We never had to think of meals and what to eat when we were growing up. Our mothers, fathers, and, if we were lucky, grandparents, did all the heavy lifting aka buying, prepping, chopping, cooking, for us. All we had to do was sit down on the table, pour ourselves a glass of water, and eat what was served. And we still had the audacity to complain about the food.
Fast forward a decade later, we are now the masters of our fate—meaning not only do we have to decide what to eat, we also have to make our own meals. We might not be able to hire a full-time cook or eat out all the time (neither is it healthy nor very budget-friendly), the least we can do is make cooking a pleasurable affair. Here are three simple ways you can shorten your time in the kitchen as well as give yourself the options and the motivation to cook a delectable meal every single time.
Have a counter top tray
Next to your cooking range, keep a tray with essential items like oils, kitchen roll, a holder for spoons and spatulas, and other things you need easy access to while cooking. It doesn’t make sense to stash away things you will be reaching for frequently as it will only make cooking more arduous. Place a knife block and a cutting board next to it as well. Make sure you don’t clutter the countertop with all these things. Display them nicely so that it creates a visual appeal in your kitchen while facilitating the cooking process. Alternatively, you can also invest in some simple open shelves or racks that you can put on your countertop and use them to store and display useful kitchen gadgets. This way you won’t have to hunt around in drawers and shelves when you need that stirrer or peeler.
Curate a spice rack
Nepali cooking entails a hoard of spices. The typical steel spice box sometimes just doesn’t cut it since it only has enough space for the basics like salt, chili, turmeric, coriander, cumin and the like. There is a variety of spices that you need to stock up on if you want to bring out the flavors in your curries. From aromatic spices like cardamom and star anise to flavor spices like dry chili and bay leaves, it helps to have an arsenal of both crushed and whole spices. We suggest you buy identical glass jars, label them, and create a special spice drawer or rack. This way, you won’t have to hunt in different shelves and cupboards when you have your chef’s hat on. Trust us, this makes cooking simpler and faster.
Stock your pantry
Buy your grains and staples in bulk and stock your pantry. Wash what needs to be washed like your whole spices, grind what you have to, and sift through the grains and flours. Do this all in one go so that you don’t have to do them time and again. If you want to, you can set aside a specific day of the week or even choose one day in two weeks, depending on how much ration you need. Store everything in clear jars and containers so you know exactly what you have and what you are running low on. If you have staples on hand, you can easily decide what to make for lunch and dinner and won’t have to run to the store to buy some when you need them. We suggest always having some eggs and beans in your pantry. You can whip up easy yet delicious meals with these basic ingredients when you are feeling lazy or running low on time.
