It may be no surprise that, after pizza, an Indian dish is the cuisine we are most likely to buy pre-prepared from a supermarket or order from a takeaway. And so preparation of delicious Indian food was the focus of the Energy Efficient Cookery demonstration on Monday 26 January at Tilling Green Community Centre.
14 attendees benefited from the expertise of Community Chef founder Robin Van Creveld, who delivered the session with real warmth and wit.
Working in partnership with voluntary groups, schools, housing and residents’ associations, Robin’s organisation works across East Sussex and Southern England on a mission to help bring individuals and communities together over food. By sharing energy-efficient cookery skills, Robin aims to empower everyone to prepare healthy, affordable and nourishing dishes while saving money. “No one should have to choose between eating and heating. But we can still enjoy cooking healthy food cheaply,” said Robin.
In the session, Robin demonstrated three energy-saving devices and how to get the best from each of them: electric pressure cooker, electric induction hob and air fryer. My memories of scary pressure cookers from the 1970s with a tendency to whistle or even explode were banished – modern pressure cookers are very safe! Robin explained that the pressure cooker uses 60% less energy than a gas or electric hob, yet can easily rustle up “one pot wonders” – as he demonstrated with a delicious pilau biriani recipe.
Using the induction hob, Robin prepared a tasty tarka dhal from red lentils, onion, cumin seed, garlic, ginger, ghee, turmeric and a small chilli (remove the seeds) in just a few minutes. Robin emphasised that the induction hob is as versatile as gas, but far safer, and the hob rapidly cools as soon as the pan is removed.
The air fryer is perfect for cooking crispy, tasty fish fillets in just a few minutes. Today, Robin cooked kebabs from paneer cubes with onion and peppers. Paneer is made by pressing milk curds in muslin cloth, or you can buy it ready-made. At 20% protein and only 16% fat, it makes a healthy, nutritious side dish.
When asked if he had to recommend just one energy-saving cooking appliance, Robin didn’t hesitate: “The pressure cooker – it’s perfect for small households, it saves money, and you can cook a one-pot wonder from any ingredients you have to hand.”
Top tips
The kettle is the most power-hungry appliance in the kitchen. Boil a full kettle once and keep the boiling water in a modern thermos – this will stay hot for 8 hours.
Add depth of flavour to any dish by combining garlic, onion and ginger with ghee. Ghee is clarified butter where the protein has been removed, so it will keep for a very long time. Use it to impart a delicious, rich flavour.
Unlock turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties by adding black pepper during cooking.
Reduce cooking time (and energy use) by covering the pan (ideally with foil to create a seal) and chopping vegetables more finely.
Meat on the bone is both cheaper and more flavoursome, and will be very tender and flake off the bone when cooked in a pressure cooker.
Soak red lentils overnight with a change of water, both to improve their nutritional value and reduce digestive problems. Here’s the science bit: red lentils contain phytic acid which prevents absorption of their nutrients, particularly vitamin B. Soaking them removes this, along with the resistant starch which causes wind.
When Robin asked us what we thought of the results, there was a resounding “Delicious!” from the group, and there was great enthusiasm for future workshops and courses. With the cost of both food and energy increasing, surely this is something we can all benefit from.
Kate, who is a chef, said, “I learnt something new today: soaking the red lentils overnight to make them both more nutritious and easier to digest. Thank you Robin!”
Many thanks to Robin Van Creveld for such an enjoyable, informative and tasty demonstration, and to Dan Lake for organising this workshop, which was funded by Rother Voluntary Action.
You can find out more about courses run by Community Chef, including the recipes prepared in the workshop, here.
Image Credits: Phil Gooch .