Solo Cooking Week

Recently I learned to cook food. But I hardly get chance to cook without any assistance. Next week parents are going out for one week for naturopathy treatment. So I have full access to kitchen. I can prepare anything, I would like to. This is first time in my life, I am going to handle the kitchen solo for a week. This will be amazing experience. Hopefully at the end, I will have lot of learnings on cooking and managing stock in kitchen.

Here, I have purposefully not mentioned detailed recipe. The way I learned new dishes, is by watching YouTube videos. While watching videos, I note down important things on rough paper. Then from these notes, I took rough idea, but didn't followed exact recipe most of the time. I changed quantity as per my rough calculations. Some time I changed items as per my liking and available stock. In some cases, I tried experimenting different weird combinations.

To keep it focused, I have mentioned only about the cooking and related things from my one week experience.

Day-1

Today at 9am, parents went for naturopathy treatment to Patanjali centre, Pune. One of our neighbour had recently went there and had very good experience. So parents wants to give it a try.

After their departure, I have prepared 7 day plan on what to cook and when. As per my planning each day I will prepare new dishes. One famous dish from Gujarati, Rajasthani, Maharashtrian, Punjabi, Chinese and South Indian. No thoughts of Continental, Italian, Mexican food yet. May be some time in future 🙂. I am hoping I should be able to execute at least 50% of the planned things.

Today I am planning to cook Dal Baati. It is one of my favourite dish. In my college days, I remember, me along with other friends use to ride to highway dhabba for Dal Baati. One of the Rajasthani dhaba was our favourite place. They had very unique setup. They had rope beds, instead of usual tables. Beds are kept in row. On rope bed they put wooden planks in between. On plank they serve dishes. On one rope bed, two person can seat and eat. It was buffet style, fix rate, unlimited eat. They start serving with Baati and lot of ghee and then daal. They used to serve very generously. Their Baati used to be very big size. They used to prepare it in bhathi (open fire with stone like setup). And that time, I able to eat 3-4 Baati with lot of ghee and dal. Taste used to be very delicious. Aah, lot of good memories 🙂.

Dal Baati

Back to our today's cooking. I have watched online video and have written down recipe. I have checked if all ingredients are available. Most of of ingredients were there. Some were not, which I bought it.

Started first with Baati. Took the wheat floor and besan. Added salt, ghee, water and prepared dough. After that started stove, placed Appe Pan on stove. Prepared smaller baati from dough. Then heated baati on Appe Pan, both side. In 5-6 minutes, baati was ready.

Now preparing daal. Daal preparation was bit complex. First took 5 different daals in smaller container, washed it 2-3 times with water. Then kept daal in water for 10 minutes.

Next need to cook this daals in pressure cooker. Problem was I had two pressure cooker. One small and one large. I heard in smaller one it cooks fast, but in smaller one whistle was not working properly. I had some experience in past with this smaller cooker. I was in dilemma a bit. After some thought went with smaller cooker.

Then placed daal container in smaller pressure cooker and heat it till 5-6 whistle. Waited for pressure cooker to cool down.

Then took another container on stove. Added ghee. Added rai, haldi, salt, red mirch powder. Added curry leaves, added tomatoes, added daal. Mixed it well. Cooked it for 5-10 minutes in closed container. Opened container, sprinkled some dhaniya. That's it. It took almost 1 hour plus 15 minutes for me to prepare this. It was a different experience of learning.

After food was ready, I have no patience to wait more. Just dive immediately to eat my favourite dish. The taste was much better than I expected. Spices were all in right amount. I finished it all 🙂.

Veg Pulao + Curd

For evening I was planning to make Gatta Pulav, which is another Rajasthani dish. I never tasted but had seen recipe online. Due to time constraint, later I changed plan to make simple vegetable Pulav.

Again, I watched video online and have written down the rough recipe. Took raw potatoes, green chilli. Cut them in one plate. Got one container on stove and started. First added oil, then 5-6 black pepper (kali mirch), jira and elaichi powder. Then added two green chilli. After eating realised I should have added one. Then added raw small cut potatoes.

Added haldi, salt, red chilli powder. Added water. Mixed it well. Added 2 cup of uncooked rice. Closed container for 5 mins to cook. Added dhaniya. Again closed container to cook for 5-10 mins more. After that stopped stove. Kept container closed. Opened only when eating.

