Simplified cooking with MW

You can easily roast nuts like cashews and groundnuts in microwave and store them
for future use. For this, spread out the nuts in the microwave safe plate (preferably
plate instead of bowl) and micro high for about 2 minutes for 1/2 cup of nuts.
However, just check once in between and ensure they dont get burnt. Dont consume
immediately. They become crisp when cooled.

Make paneer in the microwave-- Micro high 4 cups of milk in a doubly sized
microwave safe bowl for 5 minutes. Stir every 2 minutes in between. Now add 2 tbsp
of curd and micro high for 1 more minute. Leave it to cool for five minutes and then
drain out the water.

To blanch tomatoes, use a toothpick to make holes in the tomato and micro high it
for around 30 seconds. Allow a standing time of 2 minutes and then blanch them.

To extract juice from tamarind, add some water to it and micro high for 3 minutes in
a microwave safe bowl. Allow standing time of 5-10 minutes and extract the juice.
Its much easier to do this way.

To get more lemon juice, micro high the lemon for around 20 seconds in a
microwave safe plate.

Basics of Microwave Cooking

Before Cooking-

• Aluminium vessels and glass containers with designs are a big NO for microwave.

• The plastic containers that you get as free gifts when you purchase microwave are
better used only for reheating. Avoid cooking in it.

• To ensure that the glass bowl that you are using is microwave safe, fill it with
water and micro high for a minute. If the bowl continues to remain cool, it is fit for
cooking.

• Ensure that the vegetables are evenly cut for even and faster cooking. Add water
to just dip the vegetables and keep adding when required as excess water will delay
cooking.

• Microwave cooking requires a little more water than cooking in gas.

• Rice is best cooked in microwave if soaked in water for at least 20 minutes.

• To cook dal faster in microwave, soak it in water for half an hour.

• Before cooking potatoes, tomatoes, pierce them all over so that they don’t blast.

During cooking-

• Timing plays a crucial role in the success of a microwave recipe. The time taken to
cook rice, dhals and vegetables differ with quantity, quality and size of the cut
vegetables.

• Mix the food well once every 2 to 3 minutes, so that it cooks evenly.

• Keep checking if there is sufficient water, else food will get burnt.

• For cooking dals, always use a larger vessel, add some turmeric powder and few
drops of oil to prevent spilling.

• Microwave extracts more taste from spices and salt…Hence use a bit lesser
quantity than what you use for cooking on gas.

After Cooking-

• Use some cloth or gloves to remove the glass bowls from the microwave.

• After removing the glass bowls from the microwave, don’t keep it directly on slabs
or cold surfaces as it will develop cracks. Always place a thick towel and then the
glass bowl on it.

• Always allow 2-5 minutes standing time for food cooked in microwave prior to
consumption.

Eggless Vanilla Cake

100% microwave cooking blog completes a year today. Here is the eggless cake
recipe for the occassion....
Ingredients (Translation)

200 grams Maida

1 level tsp Baking powder
2 pinches Baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Butter- 100 grams or Ghee- ¾ cup
400 grams Condensed Milk
200-300 ml Soft drink

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl for around 30 seconds on micro high. Now
add the condensed milk and beat well.

Sieve the mix of maida, baking powder and baking soda around 3 to 4 times.

Add it to the butter and condensed milk mix little by little and blend it well using cut
and fold technique.

Add the soft drink to get the required consistency and finally add the essence.

Grease a microwave safe bowl and pour the batter.

Microwave on high without covering it for 6 to 7 minutes.

Decorate the cake as desired using cream and icing sugar or strawberry or cherries.

Pizza
Ingredients (Translation)

Pizza base- 1
Tomato ketchup
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Onions
Tomato
Capsicum
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Grill the pizza base on both sides for 2 ½ minutes each.

Spread tomato ketchup and cheese on it.

Cut the vegetables in round slices and arrange them on the pizza base.

Add salt and pepper and lots of grated cheese.

Grill it in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes or maybe a minute or two more.

Rava Idli

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup sooji/rava/semolina
1 cup curd
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
Finely chopped chillies and ginger
Finely chopped coriander leaves
½ tsp of Eno fruit salt

Mix all the ingredients well except Eno fruit salt.

Now add water to get the desired consistency…the batter must be of pouring
consistency.

Finally add the Eno, mix it and immediately pour it into the idli plates that are
microwave safe.

Micro high for around 4-5 minutes. Check if it is cooked, else micro high for another
minute.

Just invert the idli plate on the serving plate and pat once, the idlis will automatically
come out.

Serve it with coriander chutney, coconut chutney, ground nut chutney or sambhar.

Vegetable Rava Upma

Ingredients (Translation)
1 cup sooji
1 spoon oil
1 carrot cut into small pieces
1/4 cup peas
1 1/2 cup of water
2 Green chillies cut into half
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Pinch of hing
Few Curry leaves

Mix the oil, mustard seeds, black gram dal and Bengal gram dal and micro high for
half a minute in a closed microwave safe bowl. Add the carrot and peas and some
water and micro high for 3 minutes, ensuring there is sufficient water.

Add all the ingredients except coriander leaves and micro high for 4-5 minutes.
Remove and mix well every 2 minutes. Add finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve after allowing a standing time of one minute.

