#MondayMusings : Of misses, mixes and quick fixes
Last week I spoke about my experience in shifting from a PG to an apartment. Since the time I have moved to the new place everyday seems to teach me something new. Life is different than what it used to be. Hence there is a lot to learn. Why? Because there are a lot of mistakes to make!
PG life was in a way easy. Why? There are a few reasons. But let me highlight the main one. I didn’t have to cook dinner. After a tiring day at work, all I had to do was serve myself some food that was already prepared and often keep complaining about it. Yes that is how it went on pretty much everyday.
Now coming to the present day situation. I’ve to cook dinner everyday. Thankfully for me, breakfast and lunch are sorted as my office provides breakfast, lunch and snacks. Hence these days after a long, tiring day at work, I can’t just gobble something and go to sleep. There is food to be cooked. And then comes the biggest worry- what do I cook?
With no fridge or mixer to come my aid, the options were limited from the start. But then came the biggest problem – the pressure cooker just stopped working. For someone like me whose skills in the art of chapathi make visualizing the shape of an amoeba a lot easier and can be used to define what a mess is, rice is the saviour! Plus I’m someone whose native cuisine involves rice, rice and more rice. So imagine my plight at the loss of the pressure cooker. First day when the fiasco happened, when the pressure cooker refused to let off the steam and burnt all the rice, the whole house smelt of the burnt rice instead of the delicious aroma of the yummy food that I had cooked. I was disheartened. I went to bed on an empty stomach that day – because I was disappointed.
But I’m not the kind of person who can easily skip meals. In fact, I cannot skip meals. So the next day, I looked at the kitchen supplies. A few eggs, some carrot that I had bought to make some yummy pulao and a tomato stared at me. What did I do? I gave the egg bhurjhi a new avatar with the carrots thrown in. Thankfully it tasted good. And that became my dinner for the new few days.
And then I got bored. Instant noodles was available, but it hurt my ego to cook that. And then I looked around for more things to experiment on and one day I found some pasta in the house! But what would I for the sauce? I didn’t know. Tomatoes had become food for the rich and then I chanced upon some tomato ketchup. And that was how my jugaad pasta happened! And yes it had carrots in it! Everything I cooked had carrots. Things improved. Yet, I couldn’t have pasta everyday and weekends I had to prepare something for breakfast as well. Pasta all day was getting boring. I had to find a way to fix it.
I always believe that where there is a will there is a way. Between all these misses, mixes and quick fixes, I discovered different things. But most importantly I realized how much effort mom used to put to make sure that we had proper food to eat always despite her hectic schedule. I also realized that nothing was impossible for me unless I tried. I always kept worrying about the fact that the food I cook would turn out to be a mess. It was the first few times. But gradually I improved. We shouldn’t give up on something just because we failed once. We only have to be willing to learn. And yes, sometimes you have to think quickly and there is no time to plan elaborately. In case of emergencies, mom always has a solution or sometimes even Google 😛
Lessons seem to be present everywhere. But we have to learn them. And as for a solution for the problem, I have found a solution – bought a brand new pressure! But yes, the question of what to cook remains everyday! Do you have a solution to this problem of mine?
Image Source: Pixabay
Linking this post to #MondayMusings at Everyday Gyaan.
We do learn a lot when we start to live on our own. From experience, I can tell you planning ahead is the best thing to do. I normally plan what to cook for the entire week. Then shop accordingly. So that if something like chana needs soaking, it can be done before hand and is quick to cook. I cut vegetables for two or three vegetables. One dish meals are great like Pasta, noodles, khichdi, masala bhat. Plan ahead and that should sort you.
Your post reminded me of the time when I also didnt know ABC of cooking. Agree..until we are in a particular situation, we never learn. Enjoyed reading it. All the best for your stay at new place.
This is going to be my story for next month. By mom’s leaving me alone and going off. And I HATE cooking. Noodles and bread and eggs would be my main supply of energy. The effort one makes to put something edible on the plate is so appreciable esp by our moms. But we just realize it late when we have to make that for ourselves.
I loved the optimism in your post, Reema. Kudos and a big hug to you for coming back home from a long day at work and cooking! I will look for and share easy and quick recipes with you. Hope they help. Take care, you lovely girl!:)
Kudos to your spirit, lady!
Cooking is hard only if it is considered a chore. Look at it as part of your routine and it is more fun than anything else. I prepare all 3 meals every single day. No matter how hard a day I have at work. It is not an added chore, but it helps calm me someway.
A few more days and you’ll get the hang of it. Else, you can always visit me for dinner 🙂
You reminded me of my single life ..it was so much fun then..I used to cook such experimental dishes..now I miss the fun..
Teaching yourself to cook from scratch is something you will appreciate the rest of your life. Make big batches and freeze them. You will always have a home cooked meal on those busy days
Living on our own has a huge mix of issues which do get sorted out over a period of time. I would say make a meal planner and shop according to that. For quick easy recipes, just surf the net and you will get plenty of good healthy and damn tasty options. Thats how I got it working for me. And yes the jugaad tuff happpens in my kitchen too when I get lazy over buying groceries 😉
You will learn, adapt, improve and improvise. A quick tip – whatever you cook, take a picture, and create a gallery. It comes handy when you can’t decide what to cook. And learn easy versions of the recipes. Like instant pulao, as rice is your stable.
Staple*
That was me when I started living in pg but without food. Disaster after disaster until I finally got something right. As they say necessity is the mother of invention, you will be inventing some amazing dishes with those carrots and ketchup and yes, don’t skip a meal … Take care.
We all have gone through this phase. I have had Maggi every single night for a week. Only when the tastebuds and tummy revolted I started cooking pulao, pasta, porridge, sandwiches and later graduated to full fledged meals.
They say to cook all you need is love, effort, patience, and experimentation. So keep doing just that! Happy cooking 🙂
Ah well as the Recyling Queen who has revelled in making yesterday’s leftovers into today’s party fare, let me assure you that cooking is a mug’s game ( the everyday variety). I didn’t know how to boil a cup of tea when I got married but today I can make almost anything under the sun……………….Go for it girl. Smart women can do anything.
BTW I didn’t know that PGs got cooked food! That’s quite a luxury
Hey Reema
Good way to expound your journey …I can say u have very optimistic approach to learn things ..you encountered complete fiasco in cooking but u didn’t give up that’s a imp thing ….gradually u learned cooking …in this way you turned your failure in to success.
Nothing is impossible unless we try ….awesome one
Best of luck for ur journey and keep spreading the positivity