milk into cups and add a tsp of sugar to each cup. Mix well and serve hot.

          Note: Generally 500 ml milk is equivalent to 4 cups. One cup is equivalent to 125 ml.
          • Beverages
          1. Tea



            To make 3 cups of tea, take a pan, add 1½ cups milk, 1½ cups water, 1 ¼ tsp tea dust and 6 tsp sugar. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, reducing heat in between. Once the tea is done, use a sieve to filter the tea dust and pour into cups. Serve hot.

          2. Instant Coffee



            Boil milk in a pan. Pour hot milk into a cup, add a tsp of sugar and a tsp of coffee powder and mix well. Serve hot.

          3. Flavoured milk

          Add a tsp of sugar to a cup of hot milk. The milk can be flavoured with a tbsp of boost, bournvita, horlicks or any other health mix of your choice.

          4. Lemon tea Decoction

           

          Take 2 cups water in a pan, along with ¼ tsp tea dust, and 4 tsp sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally add a tsp of lemon juice and mix. Use a sieve to filter the tea dust and transfer to cups. Serve hot.


          More basic recipes will be added to this page soon. I have tried my best to convey the method and recipes as clearly as possible. But it is always better to use your discretion in following the instructions given here. 
          • Hope you would have found this post useful. Happy cooking :) 

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