The Gen Y art of smart cooking

I don’t have time to do this’ is an excuse we often hear or say in our daily life. It is perceived that our life has become very fast and we have very little time to do things. The Gen Y, who wants everything quick, has adopted easy methods for many things in life. But what about cooking? Are our rich and meticulous cooking steps time-consuming for the urban working women and bachelors who live in groups in apartments?

“Cooking hasn’t changed much”, they say. Interestingly, they don’t want it to change much, as they are well-aware of the health benefits of home-cooked food and adverse effects of fast food. Instead of changing the complex cooking steps, they try to wisely divide the available time to simplify the process.

“Sometimes it is very tiring. But then sacrificing nutritious ingredients that contribute to our health just to save on time is not advisable,” says Roopa George. According to Indu from Aluva, who works in Kottayam, cooking is not a Herculean task. “How you split the time for each task is what that matters. If we have a regular plan and determination to follow it, we can cook every dish for our family without any hassle,” she says.

Indu follows a strict plan. “On working days, I wake up at 3 am and prepare the food for a day. I will complete my kitchen works before 6 am as I have to catch the 7.30 train to Kottayam,” she says.

But for Mary Zareh, who works as a software developer, cooking is not an easy task. “It is really time-consuming for me as I am a slow cook. So, I don’t go for complicated dishes. I try to manage days with chappathi and aloo. I feel envious when I see some of my friends preparing lavish meals,” she says.

Chithra Anush who works as an assistant professor, says, “Things may be a little difficult in the beginning. But if you continue doing it and find your own ways to adjust time, you can do your work and kitchen duties simultaneously. You can take a shower while your rice is being cooked. Also, make sure that necessary vegetables and grains are in stock.”

Daisy, who travels from Kottayam to Kayamkulam by train daily, even utilises that time tactfully. “It will take a few hours to reach Kayamkulam. If there are halts in between, I will be reaching home very late and I won’t get time to prepare food for the next day. To avoid that, I usually buy a sambar or aviyal kit from Kottayam and chop vegetables during the journey back home,” she says.

In a family, one can at least ask for help from others. But things are different for bachelors and hence they keep life as well as the menu simple. According to Pratheesh, a bachelor, cooking is confined to dinner. “Our menu will be simple on weekdays. If there is curd, potato, tomato and onion, our meals will be ready. Sometimes, we go for a luxurious dinner with special non-vegetarian items in the menu,” he says.

Roopa, who is also an expert in cooking, helps with a few tips. “If you are a bachelor and cooking step-by-step is strenuous, then cut down a few steps in certain curries to save time. For instance, while preparing sambar, you can reduce the number of vegetables or even go with one vegetable,” she says.