Now after some time, it was ready to eat. Opened container and took first bite. It was bit spicy for me. I realised that those two green chillis, which were looking innocent, were very powerful 🙂. Good thing I had curd to balance spiciness. If I keep spiciness aside, it was good taste.

Day-2

Today had to prepare breakfast also. Some Bhakhri mom prepared yesterday. Thought to finish it. So just prepared Tea. With that my regular breakfast Bhakhri + Tea + Chivda was ready.

Today had some personal work to finish. So had thought to make something which would be quick. So thought was to make some Khichdi. Some Bhakhri was there to finish. So along with Khichadi, made fried Bhakhri.

Khichadi

First started with Khichadi. I watched one easy video from YouTube and note down recipe.

Took pressure cooker, added water, added stand. Took 2/3 rice and 1/3 daal in smaller container (Tapeli). Washed it twice. Then kept it in water for 5-10 mins. Then placed this smaller container (Tapeli) in cooker. Added 4-5 cup water (after cook, realised this was too much). Added salt, haldi, hing, ghee. Also added 2 potatoes on top to use it later.

Placed pressure cooker on stove and started. There was no whistle in 1 mins. I thought may be water inside cooker is less. So stopped stove immediately. Opened cooker and added extra water beneath. Then again started. Got whistle in sometime. I did 6 whistle as per video. With that Khichdi was ready.

Now fried Bhakhari to prepare. Took oil in one container, added rai, some cut green capsicum. Waited for capsicum to cook. Then added haldi, salt, red chilli powder and some sugar. Added smaller cut Bhakhari pieces. Mix it well and heat for sometime. That's it.

After sometime, now opened pressure cooker. Khichadi was swimming in water 🙂. I had added lot of water. My water calculation was totally wrong. After that I thought, may be I can try to cook with oil. So some water will evaporate and it will be all good. It was crazy scientific approach to remove extra water.

So then, I took oil in one more container. Added hing, rai and then added all khichadi. Added some salt and red chilly powder to get taste. Then closed this container for 5 mins. And then closed stove. Opened container, water is still there. Some water reduced, but rice and daal were melted. It was no more like khichadi. Some new invention 🙂.

After a while, I served both in one plate. I took first bite of fried Bhakhari, taste was very nice. Then eat Khichadi, taste was good. But Khichadi was spread all over in my plate. After a while I realised, taste of Khichadi is like daal khichadi. Ohh god what am I all cooking. 😇

Anyway had good learning with that water thing. May be next time, I will not make same mistake.

Poori Bhaji

In evening, I thought to make Poori-Bhaji. I watched video over YouTube and note down rough recipe on paper.

Started with Poori dough first. Took wheat floor, added some suji, salt. Added water and prepared dough.

Then started with Bhaji. Took ghee in one container. Added hing, jira. Added 1 small green chilli (learning from previous day), ginger. Added haldi, salt, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder. Added one cut tomato. Cooked for 2 min. Added one boiled cut potato (had from previous day). Cooked for 3 mins. Then added water. Cooked for sometime, added dhaniya. Cooked for 5 more mins. It's ready.

Now for Poori, dough was very hard. And regular belan was misplaced. With another smaller belan, some how I rolled it and prepared uneven shaped Poori. I was trying to keep it round, but they were not listening to me. I kept shape aside and started to fry Poori. Before putting first Poori, I put small piece to check if oil is heat enough.

Then placed first Poori from top, some oil flied out of container 🙂. It was so funny. It was like someone jumped into swimming pool from top and water comes out. I realised Poori has to be placed from one side, else oil will come out like this. With that learning, placed second Poori from one side, which worked fine. Then did all remaining the same way. There was no oil fly later. It took almost 1 hour time for me to prepare it all.

Immediately afterwards, I served plate. The taste of both Poori and Bhaji was amazing. I finished it all. I realised I am feeling much more hungry than usual and eating more.

Day-3

Yesterday's Poori dough was there. So thought to make Poori in breakfast also. Added more floor and made dough softer than yesterday.

Today I found mis-placed Belan also. Stated rolling Belan and preparing Poori. Today I created smaller size Poori. So in one go, I can fry two of them. Due to more dough, I end up creating more Poori than needed. So in lunch also had to eat them as well. 🙂

After Poori, prepared Tea. That made my breakfast.

Poori + Sabji + Daal Tadka + Mango

Poori made in breakfast was enough for lunch as well. So now just have to prepare Mango slices, Daal and Sabji.

