Question : I have observed lately that I am putting in too much time in cooking and cleaning dishes. I just want to know how you manage your time / balance this act with other things in life ? Any tips or tricks to save time would be appreciated. Indian cooking takes lot of time. To save time and eat healthy and eat fresh ...all at same time is challenging, isn't it ?
Location: God's own country
Posted on: 08-08-08 15:54:56
Aashu,
It is quite true. if you have been following the board regularly, I had been asking the same question for around 2 years now. I was spending atleast 23 hours cooking and cleaning for one days meal - for 2 1/2 people (dinner and lunch of the same material for the next day). After a lot of discussions with friends, I have come to the following schedule, which saves me quite a bit of time. Veggies/ NV's/ North Indians / Southindians may pick what they like:
1. Breakfast :
Bread coated with Yoghurt (to get the Mayo feeling) / egg/jam/butter. If bread is too boring, replace it with crossiont/ bun etc..
Cerel
To save time, I eat and drink when driving. When on TTC also you can eat it wheile travelling. If you eat at home, you will loose valuable minutes.
2. Dinner and next day lunch :
If you are heavy into Chapathi eating, I guess you could do all chapathi's for a week on a weekday. Also either make subji's for a week / or buy subji from home. Chapathi's are also sold at all grocery shops for a very modest price. If you need fresh ones, some advertisers in CD do make and sell for a very modest price (Please check CD classifieds)
I always go to the farmer's market at closing time and get tons of vegetables / fruits at a very modest price. I have bought a second hand steamer for $15 (from Kijiji website) and hence cut the vegetables into it, set the timer and go to the gym. When I come back, food is ready for me.
You could also make sambar (with Bangalore Dal) for a week in 20 minutes flat. Just add onions, tomato, tamrind juice and pressure it up for 10 mins. Most north Indians love it.
Rice can also be made in a rice cooker. Just set it up and you can leave. The food will be hot.
For Chicken and fish, I just add Salt and pepper and keep it in the oven for 10 minutes and you get delicious and healthy meat.
If you become hungry at the office / home, just break noodles into a cup (3 maggie nodles for $1 at the 401-Islington chinese store) and heat it for 150 seconds and you get very nice food.
Conclusion :
One thing that I still have not able to reduce time is cleaning ( As I donot have a dishwasher). I spend atleast 45 mins. cleaning / washing dishes/ tiffin boxes. every day
More comments appriciated.
Hope this helps.
Peace
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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.
I understand that you have kids, so cleaning up is something unavoidable on daily basis but it saves time if hubby is lending a helping hand. Use dissposable plates/glasses for kids for frequent snacks and meals!
As far as cooking goes, I also like to cook fresh but then to save time i prepare onion masala ( just fried onions paste)once a week and for everyday cooking ,just add spices specific to the dish that i wanna make . This saves me from the smell of frying onions and also time to peel grate and fry them which is about 20-25 miutes process.
Tomato puree comes in handy and saves time while perparing gravy .
I also try to maximise my time by using all four burners when i am in kitchen..for subzi, daal, rice and chapati. I mean I place rice and daal in presure cooker while i fry the subzi and also side by sid make chapatis. Hubby prepares salad and raita. Within 30 minutes we have wholesome meal ready. The subzi and daal are enough to be served twice and so i deep freeze left over to be repeated next week or later.
Weekends we take punjabi brunch and fruits in evening and some soup ,baked veggies etc for dinner so lot of time for other things!
During the day when kids are sleeping, I catch up on CD and mail.I am not much of a sleeper so night time is set for reading/studying.
Thanks guys for responding.....
I get up at 5.30 a.m., do dishes from last night (if not finished last night), cook fresh food (roti / sabji) for my 3 yr old son who goes to day care where they serve him food but i am not sure if it will be a veg dish or a non veg so I have to prepare irrespective. Cook sthg if time permits for me and husband lunch.
Leave home at 7 a.m. , work 8.30 to 4.30, pick up my son frm day care, reach home at 6.15 p.m. , give son shower, etc. (around 30 min job total), start cooking, and have dinner...it is almost 9 p.m. .....too tired to do anything else....
I know bread and noodles is easiest but want to loose weight .....i know brown bread.....but dont like it.....
Freezing cooked food or buying chapati in lot is not an option because my husbands liking is TOO FRESH .......when i was single i use to cook ething on sat and done.....now, it should be fresh as per each meal ...not each day....
but still i think some changes can make my life easier. dishwasher is a big help but dont have it yet....
HelloG : Can you pl tell me which veggies and how do you bake them ? that looks good option....
Quote:
Originally posted by tamilkuravan
Aashu,
It is quite true. if you have been following the board regularly, I had been asking the same question for around 2 years now. I was spending atleast 23 hours cooking and cleaning for one days meal - for 2 1/2 people (dinner and lunch of the same material for the next day). After a lot of discussions with friends, I have come to the following schedule, which saves me quite a bit of time. Veggies/ NV's/ North Indians / Southindians may pick what they like:
1. Breakfast :
Bread coated with Yoghurt (to get the Mayo feeling) / egg/jam/butter. If bread is too boring, replace it with crossiont/ bun etc..
Cerel
To save time, I eat and drink when driving. When on TTC also you can eat it wheile travelling. If you eat at home, you will loose valuable minutes.
2. Dinner and next day lunch :
If you are heavy into Chapathi eating, I guess you could do all chapathi's for a week on a weekday. Also either make subji's for a week / or buy subji from home. Chapathi's are also sold at all grocery shops for a very modest price. If you need fresh ones, some advertisers in CD do make and sell for a very modest price (Please check CD classifieds)
I always go to the farmer's market at closing time and get tons of vegetables / fruits at a very modest price. I have bought a second hand steamer for $15 (from Kijiji website) and hence cut the vegetables into it, set the timer and go to the gym. When I come back, food is ready for me.
You could also make sambar (with Bangalore Dal) for a week in 20 minutes flat. Just add onions, tomato, tamrind juice and pressure it up for 10 mins. Most north Indians love it.
Rice can also be made in a rice cooker. Just set it up and you can leave. The food will be hot.
For Chicken and fish, I just add Salt and pepper and keep it in the oven for 10 minutes and you get delicious and healthy meat.
If you become hungry at the office / home, just break noodles into a cup (3 maggie nodles for $1 at the 401-Islington chinese store) and heat it for 150 seconds and you get very nice food.
Conclusion :
One thing that I still have not able to reduce time is cleaning ( As I donot have a dishwasher). I spend atleast 45 mins. cleaning / washing dishes/ tiffin boxes. every day
More comments appriciated.
Hope this helps.
Peace
Thanks TK : I am looking for someone in Northyork who can make chapatis eday for us...if someone knows someone, pl let me know.
I have rice cooker, and use it too..we mainly make rice for my son only.
What do u mean by steamer ? is it same as slow cooker ? after veggie is steamed, u need to stir fry them too , correct ?
Aashu, I read your schedule, you cook, manage the kid and work! wow....
Still, this is an interesting thread as it is something we all face...my solution is getting the husband to take over some responsibilities so that work is not too much on one person..How many desi's out there help the wife in the kitchen? with the kids?
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smile ...
Thanks Michelle.
I can not compalint abt my husband, he works shoulder to shoulder with me (not cooking) but helps in other chores like grocery, laundry, getting kid ready in morning and dropping him, sometimes dishes (if I cant finish) so his hands are equally full.
And though he likes fresh, he never complaints or demands, he just wont eat it, if he doesnt like it and as a woman, we want to make sthg, he would like to eat.
I think the life style here itself is difficult but any suggestions from others would be welcome too.
