Cooking is not a chore — it is an activity to enjoy and, sometimes, can be rather therapeutic! I learnt this only a few years ago and now I strive to share this attitude with all of you. I grew up in Calcutta at a time when kids and youngsters were not encouraged to be in the kitchen and preparing daily meals was the job of the proud and dedicated ‘cook’ under the stern guidance of the ladies of the house. In other words, it was a serious job to be done and gotten over with!

Later, during my work trips to Italy and after watching endless episodes of MasterChef Australia and Nigella Lawson shows on TV, my attitude to cooking changed. I was amazed at how one could actually enjoy the whole process of creating something and then savouring every bite of their labour. With my Italian husband and his family, I learnt how preparing a weekend meal could be a social family activity where everyone was equally involved and the time spent in the kitchen with some wine and music was as joyful as the time spent on the table enjoying that meal!

However, life is super busy for everyone and as working women, we have to juggle it all… and that just quadrupled in 2020 thanks to corona. After becoming a mum, my focus has been on making healthy and nutritious family meals quickly but creatively. Smart cooking is the need of the hour and this is exactly the mantra in my book, Fast Fresh Flavourful, which so many of you have been enjoying. Believe me, with these simple hacks, you will be more efficient in the kitchen and your food will shine without you looking like a hot mess! If I can do it all with a smile, so can you.

• Planning is the key. Plan your meals on a weekly or daily basis based on the likes and dislikes of the family, aiming to include at least one element from every food group. Think colours and variety in flavour and texture. If you wait till 6pm to decide “what should I cook for dinner”, it will definitely be a moment of panic!
  
• Do your grocery shopping on the weekend for the week ahead, stocking up on fresh and dry ingredients you usually use in your favourite dishes. Then follow the first-in-first-out stock system substituting recipes with ingredients that are handy.
  
• Use the weekend to make batches of chutneys, sauces, marinades, curry bases, masalas which can be refrigerated and used over the next few days.
  
• One dish can suit all! Make a big batch of the basic dish, separate some for the kids and spice up the rest for the adults. This is my secret to getting kids to enjoy food and avoiding that tantrum at meal times. The kids will feel grown up eating the same food as the adults together on the table. Ditch that kiddy crockery as well.
• Stock up on good cooking equipment to make your life easy and feel like a pro chef. Invest in a good set of knives and a heavy wooden board for smooth, easy chopping. Get a good set of pots and pans and baking equipment.
  
• Cut your veggies the evening before for your meal the next day and store in ziplock bags in the fridge. Wash the bags, air-dry inside-out and reuse. Store fresh herbs in ziplock bags or wrap in cloth bags and keep neatly in the fridge. Put wilted herbs in water and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before using and they will be bright and crisp.
  
• Freeze nuts, seeds and breadcrumbs to add extra crunch and prevent them from going rancid just when you need them to finish that salad. Use directly from the freezer. Make extra curries, sauces and purees and freeze in ice cube trays, defrosting only what you need per meal.
  
• Fresh chicken and seafood can also be frozen so you have it on hand when needed and save yourself the last-minute trip to the local market. Make sure you defrost ahead of time. I freeze burger buns and pizza bases so that they are handy for a last-minute meal when nothing else makes sense!

Blend 200g-300g of ginger and garlic separately in a blender and store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Avoid the hassle of chopping and grating these basic aromatics before every meal. To peel garlic cloves easily, soak them in water for 30 minutes and then peel.

• Give yourself an hour in the day to cook for two meals at least. With some planning and prep, this is very easily achievable. Cook extra of each dish and use the leftovers the next day with some variation — aloo-gobi sandwiches with some fresh greens make a great office lunch. Leftover noodles, rice and stir fries can be combined into a healthy Buddha bowl the next day.

Extra chicken tikka kebabs are delicious wrapped in a roti with some salad and a simple drizzle of salted dahi and chilli sauce or even dunked in a simple tomato-based gravy the next day. Soups make excellent pasta sauces and freeze very well so always make extra. That coconut prawn curry which you had with rice last night could make an interesting noodle bowl with some fresh herbs, chillies and lime.

• Prepare ingredients beforehand. For plant-based proteins and grains, plan and soak the night before so you have plenty of choice for the next day. Marinate and salt meat up to 12 hours before and refrigerate. When you are tired after a long day at work, all you have to do is cook it as you like. This also adds bags of flavour.
  
• Use the oven as much as possible to roast your meats, veggies, potatoes and so on. Use the time and energy to catch up with the kids homework instead of hovering around the stove.

Taste, taste, taste and make adjustments according to your palate. Recipes are only guidelines for you to combine with your personal touch and creativity.

If you found this useful, you can get lots of effortless yet healthy recipes using fresh local produce in my book Fast Fresh Flavourful available on Amazon worldwide.

Natasha Celmi is a chef and author of the cookbook Fast Fresh Flavourful. Her Instagram handle is @cucinamiabynatasha