Can Indian kheer be stored and reheated without it splitting? Learn the best way to handle this delicate milk-based dessert for meal prep.
1 Answer
To reduce LPG use, soak pulses and legumes before cooking, chop vegetables into smaller pieces for faster cooking, and use a pressure cooker whenever possible. These steps minimize cooking time and thus, gas consumption.
Detailed Explanation:
Reducing LPG consumption while cooking involves optimizing your cooking process to minimize the time your stove is on. Here's a breakdown of effective prep steps:
Soaking Pulses and Legumes: Soaking beans, lentils, and other pulses overnight or for at least a few hours significantly reduces their cooking time. Soaking softens them, allowing them to cook faster and more evenly. This translates directly to less LPG used.
Chopping Vegetables into Smaller Pieces: Smaller pieces of vegetables cook much faster than larger chunks. By uniformly chopping your vegetables into smaller, manageable sizes, you ensure they cook through quickly, reducing the overall cooking time and LPG consumption.
Using a Pressure Cooker: Pressure cookers are incredibly efficient at cooking food quickly. They use steam under pressure to raise the boiling point of water, allowing food to cook at a higher temperature and much faster. This is especially effective for cooking tough meats, beans, and grains, drastically reducing LPG usage.
Planning Meals: Plan your meals in advance and prep ingredients ahead of time. This avoids the need for last-minute cooking decisions and ensures you're not wasting gas while figuring out what to cook.
Thawing Frozen Foods Properly: Ensure frozen foods are completely thawed before cooking. Cooking frozen food directly takes significantly longer and consumes more LPG.
Pro Tip:
Avoid using oversized cookware on smaller burners. The excess heat escaping around the sides is wasted energy. Match the pot size to the burner size for optimal efficiency.