20 Microwave Oven Cooking Tips for Indian Kitchen

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20 Microwave Oven Cooking Tips for Indian Kitchen

Written by
Sandhya Khattri
Microwave Oven is a very popular kitchen gadget. Today I am sharing 20 Tips related to Microwave Oven cooking for Indian kitchens. Though you can prepare complete meal in Microwave Oven but small tasks can easily be performed with Microwave Oven . Fast, healthy and unsupervised cooking are its key benefits. If you have command over timing and power level adjustments Microwave Oven can be a good companion in kitchen.
Here is a complete list of 20 Tips that you will find useful in your day2day cooking.

Preparing Veggies for Stir Fry

In Indian cooking we serve stir fries as a side dish, their cooking require time and attention, simply place washed veggies in micro safe container, sprinkle some salt over them and micro high them for 3-4 minutes, veggies are ready(you can use potatoes, cauliflower, beans, carrot and ladyfingers etc) Just before serving, heat oil in a pan, add spices and prepared veggies, stir once or twice and side dish is ready to serve.

Extracting Tamarind Pulp:

Tamarind pulp is essential for kadhis, dals and chutney’s it require pre soaking, but in Microwave Oven place washed tamarind with some water Micro high it for 2 minutes, give it standing time, as it cools extract juice from it.

Roasting Papad’s and Snacks

Now a days different types of snacks specially meant for Microwave are available in market, they can be prepared within seconds, simply place them on turntable of Microwave Oven, micro high them for 40-50 seconds you can get oil free snacks ( refer to my post microwave pani poori). Brush papads with some oil and microwave them for seconds, you can prepare fried papads with less oil.

Making Ghee

This is a time taking process when prepared manually, place prepared butter in Micro safe bowl, micro high it for 3-4 minutes, give it standing time, check if ghee it not extracted properly, micro high it for another 1-2 minutes. Don’t try this continuously for 6-8 minutes, ghee will spill out (as continuous cooking raise its temperature)

Roasting Nuts

Peanuts, cashewnuts and other seeds can be easily roasted in Microwave Oven by placing them on turntable and micro high them for 2 minutes, turn once in between, as they cool down they will become crisp and crunchy. Add salt and one teaspoon oil or ghee to 1 cup cashewnuts, mix well and microwave them in the way mentioned above, you will get fried cashewnuts.

Blanching Tomatoes

Blanched tomatoes are required for gravies, pasta and pizza sauce and for soups. Make cross mark on tomatoes with knife, place them in flat dish micro high them for 2 minutes with lid covered, blanched tomatoes are ready.

Steaming Idli and Dhokla

usually steaming idli and dhokla in conventional method requires 12-15 minutes , but in microwave this task if performed within 3 minutes. You can check my jhatpat microwave dhokla with tangy sauce recipe.

Frying edible gum crystals

In winter we prepare healthy recipes like ladoo’s and panjeeri made with gond(edible gum crystals) conventional method required deep frying but in Microwave oven without using oil or ghee you can prepare edible gum crystals within seconds, check my recipes of gond ke ladoo and edible gum crystals panjeeri.

Cooking fruits and vegetables

pears, apples mangoes and gooseberry can be easily cooked in Microwave Oven for making purees and desserts like rabri. I find amla cooking very easy in microwave oven, place washed amla on turntable, microhigh them for 4 minutes, give them standing time, you can easily use them for making murraba (preserve) and chutney (don’t need to soak them overnight in lime water or boiling them). Carrots can also be prepared in the same manner for murrabba.

Making Jams

Preserving fruits like apples and mangoes in the form of Jam require approx 40-45 minutes of cooking but in microwave you can prepare them within 10-12 minutes. For detailed information please check my recipe of mango jam in microwave oven.

Cooking Rice

Cooking daily rice is easy in Microwave Oven , take soaked rice with water(1:2 ratio) microhigh it for 6-7 minutes with lid uncovered, cook for another 2-3 minutes with lid, give it standing time, perfect rice is ready with each and every grain separated.(rice cooking time may vary depending upon the power levels of your Microwave Oven , after 1 or 2 trails you will be able to get exact time for cooking.

Layering Biryani

prepared cooked rice and veggies separately , for biryani just before serving arrange layers of veggies and rice in microsafe cooker, add spices and flavors microwave them on 60% power level for 3-4 minutes, biryani is ready to serve.

Roasting Eggplant for Bharta

On gas stove you can roast one eggplant at a time, but in Microwave Oven you can roast 4-5 eggplants simultaneously by placing them on turntable of microwave oven and microhigh them for 4 minutes. After cooling its peeling is difficult hence suggesting that each eggplant should be cooked on high flame for less than a minute on gas stove, its skin will burnt and you can easily peel it, as it is already cooked in Microwave Oven , don’t require much time.

Extracting Juice

It is very easy, place half cut lemons on turntable of Microwave Oven , micro high them for 10 seconds, you can extract maximum amount of juice from lemons with less effort. This is helpful when you need lemon juice for making lemon drinks or pickles. In the same way juice of mausambi can be extracted without using juicer.

Preparing Potatoes and sweet potatoes

For aloo chaat and kand ki chaat you can prepare potatoes in Microwave Oven , as these recipes require half cooked potatoes, wash them and place them on turntable, micro high them for 5-6 minutes, you can get these veggies ready for deep frying.

Making batter for Khandvi

You can also prepare batter for khandvi in Microwave Oven mix curd, ginger, besan, turmeric and salt with water, place them in Micro safe bowl, micro high them for 3-4 minutes, set the power levels to 60%, microwave them for another 1-2 minutes, check the batter by spreading it on the back side of thali, if it is prepared you can easily roll khandvi out of this, else give another minute of cooking. Don’t give it standing time, remove at once from oven in order to prevent over cooking.

Roasting Khoya

Indian desserts are incomplete without khoya, its roasting require continuous stirring and time but in Microwave Oven it is easy, place it in bowl, micro high it for 4-5 minutes, stir twice in between, khoya is prepared.

Setting Curd and Fermenting batters

In winters setting curd is difficult task, start empty Microwave Oven on high for 30 seconds, switch off it, place container in it, warmth in oven will help in setting curd. The same process can be adopted for fermentation of batter.

Preparing beetroots

Beets are hard and required lots of time in boiling, in order to prepare them for salads and beetroot tikki, Micro high them for 6-8 minutes by placing them on turntable.

Drying green leafy Vegetables and spices

Coriander, methi(fenugreek) and mint leaves can be easily dried and stored for further use. In conventional drying lots of dust and other impurities are incorporated to them and their color is also distorted , but in Microwave Oven it is easy and their natural green color is retained after drying. Wash greens, let them air dry for 8-10 minutes, place them on turntable of microwave oven, micro high them for 2-3 minutes, give them standing time for 5 minutes, After cooling they will become crisp and dry. Veggies should be dry before placing them on turntable else cooking will start and they will require more time to dry. Dry spices like coriander seeds, red chilies, cloves and other spices can be easily dry roasted im Microwave Oven , after this their grinding become easy.

Notes: 

Time mentioned in these tips may vary depending upon the power levels of your Microwave Oven
After 1-2 trials you will be able to get the exact timings according to your oven (My oven’s highest power level is 850 watts.)
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