Recipes / Discussions on cooking from Team-BHP Master Chefs

Rotorhead · 29th September 2009, 16:41

Well my experience with cooking started with curd rice and ended there abruptly . As a bachelor i was put up with my elder brother and Normally my elder brother was the one who did all the shopping and cooking and I only for eating and certifying his cullinary skills. So once for a change i wanted to prepare curd rice, not the normal one but with the seasoned one with mustard seed and fried chilly and stuff. There was one problem however that i didnt understand the concept of seasoning and with my intelligent guess, i put curd in the rice , added the mustard seeds and red chilly and cooked the whole stuff in oil, and by god the stink was abolutely revolting. Once i had kept rice in the cooker without pouring water and then waited for 30 mins for the whistle and when i didnt get one and a strange smell arising from the kitchen, then i had to call my mom at coimbatore to analyse the situation and she asked me to open the cooker and check, and there was the rice totally burnt like charcoal. That was my last foray into cooking and my wifey has been updated about my cooking adventures and she doesnt want me anywhere near the kitchen. I have improved a bit now after carefull monitoring by my wifey and can manage to cook noodles, some potato sabji and once i had tried some chicken with all the possible sauces(soya/chilli/vinegar/tomato) that were available in hand and it turned out pretty much ok. I can also make coffee and tea now. I can also make some yummy soup with knor/maggi if that counts..

WDM007 · 29th September 2009, 17:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

I can also make some yummy soup with knor/maggi if that counts..

Beware of Knorr soups !

They contain MSG [mono sodium glutomate], which is harmful for health, especially brain.

Maggi soups dont have that stuff. I think thats why it is written "Healthy Soups" on maggi packets.

Gandhi · 29th September 2009, 18:53

Hmmm, interesting thread.

Do I cook? Well, not everything. Friends and wifey say I make some real good tea.

Was not in mood to go office today, so had to cook something at home. Tried my hands and egg bhurji and it was eatable

.

zaks · 30th September 2009, 14:14

I wasn't used to cooking before (who is with an old world mom around

) but I had the interest and would watch my mother cook whenever I was at home so got to know a lot of the stuff. But knowledge is useless unless implemented and I got a chance to do just that when I spent about 2 years in US. And to my surprise I was a fairly good cook and my friends really liked the dishes I prepared.
I can cook most of the regular South Indian dishes including Chappathis Dosaas, Idlis and rice, rasam, sambhar are no big deal at all and now believe cooking is a valuable skill to possess for a man. It makes one self reliant and not too dependable.

Anyways after coming back I reverted to my old ways and watch my mother cook but help her out occasionaly.

Nitin · 2nd October 2009, 03:03

Cooking has become the best way (and has been for a long time, infact) the best way to relax. Now that my wife's 8 months pregnant, she hardly has the stamina to stand cook.We used to cook together every day after gtting back from work, but these days its the dishes & the cooking that are on my list of to-do's (apart from the never ending list of other things like taking the dogs for a walk, some cleaning/laundry).
For the weekend, it'll be some chicken tikka & tandoori naan, and after a long long time I'll be trying out some 'satay'. before everything else, need to stock up on some booze!

anupmathur · 2nd October 2009, 09:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by WDM007

Beware of Knorr soups !

They contain MSG [mono sodium glutomate], which is harmful for health, especially brain.

Now that is what I call spreading mis-information!
Would you be kind enough to post the link to a study that has given this conclusion?!

tsk1979 · 2nd October 2009, 09:46

Here you go Anup.
Monosodium glutamate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Its "possibly" not good for some individuals. To be on the safe side, docs tell pregnant women not to have it.

pjay_in · 2nd October 2009, 11:56

MSG is nothing but ajinomoto, which is very commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Yes it may have some long term side effects if used extensively, but I think it's safe if used in moderation. Or else we wouldn't be able to eat the usual Chinese fare from our restaurants. It's just not the same stuff without ajinomoto.

jassi · 2nd October 2009, 12:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjay_in

It's just not the same stuff without ajinomoto.

well i find maggi soups (no msg) as good as knorr soups. Also I take like 3-4 servings (500ml) of soup

not sure if that is too much msg!

foby.sebastian · 2nd October 2009, 12:11

I was the official tea maker in our home when I was studying in bangalore.

uuummmm , yep I cook rice too with some simple side dishes

anupmathur · 2nd October 2009, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Here you go Anup.
Monosodium glutamate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Its "possibly" not good for some individuals. To be on the safe side, docs tell pregnant women not to have it.

There are many articles and all say the same thing - it is safe in normal quantities as used in food.
It has always been marked as unsafe for infants (usually mentioned as 12 months).
BBC did a complete documentary and also concluded it is safe for use in foods.
As for not being good for 'some' people, there are people who have intolerance for milk, chocolates, eggs and so many other items.

WDM007 · 5th October 2009, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by anupmathur

BBC did a complete documentary and also concluded it is safe for use in foods.

Anup,

Its your life. You have full rights to spoil it. Some spoil eating [slow] poison, some spoil by [fast] driving, some by smoking/drinking/druging etc.

neel385 · 5th October 2009, 23:36

Yes I do,and I totally agree with Nitin. It's a great way to relax. Any foodie worth his salt will be I guess. If you really liked something at some place and cant go there to eat it at a particular time, the only alternative is to cook it!

