POST 10: Drastically reduce cooking time

Lentils are a staple of an Indian meal. A great vegan source of protein, which is cheap and easy to prepare. But they take so very long to cook...

That is one reason why the very first utensil even the poorest Indian family will invest in is a pressure cooker.

Red kidney beans, chickpeas etc. cook in a matter of minutes. Goat curries are a breeze. No longer will you have to simmer them in a stock pot or in the oven for hours. Your electricity bill and the planet will love you for it.

If you are going to buy one, then get the best. Follow the safety precautions to the letter and you will never regret this decision. It is after all a long-term investment.

Vegetable Stock

For years now, I have either bought vegetarian stock or tried making it. The latter defeated me as it turned out to be a tedious exercise. Then one day the proverbial penny dropped and I decided to make it a quick, short and healthy preparation.

Now I pop all the vegetables into a pressure cooker, with very little water. Once it is all cooked, I blitz it and freeze the concentrated stock in ice cube trays. The next time I am making soup, I add a handful of stock cubes from the freezer.

The traditionalists would get offended by this type of stock as it is unconventional. But it does have a lot of gut healthy fibre and is packed full of flavour.

Check out the recipe in the Recipes page...