Expert Cooking Tips to Save Time on Busy Days

Always feel short of time for cooking or always in a hurry?
These easy peasy expert cooking tips can help you become kitchen ninja and by saving time so that you spend less time slaving over a store and more time enjoying the yummy delicacies of your labour.

• Choose passive cooking techniques

Cooking techniques like pressure cooking and appliances like rice cooker, oven, induction, food processors, airfryer are great because the machine could work faster and better than you. You can just set it up and use that time to prep for the next meal or take a break, sit and chill.

• Use time efficiently

If you’re already boiling water for pasta, take the pasta out and boil veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, or corn on the cob which you can later utilise for the next meal like soup or supper.

• Chop ingredients more thinly

The smaller or thinner you slice veggies, the faster it will cook and the more flavours it will absorb. Don’t risk if your knife skills aren’t good, it might not be worth the time to “small dice” a carrot but halving something like a chicken breast is simple and will allow it to cook faster and be a lot less likely to dry out.

• Saute vegetables before adding stock or water

Especially for vegetable soups, always sauté the veggies before you add the stock or the water. This method will enrich the taste by allowing the flavors to blend in and absorb, and reduce cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes.

• Plan Ahead, if possible a month ahead

Even if you can’t spare a whole day for cooking, just one hour over the weekend prepping your vegetables can save you time during the more hectic workweek. On a less busy week, sort out and try planning your meals for a full month ahead. Go by designating specific days like “Taco Tuesdays,” “Fried curries Fridays,” or “Leftover Thursdays.”

• Choose quick-cooking proteins & veggies

Denser veggies and tougher meats take more time to cook. Don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients in a recipe for ones that cook faster and require less effort but still turn out to be tasty. Light veggies like bottle gourd (ghiya), ridge gourd (tori)and light pulses like yellow colored lentil (arhar dal).

• Have a few go-to leftover recipes

Leftover recipes are pretty much saviour! Meals that are stocked up in your fridge could be a major part of your dish. Simple ideas like stuffing the leftovers veggies in the sandwich could be useful. >Don’t bother peeling all veggies

You can eat the skin. All fruits and veggies have nutrients and fiber in the skin, so if you have a non tender product, don’t bother peeling. Make sure to wash it well. Carrots, sweet potatoes and beets all taste great when roasted or grilled.

• Cook once, prepare many ways or make extra.

Long-cook items like roast chicken are for weekends, but leftover chicken can make quick chili with baked beans, chicken salad or chicken for salads, quesadillas and other easy, fast weeknight meals. Make a master chutney or sauce which you can use to marinate to make options like kathi rolls or salads. Make vegetable stock and use it for different soups.

Over to you
You will be able to save a ton of time in the kitchen and make cooking a manageable, enjoyable part of your schedule if you swear to try at least once all the tips listed above. It could help you invest time in a better way or to spend more time doing what you love or with your loved ones.