Modern Microwave Cooking

Introduction to MW cooking

These recipes and timings have been tested in a NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN with an output of 700 watts.

Suitable modifications of timings would have to be made for other ovens.

Power level cooking

100 % High

75 % Med high

50 % Medium

25 % Low

The time given in the recipes is approximate. It varies with the size & output of the MW, besides nature & moisture content of the food.

Whatever you are cooking (both liquids & solids), stirring once in 3 mts ensures even cooking.

Never overcook – this is very important in MW cooking.

After switching off, food tends to get further cooked in the heat.

Reheating can be done in foodgrade plastic ware, but cooking is best done in microwave glass bowls or ceramics.

Use deep dishes to prepare gravies & fill only ¾. Otherwise gravies are likely to spill.

For dry vegetables use shallow, flat dishes.

Milk based foods tend to boil over & so use large & deep containers.

If the food is taken cold from the fridge, it takes longer to heat up than food at room temperature.

Always space food apart – even cooking is only then possible.

Do not pile one over the other.

Round containers ( which have no corners) are better than square or rectangular vessels.

Always give standing time to the cooked food, since, as given earlier, cooking process continues after MW is switched off also.

If you double the quantity of food to be cooked, do not always double the time also. Increasing a little is sufficient.

Rice:

Basmathi gets cooked better than Ponni rice.

Pulaos can be cooked well.

Dhals:

Turdhal is best not cooked in MW, but only in the pressure cooker.

For moong dhal, masoor dhal & gram dhal:

Use a large vessel so that t will be only half full.

Soak dhal in 2 ½ times boiling water covered ( outside M W0 for 30 mts.

Add haldi & little oil.

Cook OPEN in the MW, stirring regularly.

If the water gets fully absorbed, before it is completely cooked, add a little more hot water.

Cooking vegetables:

It is important to cut vegetables into even sized pieces for uniform cooking.

Cook with very little water.

Eg: 250 gms of beans, cabbage etc + 2 tbsp of water take about 8 mts

Cover & stir once inbetween.

Keerai (greens) – open bowl – sprinkle water – less time

Kovakkai – 250 gms – apply little oil – open bowl( stirring once inbetween) 7-8 mts

Ladies’ finger & Brinjal – apply little oil – closed bowl – 5,6 mts



Whole brinjal, potato, if cooking whole, shoud be slit or pierced to prevent bursting.

I find microwave steamer ideal for steam cooking vegetables.

Stuffed brinjal etc can be steam cooked & sauted on a nonstick frying pan, using very little oil.

In MW cooking, colour of vegetables is retained very well.

The nutrients are better preserved.

I regularly boil milk in MW.

I litre - High 10 mts + lo 5 mts

½ litre - High 5 mts + lo 3 mts

Remember the above timing is a general guide only.

Besan Ladoo - the Gujarathi favourite sweet.

For this freshly ground besan is a must, since only that givs the best flavour.

I generally do not add flavouring agents like cardamom powder, so that the flavour is similar to mysorepak ! But many add & it is again one’s choice.

This is very easily made in the microwave.

Besan - 1 cup

Sugar - ¾ cup ( first measure raw sugar & then powder fine)

Melted ghee - ½ cup minus 2 tsp

Microwave:

Mix besan & ghee thoroughly & microwave on high for 3 mts, stirring once thoroughly, in between.

If it does not start rising to the top, microwave for a few more secs & remove.

Add powdered sugar & mix very well.

When fairly hot, divide & form into smal balls roughly.

When the entire dough is done, take each ball, press gently from all sides till it becomes soft & round.

If you like, smear a drop of ghee on a piece of cashew & stick on it – this step is optional.

Cool & store.

besan laddu.JPG
besanladd.jpg

I am giving this with boiled corn ( you can substitute any vegetable, here).

I plan to give rava upma with onions. They are interchangeable.

Since here there is no vigorous boiling involved, you can use a veesl like what I have shown.

Always try to buy pre roasted semiya for convenience.

Otherwise smear 2 tsp oil over semiya in a plate & MW Hi for 1 mte & keep.

Semiya - 1 cup

Boiled corn - ½ cup

Salt, hing

Water - 1 cup

Green chillies, chopped fine - 2 tsp

Ginger, chopped fine - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

To temper:

Oil - 3 tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Boil 1 cup of water & keep ready.

In a bowl, mix oil with mustard seeds & both dhals.

Partly cover & MW hi for 2 mts.

Remove, stir well, add roasted semiya, green chillies, ginger & curry leaves.

Cover & MW hi for 1 mte.

Remove, add readily kept boiled water, salt & hing.

Cover & MW hi for 3 mts.

Just allow a resting time of 5 mts.

Open, add a tsp ghee for a good flavour ( this is optional) & serve hot.

Please remember that MW timings may vary slightly for different ovens.

semiya upma.JPG

Timings will vary with each MW oven by 1 mte, this or that way.

Select fresh raw bananas, peel & chop into 1 cm cubes.