First started with Mango. Took one of the Mango, removed all peels. I felt it was bit tricky to remove peels. Somehow I managed to do it. After that, I cut them in smaller slices. Added some water and little sugar. Mixed it and placed it in fridge.

For Sabji, took half raw flower and half bhindi. It is unusual combination and kind of experiment. Preparation was simple. First took oil in container. Placed container on stove and started. Then added rai, hing. Then added cut vegetables. Cooked it for sometime. Then added haldi, red chilli powder and salt. Closed container for sometime and cooked for next 2 mins. That's it.

For daal, First took Toor daal, washed it. Kept daal in water for 10 mins. Took pressure cooker. In cooker, added daal, added double amount water. Added cut tomato, green chillies, haldi, salt. Placed cooker on stove and started on medium flame. Waited for 3 whistle and then stopped stove.

Next took smaller container for tadka. Added oil, hing, jira, rai, red chilli powder. Once oil was heat enough, stopped stove. Took this small container and put Tadka in cooker. Mix it well and daal was ready.

Now I am already hungry, could not wait for more time. Taste of everything daal, sabji, poori and mango slices was really nice. I could not believe myself that I cooked it.

Biryani

Planned to prepare biryani tonight. Already watched video twice and noted down. It is a long process and lot of items needed. After going through long recipe, I was afraid if I will be able to make it. Somehow helped myself with some positive thoughts and went ahead. Some of the items like Biryani masala and Paneer were not available, so had to get them. In evening itself, I bought them.

Then had to go out for some personal work. Returned by 8:30 pm. After returning quickly started with recipe.

Took basmati rice in one container and washed it 3 times. Took some Paneer, sliced it in one plate. Cut all vegetables in another plate. Collected all required spices like jira, black pepper, cloves, elaichi in another plate.

Took pressure cooker on stove. Added some oil. Added Paneer, cooked for 1 mins and took Paneer out.

In same container, added all collected spices. Added cut green chilli and ginger. Added all cut vegetables. Cook for 2 mins. Added Paneer. Cooked for 2 more mins and stopped stove.

Then waited a bit for container to cool down. Then added curd. Added haldi, red mirch powder, salt, garam masala, biryani masala. Started stove again. Cooked for 2 mins.

Put stove on low flame, added some water and cut dhaniya. Cook for 1 min. Then added ghee. Again sprinkle garam masala, biryani masala and salt. They call it double layer. I don't why it is done like this.

Finally added rice. Added some water. Closed cooker. Made 1st whistle and the cook for 2-3 mins on low flame. Uffff, biryani is ready.

After cooking, I was thinking who would have invented such complex dish. Probably I would like to met him once and ask him to make it simple 🙂

Hungry already, just waited for few mins for pressure cooker to cool down. Then served Biryani in plate. It smelled very nice. I am so excited to taste. Taste was also good. It was not much spicy. It tastes like Biryani and not normal rice. Probably due to lot of biryani masala added 🙂. I am happy I am able to make it in first attempt.

Day-4

Today it's Tuesday. Office has already started from yesterday. It's optional to go. But I have planned to go to office today. So today had to prepare tiffin. Today it will be my test on managing time.

In Breakfast, had Tea with some biscuits and some dry snacks which Mom prepared last day.

Tiffin

After breakfast, started lunch preparation by 9:15 am.

First thought to heat the milk. And then was cutting vegetables. While cutting vegetables and preparing other things, missed that, milk was kept on stove. It overflowed a bit. Realised multi-tasking comes with a cost 🙂

Then decided to finish one thing at a time. So this doesn't happens again. Or do things near to stove, when milk is placed to heat. Good learning for the day.

After that, started with Sabji. Planned to prepare Bhindi sabji. Recipe was in my mind. I had already prepared multiple times in past as Mom's assistant.

Placed container with oil on stove and started. Then added rai, hing. Added cut bhindi. Cooked for some time. Then added haldi, salt, red mirch powder and dhaniya powder. Mixed it well. Cooked 2-3 mins with closed container. Opened container, added 2 tsp water. Mixed it well. Then again cooked for 2-3 mins with container closed. That's it. Bhindi was ready.

Took dough prepared for chapati. Rolled it with Belan and created chapatis. Started stove, placed Tavi. One by one prepared chapatis (in traditional way) by heating first on Tavi and then on flame directly. That's all.