Dhokla
½ cup sooji
½ cup besan
1 cup curd
pinch of sugar
Lemon juice
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
½ tsp of Eno fruit salt
Coriander leaves and white til to garnish

Mix all the ingredients except Eno fruit salt. Add water to get pouring consistency.
Add the Eno fruit salt, mix well and immediately pour it into a microwave safe bowl.

Micro high for 4-5 minutes. Check if it is cooked, else micro high for another minute.

Allow a minute standing time and garnish the dhokla with some white til and
coriander leaves.
Serve with any chutney

Meetha (Sweet) Chutney

Ingredients (Translation)

1 big lemon size tamarind

4 tbsp dates syrup (or a small lemon size dates)
1/2 cup jaggery (approx)
A pinch of salt
A pinch of red chilli powder

Soak the tamarind and dates (if not using syrup) for half an hour and extract the
juice.

Add it to a microwave safe bowl and micro high for 4 minutes. Add the rest of the
ingredients and micro high again for 3 minutes. If it is still very watery, micro high
for another 2 minutes.

Cool and store in refrigerator and use it for chats. It tastes great with idli dosas too.

Alternatively you can even substitute dry grapes for dates. Both of them have the
properties to thicken the chutney.

Cauliflower Kootu
Ingredients

1 medium sized cauliflower (soaked in boiling water for 1/2 hr)

2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
1 cup cooked greengram dal
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A bit of asafoetida
3 tsp kootu masala powder
2 tbsp grated coconut

Grind the coconut and kootu masala powder together.

Add oil, mustard seeds in a microwave safe bowl and micro high for 30 seconds. Add
curry leaves, cooked dal, cauliflower florets, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida and
masala paste.

Add more water if required and cook covered at micro high for 5 minutes till
cauliflower is done, stirring once in between.

Serve with rice/rotis.

Kadai Paneer
Ingredients (Translation)

200 gms paneer cut into long strips

1 medium size capsicum cut into long strips
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
2 tbsp tomato puree
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp fresh cream
Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

In a microwave safe bowl, add the oil, ginger, tomato puree and all the dry masala
powders. Micro high for 30 seconds.

Add capsicum, some water and micro high for 2 minutes.

Add the paneer, cream and salt and more water if required. Micro high for 1 more
minute. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot chapatis.

Paneer Tikka
Ingredients (Translation)

1/4 kg Paneer cut into cubes

1 big spoon Curd
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste
Ghee or oil- for greasing
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
2 tsp Crushed kasuri methi
¼ tsp Ajwain
Red orange color- a pinch
1 Big capsicum cut into trianges
1 Big tomato cut into triangles
1 Big onion (optional, i didnt use)

Mix all ingredients except paneer, capsicum, tomato and onion.

Prick the paneer pieces using toothpick and add it to the mixture. Refrigerate for at
least two hours.

Remove and micro high for around 4 to 5 minutes in a microwave safe strainer.

Grease it with ghee or oil and grill it for 7 to 8 minutes along with the other
vegetable pieces, but remove the vegetable pieces after 2 to 3 minutes. Arrange the
tikka as follows in a toothpick, first capsicum, tomato, onion, paneer, onion, tomato
and finally capsicum. Prepare all pieces like this. You can even change the order, but
always keep the paneer in the centre.

Spread some chat masala powder on it.

Your tasty paneer tikka is ready. Serve hot with some tomato sauce.

Malai Kofta

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup Grated Paneer

1 Green chillies
1 tsp Maida
2 Baked Potatoes
Salt to taste
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Chilli powder
4 tbsp Cream

For the masala paste

Tomatoes-2
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 piece of ginger
1 piece of cinnamon stick
2 tsp of coriander seeds
1 finely chopped onion

Coriander leaves and kasuri methi to garnish

Mash the potatoes and add the grated paneer, maida, salt, finely chopped green
chilly. Mix well and make small balls of it and micro high them for around 30 to 40
seconds in a microwave safe plate after greasing it with some oil.

In a microwave safe bowl, add 2 tsp of oil, the masala paste and micro high for 3
minutes. Remove, mix well and again micro high for another 2 minutes.

Add the cream, salt and micro high for one minute.

Finally add the koftas and micro high for two minutes. Allow a standing time of two
minutes.

Garnish with coriander and crushed kasuri methi leaves.

Methi Mattar Malai

This recipe is a modified version of Tarla Dalal's Methi Mattar Malai to suit my
requirements of making gravy without onions and garlic.

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup chopped fenugreek leaves

1/2 cup cooked green peas
A bit of sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp fresh cream

For masala paste

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1 green chilli
5 to 8 cashews
2 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)

Grind the masala and keep ready. In a microwave safe bowl, add oil, fenugreek
leaves and cumin seeds and micro high for 2 minutes.

In a seperate bowl, add some more oil, masala paste and micro high for 30 seconds.
Add milk, cream, salt as per taste, pinch of sugar, cooked peas and fenugreek
leaves. Mix well and micro high for 2 more minutes. (Since i wanted a thick gravy
and also retain the white colour of the gravy, 2 tbsp of rice flour mixed in water was
added at this stage and micro high for 1 more minute.)

Serve hot with rotis.