Banana cubes - 1 cup

Salt, haldi

Oil - 3 tsp

Red chillies - 2, broken into small pieces

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coarsely grind without adding water:

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Green chilli - 1

In a shallow bowl, mix oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal & curry leaves.

Cover with a lid & MW hi for 3 mts, stirring once in between.

Remove, stir well, add banana, haldi & 2 tbsp water.

Cover with a lid & MW hi for 5 mts.

Open, add salt & coconut mixture.

Add 1 tsp oil & mix well.

MW medium for 4-5 mts.

Allow standing time.
raw banana curry.JPG

Oats - 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Oil - 3 tsp

Red chillies - 2,3 broken into pieces

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Onion - 1, chopped

Green chillies - 2, chopped

Salt, hing

Boil 1 cup of water & keep ready.

In a shallow bowl, mix oil, mustard seeds, urad & gram dhal & curry leaves.

Cover & MW hi for 3 mts.

Remove, add chopped onions, green chillies & oats.

Mix well & Cover.

MW hi for 2 mts.

Remove , add boiling water, salt & hing.

Cover & cook for 3 mts.

Open add 1 tsp oil & mix well.

Cook on medium for 4 mts, stirring once, inbetween.

Serve hot.
oats upma.JPG

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You can make paruppusili, using any vegetable, lik beans, cabbage,cluster beans, mixed vegetables etc. I have made here with cabbage.

Chop the vegetable fine.

Chopped vegetable - 2 cups

Salt

To soak for 2 hrs & grind coarse without adding water:

Tur dhal - 2 tbsp

Gram dhal - 2 tbsp

Red chillies - 2

Green chilli - 1

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Hing - ¼ tsp

Steam the vegetable in MW steamer till soft ( normally MW hi 7, 8 mts)

In a shallow bowl mix steamed vegetable with ground paste & salt thoroughly.

Cook open for 5 mts, mixing once thoroughly in between.

In another small bowl, mix all tempering ingredients, cover with a lid & MW hi for 2-3 mts ( varies with your oven).

Add this to the vegetable-dhal mixture & mix very well.

MW hi for 2 mts.
cabbage p usili.JPG

A small piece of beetroot added to the tomatoes gives the soup a beautiful red colour.

Bright red tomatoes, medium size - 4, 5

Beetroot - a small piece

Rasam powder - ¼ tsp

Salt, sugar ( optional)

Chop the tomatoes into small pieces

Grate the beetroot.

Mix chopped tomatoes, grated beetroot & rasam powder.

Take in a micro bowl, cover & MW hi for 5-6 mts.

Leave for 5 mts.

Liquidise, adding just enough water to get your desired consistency.

Strain, add salt & a pinch of sugar, if preferred.

Serve hot.
tomato soup.JPG

When this is done on stove top, deep frying is unavoidable. But in microwave method, shallow frying is done to yield good results.

Raw groundnuts - 1 cup

Besan - 2tbsp

Rice flour - 2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Oil - 4-5 tsp

Just wet the groundnuts completely, by smearing water on them, very lightly but thoroughly.

Mix all dry ingredients well.

Sprinkle over the wet groundnuts & shake the vessel well for them to get a uniform coating.

Heat the oil in a shallow microvessel for 2 mts Hi.

Carefully transfer the coated groundnuts to the vessel.

Micro Hi for 3 mts.

Allow to stand for 5 mts.

Remove to 2,3 absorbent tissues for the oil to be absorbed completely.

Store airtight.
masala peanuts.JPG

Fresh besan gives the best resuts.

Please remember, a trial run is best given to assess your MW timings.

Besan - 1 cup

Ghee ( melted) - ¾ cup

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - ½ cup

This should be made in a big MW vessel, to prevent overflowing.

Mix besan & melted ghee well & keep ready.

Mix sugar & water in tme MW bowl.

MW hi for 2 mtes & remove.

Mix thoroughly & MW hi for 2 more mts.

Stir to make sure the sugar has dissolved thoroughly & completely.

If not, MW for a few more secs.

Remove & add besan-ghee mixture.

Put back on microwave.

MW hi for 2 mts, remove & stir.

Put back & repeat once again.

Usually it takes 4-5 mts & varies with the oven.

As soon as a honey comb texture is reached, remove.

Immediately pour over a greased plate, level by shaking the plate & sprinkle sugar on top.

Cool & cut.
MW mysorepak.JPG

This is an ideal sweet to try when you are left with a few slices of bread.
Bread slices - 5

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Milk - 2 cups

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom pdr - 1/2 tsp

Saffron - 1/4 tsp

Chopped cashew - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Warm saffron and powder .

Break bread into tiny pieces , mix with ghee in a micro vessel.

Micro Med for 3 mts and Micro Med Low for 5 mts, till crisp , stirring once or twice in between.

Add milk, Micro Med for 5 mts .

Remove, stir , add all other ingredients and Micro Low for 5 mts , stirring once in between .

Serve at room temperature.

This is a very easy sweet which can be prepared in a jiffy when unexpected guests drop in.
bread halwa.JPG