Advice for the reluctant cook

Author and spiritual practitioner Rohini Singh, wants you to think of cooking as a hobby, and not a chore, in the latest edition of a book that she says has helped rescue meal times and possibly even rocky marriages

Anyone who has ever proudly proclaimed that they 'can't even fry an egg', need just turn to page 41 of the latest edition of Rohini Singh's The Foolproof Cookbook For Brides, Bachelors and Those Who Hate Cooking.
Life took an unexpected turn for Rohini after the birth of her daughter. "I realised I had no desire to return to the corporate world, which was a somewhat surprising decision for me to take," says the 53-year-old over the phone from Delhi.

The book is divided into 12 sections. Categories include Everyday Basics, Breakfast Basics and Holiday Cooking. The revised edition has a section on Office Lunches and Teatime Treats, and also includes a few international recipes. "My intention for the book is to say to people that cooking is simple, don't be frightened by it," says the author whose past books include Summer Cookery and The Only Way Out is Within.

Good intentions
An intention that is especially evident in Rohini's notes preceding every recipe that coax-cajole and encourage every aspiring cook. So, if you've ever wanted to know how to boil rice, knead chapatti dough or fry the aforementioned egg, it's all here.

"The book has all those questions you've probably felt too foolish to ask," says Rohini, who approaches the subject with a great deal of empathy. Not surprising since she once included herself in the fumbling 'Bride' category of her book's title.

Foolproof cookbook?
"When I got married, I was a complete non-starter in the kitchen. I was terrified by instructions like, 'Andaze se banao' (Cook by instinct). I couldn't translate the andaaza. I learnt the hard way. I learnt by making mistakes," she shares.

Rohini shares that she has measured the atta and even the salt in her recipes, which guarantee that this is indeed a 'foolproof' book. But while she encourages novices in the kitchen to start by strictly adhering to recipes, she says that ultimately a good cook is a confident one, and a confident cook must break all rules and eat what they feel like eating. "My maid often remarks about how I never make the anything the same way," she says, adding, "The book is there to provide a structure, a launch pad before taking off on your own culinary adventure."

Future plans include doing a book on mindful cooking. "It will be a very simple book, reflective of the fact that we are part of a global village and that eating healthy keeps you well."

Own your own kitchen
Rohini is keen that more people own their kitchens, because it can prove gratifying. "Food becomes you; food makes you who you are. Cooking is a gratifying hobby; somebody who enjoys cooking will feel very fulfilled. It is an endless journey."

Lunch Dabba Special
Very Special Besan Roll
Ingredients
One cup besan (gram flour), pinch of baking soda, 1 large onion, finely chopped, green
chilli to taste, finely chopped,
1 teaspoon zeera (cumin),
salt to taste, your favourite chutney or pickle.
Other requirements
A chopping board, knife, tava,
a fork, a katori, a spatula.
Method
1. Sift the gram flour. Add the baking soda. Mix with water to make a smooth batter that is easily spreadable.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the chutney.
3. Heat a non-stick tava. Cut an onion in half. Spear one half with a fork. Drop two teaspoons of oil onto the pan. Smear it around the pan using a cut onion. The onion juice will prevent things from sticking, even if the tava
is not non-stick.
4. Pour a few tablespoons of the batter onto the pan. Quickly spread it with the back of an oiled steel katori into a circle.
5. Make it as thin as you can.
6. Pour a little oil all around. Gently press it down to cook. After a few minutes, lift up the edges and pour some oil under.
7. Flip over and repeat the process on the other side.
8. Take off the fire and spread with the chutney or pickle. Roll up. Secure with a toothpick if
you wish and pack.
Serves 2 to 3

Marinated Vegetables
Ingredients
For the dressing:
One tablespoon olive oil, 1 stick cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 2 onions, 5 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/3 cup water, 1 tablespoon brown (or white) sugar, salt and black
pepper to taste; 1 teaspoon herb of your choice.
Vegetables needed: One small cauliflower cut in florets, 1 cup of peas, 100 gmsu00a0 sliced mushrooms, 1 red
capsicum (optional), 1 green capsicum, 100 gms French beans that are sliced diagonally, 2 carrots that are cut in diagonal slices, 1 small broccoli that is cut in florets, 2 potatoes; 2 tablespoons chopped basil.
Other requirements
A chopping board, knife, a steamer, a large air-tight box
to marinate in.
Method
1. Heat the oil and drop in the whole spices. After 30 seconds, add the onions. Saut ufffd till they're golden brown.
2. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Add the rest of the ingredients for the dressing. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Check the seasonings, adding salt or sugar as needed.
3. Steam the vegetables, make sure they are crunchy, not
overdone. Boil the potatoes.
4. Peel and cube them.
5. Pour the hot dressing over and leave to marinate for a few hours.
6. Sprinkle the basil over the vegetables before you pack them in your lunch box. Take a bun or a few slices of interesting bread along.
Variations
This recipe is open to many
variations. You may add tofu, chunks of cottage cheese, boiled chickpeas, baby corn, corn
kernels, prawns, apples, pears, peaches and lightly roasted nuts.
Serves 4

Grilled Cheese Sticks
Ingredients
One cup grated cheese, 2 tablespoons cream, 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup, 1 small onion, finely chopped; green chillies to taste, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander (optional).
Method
1. Cut the crusts off the bread.
Toast lightly.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Spread the paste over each slice of bread and cut each into three fingers.
4. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for 10 minutes or till the cheese has melted and browned.

Serves 4 (or 2 very hungry people!)

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