3 Basics of Vegiterian cooking

With more and people getting calorie conscious, most of the people are now choosing a vegan lifestyle for themselves. Not only calorie consciousness, but also the influence of PETA which is compelling people to renounce eating those tender ribs of a lamb or any other non vegetarian dish.

Thus, to get that extra anti-oxidant, fibre and green nutrient in one’s diet, one has to eat a lot of vegetables. It can get difficult for a newly transformed vegan to cook, as he is so accustomed to cooking the non-vegetarian way.  It is to be kept in mind that cooking vegetarian is not difficult at all. Thus, the three basics of vegetarian cooking –

• Nutrient check – Vegetarian cooking is not as challenging as cooking non-vegetarian. Moreover, cooking vegetarian does not offer as much variety as non-vegetarian, so creative risks have to be taken. Also, it is important to keep in mind not to skip out on a large bulk of nutrients as are restricting it to vegetables and spices. It is essential to include items rich in protein, iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12. Green vegetables like lentils and leguminous products like daal are rich in protein. Also, vegetables like broccoli are a rich source of calcium. Dry fruits like buts, beans and other fruits are rich sources of iron. And canola oil, flax seeds and walnut are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

•  Planning – Since, most people are new to this age old concept of cooking vegan, a lot of planning is required before heading towards the kitchen and making a mountain out of a mole hill. For a simple cooking, it is not necessary to use the gas to stir fry all the time. There are plenty of other ways of cooking delicious vegan. One can experiment with baking, broiling, boiling, roasting, grilling and also use a slow cooker to cook those vegetables. There are plenty of meat substitutes available in the market like soya nuggets and tofu. If cooked in the no-vegetarian style, they taste equally good. So in order to enjoy an ideal vegan meal, plan it well. Soon you will get in to the habit and it will become into a practice.

•  Freshness – The main backbone of cooking vegan is the freshness of the products used. More the freshness, better the food tastes. Author Mark Bittman stresses on the use of products like olive oil, soy sauce, citrus fruits, butter, Parmesan cheese and spices which are forever fresh if well preserved. They add an extra volume to the food thus cooked and can be used in a variety of dishes. It is to be kept in mind that soft vegetables that are soft in nature should not be overcooked for it might lose out on its freshness. It is also of vital importance to use seasonal vegetables as it contains a lot of health benefits.