For many families, the first question each morning is: what shall we cook today? Cooking separately for breakfast, lunch and dinner takes up a large part of the day in the kitchen. For working people, homemakers and small families in particular, coming up with a new menu every day becomes quite hard, on top of the cost of gas, lost time and, often, wasted food.

That is why "smart cooking" is becoming popular in today's busy life: making three kinds of dishes for the day's three meals from one vegetable. With a little planning, several dishes with different flavours can be made from the same ingredients, saving time and reducing both kitchen hassle and food waste.

At the start of the day, make a dry fry (bhaji) or curry with potato, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower or mixed vegetables. While cooking, set part of it aside.

This vegetable filling can easily be used for stuffed parathas, or packed between slices of bread and grilled or toasted into a tasty sandwich. The vegetable is the same, but a different way of serving it keeps breakfast from becoming monotonous.

Use the main part of the morning's vegetables at lunch. Served with hot rice, dal or roti, it makes a healthy, balanced meal. You can add yoghurt, raita or fresh salad if you like, which adds nutrition without the need to cook anything else.

If some vegetables are left after lunch, serve them in a new way rather than throwing them out. Make a light gravy with onion, tomato, ginger-garlic and spices and mix in the vegetables for a curry with a completely new taste. The same vegetables can also fill vegetable rolls or wraps, or go into fried rice, a light pulao or pasta, so the family will not feel they are being served the same food twice.

This way of cooking is quickly gaining popularity because it brings several benefits at once. There is no need to cook three times a day, gas or electricity use falls, and time in the kitchen is greatly reduced. There is also less chance of food going to waste in the fridge.

It also frees the cook from the daily stress of deciding on a new menu, while variety is kept because different dishes can be made from the same ingredients.

The idea that cooking means hours of hard work is changing. With a little planning, one ordinary vegetable can become the basis of all three meals of the day. For small families, working couples and anyone who cannot spend much time in the kitchen every day, smart cooking can be the most effective solution.

Sources: India Today, Serious Eats.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.