No LPG? No problem: Cook delicious meals without a gas stove

Cookbook author Sabita Radhakrishna gives us tips on utilizing smart kitchen gadgets you probably already own to make easy meals without using LPG, from an induction stove to her trusty instant pot

I have always collected useful gadgets for the kitchen, from different kinds of knives, to pressure cookers. Now you get ones that are compatible with the induction stove. I bought the Insta pot as soon as it came into the market, as it has an arrangement for sautéing, pressure cooking and slow cooking as in soups.

In the early years of my marriage I had an oven, part of a full cooking range and a Kenwood chef to make those chores of mixing easier. The microwave oven despite the myths surrounding it has been an invaluable gadget. I love the way the vegetables retain their colour when they are microwaved. Most of us use the microwave only for heating these days, but today with the gas shortage it is useful for cooking.

Assuming you are a reasonably good cook you can have lots of fun planning meals without using gas.

With the variety of vegetables available in the market, all you need to do for soups is to saute them with a little oil on an induction stove, then cook them in an instant pot and liquidise. An OTG or a bigger oven is invaluable for cooking. Apart from baked dishes, even stews can be made in a closed casserole dish which makes it very tasty as it takes longer to cook.

The sandwich toaster is a handy gadget for having a snack meal with bread.

I have a rice cooker to make my dum biriyani, and an air fryer to fry brinjal slices or raw plantain besides others using minimum of oil. I have also a slow cooker again for making soups or stock. I have even tried a chicken curry in it. You switch it on in the morning before you leave for work and come back to find it ready and piping hot. The possibilities are endless!