Took Tiffin, filled with sabji, chapatis and my Today's tiffin is ready.

Bateta Poha

In evening, had lot of meetings. I didn't had lot of choices to make. So chosen Poha, because I had prepared in past so no need to check videos and write recipe. Also it takes less time to make it.

Took poha in one container. Washed it with water 2-3 times. In one plate, cut all vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, green chilli.

Started stove. Placed one container with oil on top. Added rai, jiru. Added cut vegetables. Added haldi, red mirch powder, salt. Cooked for some time. Added Poha. cook 1 min. Mix it well. Sprinkle dhaniya. That's it. This made my dinner.

I had dinner after sometime. Taste was nice. But I felt vegetables were more than poha 🙂. It didn't looked so good. Quantity of poha and vegetables needs to aligned. A lesson for next time.

Day-5

Today, running late for Tennis, so skipped Breakfast. I had cold coffee to cover up.

Tiffin

Today also planning to go for office. Around 9am, had started with tiffin preparation.

First started with Bhakhari dough. Once dough was ready, started with sabji. I had 3 vegetables available. Idea was to finish some pending ones. So tried to experiment mix vegetables. Vegetables I took were bhindi, flower and tinda. It's very uncommon to see these ones in one sabji. But had decided to experiment it anyway. If it goes wrong I am prepared to eat whatever it taste like 🙂. Then cooked for sometime, added salt, haldi and red chilli powder. Cooked for some more time in closed container and it was ready.

Started with Bhakhari. Dough was bit harder. Did some hacks to make it softer. Then rolled Belan and make some Bhakhari. After all were rolled, started stove and cooked on Tavi. Due to my slower rolling speed could not do both in parallel. So had to do in 2 steps. In first step, rolled all Bhakhari and in second step cooked it.

In between also prepared Mango slices as yesterday.

Masala Dosa

Now in evening has planned to prepare Dosa. After returning from office got ID batter. Home prepared batter can be tried next time. For today using readymade ID's batter.

Went through some video on dosa and masala preparation and have written down rough notes.

First started with masala. Now first problem is I don't have boiled potatoes. So took pressure cooker and did 3 whistle to just make boiled potatoes.

Then followed my rough guide to prepare masala. Took oil in one container. Placed on stove and started. Added rai, green chilli. Then added udad daal, chana daal, curry leaves and crushed peanut. Cooked for sometime. Added mashed potatoes with left hand. Potatoes were not much hot. But when I mashed with palm. I burnt my palm badly. Somehow I managed to put those 2 potatoes. It literally bring tears in my eyes. One more learning by mistake. Next time needs to take care while mash with hand. Anyway coming back to cooking. Next added salt, haldi and red chilli powder, black pepper, some water. Two minutes cooked with closed container. That's it.

After that started with Dosa. Took non-stick Dosa pan. Put some oil. Placed batter. Heated for some time and then tried to swap. It was sticked at some place like a gum. Somehow managed to unstick, but then it was all broken into small pieces. While writing it seems funny. That time I was tense, on how to manage it. Then tried second, with bit more oil. Then third, fourth. Learned that if oil is proper quantity, it will not stuck. Thank God, after 30-40 mins, able to make many for the day. Last few one were came out very nicely.

With that today's dosa fighting is finished. It was like war between me, Dosa and Pan 🙂

I am feeling so much hungry now, can eat all kind of dosas now, burnt or half burnt, in full or in pieces. Good thing was both Masala and Dosa was cooked much better. It was delicious. Had good dinner today.

Day-6

Today had no time for breakfast. Running late for Tennis. So had my quick cold coffee. It is amazing thing I found. Just take cold milk add some liquid coffee. Mix it and it's ready in 10 secs. So much time saving.

Dosa + Tinda

No office today so have enough time for cooking. In afternoon noon, had planned to prepare Tinda sabji and Dosa. Who eats Dosa with Tinda sabji? But stock management make you take such decision sometime 🙂. With all this uncommon dishes, I learned there is no good dish or bad dish. As long as foods are compatible it is ok to eat anything.

First started with Mango juice. Removed Mango peel and cut into smaller pieces. Now today thought to use hand blender. I was scared of this smaller device. But today wanted to try it. It took a while for me to find this blender. After sometime, found it. It was hiding in one of the drawer. I took it carefully, plugged it into the electric socket. Tried to switch on and it worked. Then placed it inside the container in which I had my mango pieces. Some juice came out but it worked well. More than my expectations. I was unnecessary was being scared of it. I was scared that all juice will come out. But it was just my fear. This was good experience.

