No LPG? No problem: Cook delicious meals without a gas stove

I have always collected useful gadgets for the kitchen, from different kinds of knives, to pressure cookers. Now you get ones that are compatible with the induction stove. I bought the Insta pot as soon as it came into the market, as it has an arrangement for sautéing, pressure cooking and slow cooking as in soups.

In the early years of my marriage I had an oven, part of a full cooking range and a Kenwood chef to make those chores of mixing easier. The microwave oven despite the myths surrounding it has been an invaluable gadget. I love the way the vegetables retain their colour when they are microwaved. Most of us use the microwave only for heating these days, but today with the gas shortage it is useful for cooking.

Assuming you are a reasonably good cook you can have lots of fun planning meals without using gas.

With the variety of vegetables available in the market, all you need to do for soups is to saute them with a little oil on an induction stove, then cook them in an instant pot and liquidise. An OTG or a bigger oven is invaluable for cooking. Apart from baked dishes, even stews can be made in a closed casserole dish which makes it very tasty as it takes longer to cook.

The sandwich toaster is a handy gadget for having a snack meal with bread.

I have a rice cooker to make my dum biriyani, and an air fryer to fry brinjal slices or raw plantain besides others using minimum of oil. I have also a slow cooker again for making soups or stock. I have even tried a chicken curry in it. You switch it on in the morning before you leave for work and come back to find it ready and piping hot. The possibilities are endless!

Here are the recipes which require minimum of cooking:

Sprouts Salad (no cooking)

Ingredients:

Mixed sprouts (available in stores) 1 cup

Carrot one large, grated

Cucumber, chopped into small cubes, 3/4 cup

Celery 1 big stalk minced

Tomato, 1 medium sice, chopped into tiny cubes

Lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Pepper powder 1/2 teaspoons

Preparation

• Lightly steam the sprouts for 2 minutes in a steel steamer using the induction stove. You can use a steel sieve over a steel vessel of water

. • Prepare the vegetables as indicated above

• Prepare the dressing by mixing the lime juice salt and pepper.

• Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl using a wooden ladle.

• Pour the dressing over and lightly mix

Dalia KIchadi (one pot meal using rice cooker or Insta pot)

Ingredients:

Dalia (broken wheat granules) 1/3 cup

Moong Dal 1/3 cup

Water 1 and 1/2 cups

Salt to take

Mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, potatos, cauliflower) 200 grams

Tomato 2 medium size

Pepper corns 4 nos

Green chilli slit 1

Chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Ginger, grated, 1 teaspoon

For Tempering:

Ghee 1 tablespoon

Oil 1 tablespoon

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

Cinnamon, 1 inch peice

Cloves 3 nos

Onion, medium size finely chopped, 1

Preparation

• Wash the dalia and the dal and soak for 45 minutes

• In a multi pot or rice cooker, pour the water, the dalia and dal, add salt.

• Chop the vegetables into small pieces.Add to the pot.

• Chop tomatoes and add to the other, also adding pepper corns, green chilli, chilii powder and ginger.

• Adjust the timer for 5 minutes.

• In a small pan, on low heat, add the ghee and oil and temper with cumin seeds, cinnamon and cloves.

• When it splutters add onion and fry till translucent.

• Add to the khichidi and stir and allow to simmer on the sim mode for a few minutes. If the khichidi is too dry add hot water and simmer for a minute or two. A meal in one it can be served with raita.

Grilled Vegetables (using the oven)

Ingredients

Vegetables (coloured capsicum, zuccini, onion, tomatoes) 250 grams

Egg plant 1 large

Coating:

Chilli flakes, 1/2 teaspoonPepper powder 1/2 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon

salt to taste

Apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon

Olive oil 2 table spoon

Mixed dry herbs like basil and tarragon

Preparation

• Sice the aubergine into 1/4” thick roundels, apply little and set aside

• Prepare the vegetables. Deseed the capsicums and cut into lengthwise

strips. Slice the zucchini into thin strips

• Slice onions thin, and tomato into quarters

• Apply all the mixed seasonings on to the vegetables and reserved some

for the sliced egg plant and apply

• Preheat the grill to 180 degrees, and place the aubergines on a baking tray

turning them over when done. (3-5 mins)

• Remove and set aside

• Apply the rest of the coating paste over the vegetables and place in the

baking tray. Stir and turn over in 5 minutes. Check for softness and remove

and plate,first lining the plate with the egg plant roundels and arrange the

grilled vegetables on top. Decorate with halved olives

SANDWICHES (No cooking, use the sandwich toaster)

Ingredients

Sandwich bread 1/2 loaf

Boiled eggs 1

Butter as required

Grated cheese 3 tablespoon

PRepared mustard 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Pepper 1/2 teaspoon

Preparation

• Mash the egg with a fork, and transfer to a bowl. Mix in butter, grated cheese, mustard, salt and pepper.

• Slice the bread and remove crust if you wish

• Spread the egg paste liberally on 4-5 slices

• Lightly apply butter to 4-5 slices and cover the bread slices with egg

• Press down and cut into triangles.

• Cover with a cloth wrung out in water and keep in a closed box.

• Have these delicious sandwiches with soup and one meal is over!

(You can use different fillings according to your whim. If you butter the slices and add raw veggies iike capsicum roundels, sliced tomatoes etc, top it with a slice of cheese and cook in a greased sandwich toaster, this will also be very filling)

Grilled Mushroom and garlic

Ingredients

Button mushroom 200 grams

Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 head

Oilive oil 1 tablespoon

Pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon

Salt 1/2 teaspoon

Chilli flakes 1 teaspoon

Vinegar or wine vinegar 1 Table spoon

Coriander, minced, 1 cup.

Preparation

• Clean mushrooms thoroughly to remove all the dirt. I usually peel them and wash before chopping them.

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees, and place a baking tray and add the olive oil.

• Add the mushrooms and stir now and then till they let off moisture.

• Add garlic and stir along with the mushrooms till they become brown and soft.

• Add pepper, salt, chilli flakes and vinegar and stir for a couple of minutes.

• Remove tray from oven and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and blend it in.

• Place on a flat serving dish or a shallow bowl

(General tips: Rice can be cooked in a rice cooker or instapot. Dal can be cooked in an instapot or in an open steel vessel on an induction stove with sufficient water. And seasoned as you like.)

Sabita Radhakrishna has authored 10 books 6 of which are cookbooks some of them bagging prestigious awards. A textile expert she writes extensively on food, textiles and craft. Sabita is Chairperson Founder of UDHAVI a voluntary organisation which focuses on elder care.