How to cook?

[Emperor]

People use that? Cool.

I never even seen one. . Until now in Letsbuy.com. Do they eat current that much? Is it too big or something?

When I move, It should be able to put inside a bag or something.

... some where I read induction cooker consumes too much electricity/power, if it's right than ..

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My initial few trips abroad made me think, cooking is impossible. I was such lousy cook, all my dishes tasted the same. :bleh:

However one fine day I saw a friend watching cooking videos on youtube while preparing a disk.

make myself a drink (no booze )

no booze really

 

[abracadabra]

why not get an electric cooker , cooks rice and veggies, I use a a Kenwood Rice Cooker, prepares Rice, Dal and boiled veggies (I know most indian prefer veggies with masala, spice ....). But i prefer mine boiled.

Cant take anymore of those spice, butter, ghee, oil..............................

It you can try your hand in making Chapati and make some good sabzhi.

 

[raksrules]

I have stayed out of my home for last 6+ years, although whenever i was in India, i never bothered to cook but when i went abroad i realized the importance of knowing how to cook. Survivial is difficult if you are not in countries where Indian stuff / food is not easily available. On top of that, i am a pure vegetarian and that makes it even more difficult. I have stayed in China for few months and believe me, i never ate outside at all. Nothing was palatable for me. I used to cook every night after going home. Sometimes it is really boring or you just do not want to do, for such times you can always keep maggi or even better fruits.

Avoid junk food everyday. You may not realize the ill effects now. It was here where i learned making Chapati (initially it was random country map) but later i was able to make decent round chapatis and even sabji etc.

I even tried my hand at Aloo Paratha.

If you can generate interest in cooking, you would love doing it.

 

[whatsinaname]

I seriously do not understand why people living alone especially the ones who are earning cannot invest in turning their house into a home. For the amount you guys would have spent on a GPU or a tablet, I got myself all the necessary items to enjoy comfortable living. And not to forget, a bach pad is a bach pad, please don't make it look like a shelter home.

Unfortunately for a few of us, cooking and comfortable do not go hand in hand. I just don't see the ROI in learning to cook, planning and buying ingredients, cooking, cleaning up, etc. And why do that when there are so many restaurants around that provide better food (albeit at a higher cost). An hour of free time is worth so much more.

 

[Aladdin]

You can opt for tiffin service. Just need to find a family who provide this service. You can talk to the local chai, pan, grocery waala. I thought PG mein you also get food?

Or best would be renting that 2BHK place with 1 or 2 more colleagues who are your type.

 

[alekhkhanna]

I've been living on my own for the past 1.5 years and even though I love eating outside, nothing beats home food. Thanks to my family, I got an Induction Cooker, a fridge & a full fledged kitchen (juicer/mixer/grinder/utensils etc.) as soon as I moved out. IMO, this is probably THE best investment you will make as even if you're lazy, you can make a large meal once a day (say Dal & Rice) and then keep it in the fridge. Not to forget you can easily store fruits, veggies, cheese, butter, bread etc, which are quite handy in making a quick meal. Contrary to expectations, ICs don't take much electricity (hardly a difference of 200 bucks in your bill if you use it for an hour a day) and are damn easy to use. Plus they are much faster to cook stuff than traditional stoves, so you save up on time. Do keep in mind to get proper utensils for the IC.

I don't find anything wrong in a single man buying utensils and stuff, and cooking by himself. But from your posts above, it seems you are the lazy type (take no offense please). The most important thing is that you should clean all the utensils and stuff after cooking, and believe me, that really is a PITA. Consider this before making the decision. To me, it seems your current living style suits you best, although I would advise you to cook, eat and clean all by yourself.

It certainly is difficult to wash utensils at first, but over a period of time I feel the easiest way to do it is to wash them as soon as your done having lunch/dinner, because if you leave it for 'later', well, 'later' will only come once you're hungry again.

got one of thoe mini gas cylinders(5kgs) with the burner mounted on it..trust me its simple as hell...

Finally had to get a mini cylinder with a stove (not the mounted type, but like the traditional pipe type) when mom came for sometime as it isn't possible to cook rotis on the IC. And upgraded to an Oven too. Home made pizzas and bean/corn baked breads FTW ! hyeah:

TE amazes me. Here we have people, who can assemble a system, procure parts from any where in the world, but do not know how to make 2-Mins. Maggi or boil eggs. Gosh. From all I read, Gannu is the master chef here.

Anyways, have been living a bachelor since 2001, so will give some pointers:

1. Try not to use the stove / gas combination where the burner is mounted on the baby cylinder. That device is very very dangerous, and can leak. I once had a leaking system, and had to leave it for hours in my balcony. Sold it off the next day. Plus the flame is way way to close to the volatile source.

2. Bread and vegetable sandwiches (club sandwiches) are a good option. Cucumber, tomatoes, boiled potatoes; sliced and put on bread with cheese spread/slices are nice. Rotated with salami/sausage if no restrictions are excellent also,

3. Invest in a fridge. This is mandatory Not doing this, you are opening a window to eat expired / rotten food. And you will waste a lot of stuff which has to be discarded. I.E. more expenses.

4. Try not to make Maggi a staple. It is highly synthetic in nature.

5. If possible, move to an "apartment" structure. Hire a maid, and live life king-size.

6. Learn how to make dal+rice, if it is part of your palate. It goes a long way.

7. Buy fruits and flakes for b'fast.

8. Eat out less as possible. Once you start to buy stuff, you will realize how much outside pre-fab food costs vs. buying raw materials at home, and eating at home. I.E. branded vs. assembled still holds true here too.