After that started with Tinda sabji. Recipe was all in my head. Started stove, placed container on stove, added oil, rai and hing. Then added cut Tinda. Then cooked for sometime. Then added salt, haldi and red chilli powder. Added some water. Mixed it. Cooked for some more time with container closed. That's it.

Next was Dosa. From yesterday's learning today need to use more oil. Took non-stick tava, added more oil. Then put batter. Heat for sometime, swapped to other side. First Dosa sticked a bit. But then second, third, fourth were much easier. In sometime all were ready. Much quicker than yesterday.

Masala Oats

Today had lot of office work and many meetings. Still some more meeting is there. So I took meeting from mobile phone. Kept mobile in one pocket and ear phones plugged in. With that, hands are free for cooking.

Recipe I already had note down from video in lunch break. So just have to follow it. Took one cup masala oats from packet.

Placed container on stove and started. Added oil, jira in container. Next added green chilli, green peas and tomatoes. Then added salt, haldi and red chilli powder and cooked for sometime. Next added oats and some water. Mix it well. Cook with closed container.

It's Friday evening and summer. Generally I don't eat ice-creams. But today felt to eat some good malai kulfi. There is one good ice-cream store opened nearby. Went there and had one malai kulfi. It was amazing.

Day-7

Today also running late, so had breakfast outside.

Today it is Saturday, so no office. Did not realised I have finished one week.

Idli + Dosa + Sambhar

In afternoon planned to finish pending batter, so will be cooking idly, dosa and sambhar.

First started with Sambhar. Took pressure cooker. Added daal and double amount of water in cooker. Added haldi, salt. Cooked for 4 whistle.

Then took one container added oil, jira, hing and methi. Once oil was ready, added all cut vegetables. I had potatoes, tomatoes, green peas and Tinda (?). Yeah I added Tinda also 🙂. It was crazy idea to add so much vegetables. But then went ahead. Cooked vegetables for sometime. Then added salt, haldi and red chilli powder. After some time added daal which we prepared in pressure cooker. Mixed it well. Added some water. Cooked for sometime in closed container. There were more vegetables than daal. It was from no angle felt like daal. Lot of vegetables, half it felt like sabji and half like daal. I named this new thing "daal sabji" 🙂

Next was to prepare, Idly. I went through video and felt making Idly with Appe pan will be easy. Since I used Appe pan for Baati first day and it worked.

So took Appe pan. Added oil in each space properly. I remember from last experience that otherwise it will stick. Then placed batter in Appe pan. Started to cook. After sometime when trying to swap. It was all glued tightly. I am unable to swap it. Finally stopped stove and tried again. But idly was fixed there. Uff what to do now? Kept that Appe pan aside and then cooked dosa instead now. Followed same steps as yesterday. Dasa came out well. With that finished all batter and lunch was ready. After while when Appe pan was cold, I removed whatever idly came out. May be today is not good day for cooking Idly. Will learn making Idly, some other day 🙂.

After all this Idly fighting, feeling hungry now. Served dish and had lunch. My daal sabji was not so bad taste. It felt like eating daal and sabji at same time. Dosa was very well cooked. Idlis were half burnt, but had to eat that as well.

Don't be amazed by picture, burnt side of Idly is on opposite side.

Pizza

I finally completed one week cooking. So it's celebration time. Don't be surprised by title. I am not going to prepare Pizza today. It's cheat day 😛. It is Pizza Party. So had ordered Pizza from Dominos and had Pizza. After Pizza also had Natural's ice-cream. In celebration missed dance. May be will try it next time 🙂.

Conclusion

It was lot of learning from one week of solo cooking. Learned about some basic cooking. Learned about managing stock in kitchen. Some learning by mistakes or bad experience.

Days when I went to office, they were very busy mornings. Those time taught me about managing time.

It was fun thinking out of box and preparing and mixing un-common vegetables. Good thing was, if experiment goes wrong only I need to eat. So others will not suffer because of my experiments.

Finally concluding, all my cooking in one line:

"Cook good, Eat good and Serve good"

This line is like life lesson to me in someway:

• Cook good - means one should include good things in one's life.
• Eat good - means do all good things.
• Serve good - means be good to other (or serve goodness)