Abhay · 6th October 2009, 13:07

Got ourselves a new Morphy-Richards OTG (oven)...Time for some grilling/baking then

wanderernomad · 15th October 2009, 15:32

Can we open a new thread to share recepies or we start posting them here itself. I can cook most of the things but non veg fare being my forte. I am good with camping meals and like experimenting in kitchen most of the times. Recently when my wife was expecting I reinvented the fine art of subtle difference the ingredients can make the way they are used in a particular dish. I still need help from People who are good at making salads or sauted vegeies.

29th September 2009, 16:41	#226
Rotorhead BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 939 Thanked: 29 Times	Well my experience with cooking started with curd rice and ended there abruptly . As a bachelor i was put up with my elder brother and Normally my elder brother was the one who did all the shopping and cooking and I only for eating and certifying his cullinary skills. So once for a change i wanted to prepare curd rice, not the normal one but with the seasoned one with mustard seed and fried chilly and stuff. There was one problem however that i didnt understand the concept of seasoning and with my intelligent guess, i put curd in the rice , added the mustard seeds and red chilly and cooked the whole stuff in oil, and by god the stink was abolutely revolting. Once i had kept rice in the cooker without pouring water and then waited for 30 mins for the whistle and when i didnt get one and a strange smell arising from the kitchen, then i had to call my mom at coimbatore to analyse the situation and she asked me to open the cooker and check, and there was the rice totally burnt like charcoal. That was my last foray into cooking and my wifey has been updated about my cooking adventures and she doesnt want me anywhere near the kitchen. I have improved a bit now after carefull monitoring by my wifey and can manage to cook noodles, some potato sabji and once i had tried some chicken with all the possible sauces(soya/chilli/vinegar/tomato) that were available in hand and it turned out pretty much ok. I can also make coffee and tea now. I can also make some yummy soup with knor/maggi if that counts.. Last edited by Rotorhead : 29th September 2009 at 16:42.
	() Thanks

29th September 2009, 18:53	#228
Gandhi BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 958 Thanked: 206 Times View My Garage	Hmmm, interesting thread. Do I cook? Well, not everything. Friends and wifey say I make some real good tea. Was not in mood to go office today, so had to cook something at home. Tried my hands and egg bhurji and it was eatable .
	() Thanks

30th September 2009, 14:14	#229
zaks BANNED Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 952 Thanked: 181 Times View My Garage	I wasn't used to cooking before (who is with an old world mom around ) but I had the interest and would watch my mother cook whenever I was at home so got to know a lot of the stuff. But knowledge is useless unless implemented and I got a chance to do just that when I spent about 2 years in US. And to my surprise I was a fairly good cook and my friends really liked the dishes I prepared. I can cook most of the regular South Indian dishes including Chappathis Dosaas, Idlis and rice, rasam, sambhar are no big deal at all and now believe cooking is a valuable skill to possess for a man. It makes one self reliant and not too dependable. Anyways after coming back I reverted to my old ways and watch my mother cook but help her out occasionaly.
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 03:03	#230
Nitin Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,294 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	Cooking has become the best way (and has been for a long time, infact) the best way to relax. Now that my wife's 8 months pregnant, she hardly has the stamina to stand cook.We used to cook together every day after gtting back from work, but these days its the dishes & the cooking that are on my list of to-do's (apart from the never ending list of other things like taking the dogs for a walk, some cleaning/laundry). For the weekend, it'll be some chicken tikka & tandoori naan, and after a long long time I'll be trying out some 'satay'. before everything else, need to stock up on some booze!
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 09:46	#232
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Here you go Anup. Monosodium glutamate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Its "possibly" not good for some individuals. To be on the safe side, docs tell pregnant women not to have it.
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 11:56	#233
pjay_in BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 396 Thanked: 20 Times	MSG is nothing but ajinomoto, which is very commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Yes it may have some long term side effects if used extensively, but I think it's safe if used in moderation. Or else we wouldn't be able to eat the usual Chinese fare from our restaurants. It's just not the same stuff without ajinomoto.
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 12:11	#235
foby.sebastian Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Thrissur/Kochi Posts: 2,693 Thanked: 2,836 Times View My Garage	I was the official tea maker in our home when I was studying in bangalore. uuummmm , yep I cook rice too with some simple side dishes
	() Thanks

5th October 2009, 23:36	#238
neel385 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Kharagpur Posts: 530 Thanked: 429 Times View My Garage	Yes I do,and I totally agree with Nitin. It's a great way to relax. Any foodie worth his salt will be I guess. If you really liked something at some place and cant go there to eat it at a particular time, the only alternative is to cook it!
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 13:07	#239
Abhay BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 727 Thanked: 11 Times	Got ourselves a new Morphy-Richards OTG (oven)...Time for some grilling/baking then
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 15:32	#240
wanderernomad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 2,534 Thanked: 1,276 Times View My Garage	Can we open a new thread to share recepies or we start posting them here itself. I can cook most of the things but non veg fare being my forte. I am good with camping meals and like experimenting in kitchen most of the times. Recently when my wife was expecting I reinvented the fine art of subtle difference the ingredients can make the way they are used in a particular dish. I still need help from People who are good at making salads or sauted vegeies.
	() Thanks