Last but not the least, if you moan about laziness, you will always live like a bum, and probably only see the light of day once you get married, and the sudden turn of events will not be pleasant.

+ 100. Every word is golden.

Well, I am a self proclaimed Chef. I have lived alone for 4 years during my college days in a city which was alien to me. Any compromise on my freedom was unacceptable to me, I therefore did not opt for a hostel and lived in a 1 BHK flat instead. Thanks to the backing from my family, I was lucky to have all the basic luxuries for a comfortable living. I had purchased a second hand fridge, a 14 inch TV, a second hand kitchen gas stove, a second hand washing machine and an LPG cylinder in black. All this amounted to less than 25k. I brought other little things like utensils, kettle, toaster, sandwich maker, blender etc from home. All this was worth the money, time and the hardwork I invested in it as I spent the next 4 years living very comfortably without having to worry about any stuff. It almost felt like home.

I seriously do not understand why people living alone especially the ones who are earning cannot invest in turning their house into a home. For the amount you guys would have spent on a GPU or a tablet, I got myself all the necessary items to enjoy comfortable living. And not to forget, a bach pad is a bach pad, please don't make it look like a shelter home.

+1. Only thing I omitted was a washing machine as we currently have 3 laundromats in Delhi (self use machines & dryers), and 2 of them are pretty near to where I live. Plus the laundromat dryers are damn awesome. The clothes turn up totally dry. Blessing during monsoons.

 

[m-jeri]

wooha.. lot of great comments.

I would recommend you not to cook.U lack patience(no offense )

One good day you would like to prepare 2 minutes maggi noodle and would end up sue Nestle/Maggi (on your blog) as you couldn't prepare it in 2 mins.

Seriously after reading your blog(one created to rant at LSB), i seriously feel you wouldn't hesitate doing that

I have to take offense in this.

what the hell are u talking about? How can you compare a 3 week delay in shipping by a shop to me making a damn snack? Everyone in india including me been having and making maggi/top ramen from school days. Be realistic when you make jokes. Else its not in good taste.

i decided to go the old skool way....

got one of thoe mini gas cylinders(5kgs) with the burner mounted on it..trust me its simple as hell...

I love the idea. but single room == gas!! == smell == cleaning/maintaining == Kinda dont think landlord is going to allow it. Also if/when i move, luggage will be a pain.

But I would love to know that recipe. Some weekends i go to friends who live in flats/houses with kitchen.

Boil water in the kettle, switch it off when it boils, pour the boiled water in a container with 2~3 eggs and let the contents inside solidify. Takes 3~5 minutes at the most. Adding salt to water, raises the boiling point of water so it essentially cooks better - not required here IMO.

The challenge however is to cook a par boiled egg where the yolk is liquid and white is solid.

So in the tech, the insides will be squishy. Good with bread i guess.

Sadly my friend you haven't really given mysore a try if you are saying food is bad here. I moved here at the start of 2010 to the campus in front of yours and have had excellent food everyday. You can try the vaiours eating joints from Surya Bakery to Water tank. You will not grow tired of the variety available there.

When i was fed up of eating in the numerous food courts here, i started cooking at home. An investment of 3-4k for gas cylinders and utensils meant that i was now eating food what i wanted to and saving a lot too. I saved enough eating at home, in less than 3 months to cover the cost of the investment. Even i have 10-11 hour work days, but that doesnt stop me from cooking Breakfast, lunch(I stay in hebbal, so able to go home) and dinner because i love food too much

Its just a question of getting in rhythm, you will get so used to it that you wont think of eating outside, except weekends

I dont like the oil they use. and some are very heavy/ajino moto/flour kinda

heavy. . And I am a PURE non veg. I hate veggies. Non veg in mysore is next to dull in most places.

Again. Space is a premium. Single room means i cant get a gas and stuff. .

You stay in hebbal? I stay in hebbal. Near SBI bank.

Last but not the least, if you moan about laziness, you will always live like a bum, and probably only see the light of day once you get married, and the sudden turn of events will not be pleasant.

.

And the gas/stove combo comment, +1.

You can opt for tiffin service. Just need to find a family who provide this service. You can talk to the local chai, pan, grocery waala. I thought PG mein you also get food?

Or best would be renting that 2BHK place with 1 or 2 more colleagues who are your type.

Yea PG food. No. I dont like the way they cook. Put too much salt and masalas. Everything in mysore, they put tonnes of masala in it. No idea why. I mean TONNES.

 

[asingh]

^^
Which state are you from..?

 

[m-jeri]

TVM Kerala, Living in Mysore KA.

 

[rad0]

^Hebbal is there in Mysore too ? :S

BTW, chill madi. U became serious on my post

 

[m-jeri]

Only Mysore Hebbal I know of.

 

[rad0]

There is a hebbal here in b'lore as well

 

[Gannu]

It certainly is difficult to wash utensils at first, but over a period of time I feel the easiest way to do it is to wash them as soon as your done having lunch/dinner, because if you leave it for 'later', well, 'later' will only come once you're hungry again.

THIS is so damn true!

Each time we have noodles or oats, we leave those bowls and the kettle with some water inside. Only to clean them before we have the next meal a day later.

 

[Onemufc]

Interest and Having no alternatives are the catalyst of making Men cook .

 

[Metalspree]

Never cooked in life but NZ made me learn it hardway , had to make time in Uni life and cook everyday.Initially it was boring but later i really loved cooking and started experimenting .