Induction hob

[Joeboy]

Playing about a little with my curry ingredients.

Saturday we made a chicken balti with homegrown scotch bonnets and tatties, added a cup of red lentils too. It has all melded wonderfully.

Rice was parboiled tonight then finished on the induction hob with thinly sliced onions, garlic and coconut.

Insanely flavoursome Winter dish.

[Bugtownboy]

Red Lentils are a great way to get extra veg in meals. ‘Falls’ lovely and gives a lovely thickness to ‘wet’ food - Pearl Barley’s a good addition to Joe.

OK, probably get shouted at by the purists, but pre-soaking rice (8 hours) reduces cooking time significantly.

[Oldgreybeard]

OK, probably get shouted at by the purists, but pre-soaking rice (8 hours) reduces cooking time significantly.

Very definitely! We started doing this a couple of years ago, after a suggestion from my MiL (Thai Buddhist, she cooks a lot of rice). Makes a really big difference, and also seems to make the rice a lot more fluffy, perhaps because it washes out some of the surface starch? We've found that we can usually cook rice after soaking just by pouring boiling water on it out of the tap and leaving it for a few minutes.

[Joeboy]

Red Lentils are a great way to get extra veg in meals. ‘Falls’ lovely and gives a lovely thickness to ‘wet’ food - Pearl Barley’s a good addition to Joe.

OK, probably get shouted at by the purists, but pre-soaking rice (8 hours) reduces cooking time significantly.

All good to know BTB, I am a pearl barley freak in my Haggis broth. I am trying to get more veg into my diet these days.

Is that a cold water soak for the rice? Will give it a go, thank you both.

[Bugtownboy]

If we’re having rice, and I remember, I’ll put a measured amount (whatever you use) in the pan I’m going to cook it in then add an excess of cold water.

Do this while I’m making the morning brew, stays there until supper time.

As OGB says, reduces cooking time significantly.

Such an easy way of saving kW - maybe not many, but it’s all grist to the lifestyle mill.

It can be surprising how little, cumulative changes can have a noticeable effect. OK, we’re not generating our own kW, but if the end point is reducing our impact, it all counts.

Oh, and Pearl barley risotto (Orzotto) with slowly braised ox cheeks (cast iron on the WBS is perfect) is one of the most intensely flavourful meals.

[Bugtownboy]

Note - don’t pre-soak for Risotto

[Mr Gus]

I am loving pot in pot roce cooking in the instantpot, but the amount of rinsing waterconcerns me, how much water does the soak use & rinse after?


Other than that the rice is truly steamed in a manner that means the outer pot remains clean & does not need washing up liquid, water & steam cycle ..its very effective.

Fluffier than a blow dried show kitty my rice is!

[Joeboy]

Bought ourselves a neat wee 5 ltr s/s induction.pan today for £4. Cooked dinner tonight using induction hob, air fryer and also microwave. The 65" TV was on too.

My point is that with some very slight juggling between the microwave and airfryer I managed to cook a meal for three while two were entertained and many lights were on. Didn't touch the grid once, it all came from the stack.

My point is that it's great to have PV and batteries but it's even better to work both ends and have power efficient gear. I'm pretty sure that was a first tonight or certainly a first that I was that aware of.

Hard to believe looking at it yet dinner was pasta, arrabiata sauce, sausages, carrots, parsnips with sesame seeds and garlic bread. It's all happening in that 2nd photo....

[Joeboy]

Well that's rather excellent. Pulling about 800W from batteries with big PC on and air fryer baking a cake. Must have caught it in an element off moment! Today is banana, coconut & pineapple sponge. A taste of the tropics on a grey day!

[Joeboy]

OK, probably get shouted at by the purists, but pre-soaking rice (8 hours) reduces cooking time significantly.

Very definitely! We started doing this a couple of years ago, after a suggestion from my MiL (Thai Buddhist, she cooks a lot of rice). Makes a really big difference, and also seems to make the rice a lot more fluffy, perhaps because it washes out some of the surface starch? We've found that we can usually cook rice after soaking just by pouring boiling water on it out of the tap and leaving it for a few minutes.

Thanks OGB & BTB, I had no idea about the pre soaking step. Making smoked fish kedgeree later so did the cold water soak this morning. Rice has swollen significantly and a load of starch has come off into water. Will report back with taste test this evening.